VAT4U does not finalize claims. We prepare and submit all the necessary details into the portal, bringing the claim to the point where the client simply needs to click a button to send it.
What is the 8th Directive?
The 8th Directive governs VAT refunds for businesses established in one EU Member State claiming VAT incurred in another. VAT4U supports claim submission under this directive by streamlining automation.
Review the Risk Management Tab Before Submitting Your Claim
Risk management tab flags potential issues (e.g., invalid VAT numbers or unexpected rates). VAT4U does not block submission based on risk, but encourages users to review the warnings. Risk assessment is based on the invoices included in the claim as well as the client’s historical claims. Checks are performed directly on the expense data. We validate vendor VAT numbers, as this is a common failure point; either the bot cannot submit the claim, or the tax administration may later reject it. Even if the data is successfully submitted, the administration might still reject the claim due to risks not directly related to VAT. These risks are typically linked to common data entry issues that could affect the claim's validity later in the process.
Troubleshooting & Support
Always review the Risk Assessment section before submission. If the bot fails, use fallback options such as CSV export and manual claim submission. For errors during XML submission, ensure your company details and bank info match exactly with those in the official tax portal. Use screenshots and error codes/status to diagnose claim failures. Contact VAT4U Support with relevant logs or screenshots if you need assistance
💡 Best Practices
Keep certificates up to date: VAT4U can notify you 30 days before expiry if you enter the expiration date;
Double-check invoice data: Invalid VAT numbers or date ranges are common failure points;
Save your reference numbers: They’re essential for status tracking;
Always verify claim appearance in the destination country’s tax portal (especially for the Netherlands and Poland).
💶 How to Identify Which Claim Has Been Refunded
When a refund is issued, users will receive a decision form from the Country of Refund (CoR). This document specifies:
Which claim has been refunded
The refunded amount
This decision form usually arrives before the actual refund payment.
Finding the Refunded Claim in the System
If claim reference numbers from the Country of Refund are stored correctly in the Claim Details section, users can easily locate the refunded claim.
To find it:
Go to the Claims section.
Use the filter for:
Country of Refund = Germany (in most cases), and
(Optional) Claim Reference Number — if you have it from the CoR form.
Review the list of open claims for the claimant.
💡 Normally, a single claimant should not have more than 1–2 open claims per Country of Refund.
For Outsourcing Customers
If the user is an outsourcing customer, they should not handle refund tracking or claim identification directly.
When an outsourcing client inquires about a refund:
Advise them to contact their VAT Service Delivery Manager directly.
The Delivery Manager will verify the refund status and provide the necessary details.
Sending claim exports directly to your clients
Need to share a Domestic or Local VAT registration claim report with a client so they can include the VAT in their monthly reporting? You can now do it straight from VAT4U — no need to download the file and attach it to a separate email.
How it works
From the Claim Submission tab, you can send the standard VAT4U claim export to one or more clients in just a few clicks, using the pre-built email templates.
Simply:
Open the claim you want to share and go to Claim Submission.
Choose the recipients — you can enter multiple addresses in the To, Cc, and Bcc fields.
Type the client emails once, save them as a preset, and they'll be ready for you the next time you send a report to the same client.
That's it — the export is on its way, and your client has everything they need to report the VAT in their books.
💡 Bonus tip: send from your own mailbox
If you connect your mailbox to the VAT4U Inbox, all outgoing emails from your VAT4U account — including claim exports — will be sent directly from your own email address. Your clients see a familiar sender, replies land back in your inbox, and the whole conversation stays in one place.