Overview
Twilio provides digital services that are subject to either Value Added Tax (VAT), Goods and Services Tax (GST), or Japan Consumption Tax (JCT) (hereinafter, “VAT/GST”) in multiple countries. Local tax laws require us to validate Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) to determine if VAT/GST should apply to your purchases.
As a general rule, non-resident entities like Twilio Inc. and Twilio Ireland, are only required to apply VAT/GST on Business to Customer (B2C) transactions. Business to Business (B2B) transactions will not be charged VAT/GST if a valid VAT/GST registration number is provided by the B2B customer.
To check if Twilio collects taxes in your country, visit the Taxes section of our Support Help Center
Why is Tax ID Validation Necessary?
Twilio needs to validate Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) to:
- Determine tax liability – Identify whether your transactions should be taxed based on your registration status and local tax rules.
- Apply the correct tax rate – Ensure compliance with local tax laws.
- Stay compliant – Align with tax regulations in jurisdictions where Twilio is registered as a non-resident taxpayer.
How Does Twilio Validate Tax IDs?
Twilio uses Fonoa, an external vendor, to verify both the format and the active status of your Tax ID. This validation occurs on a monthly basis across all applicable jurisdictions.
If during these periodic validations, it is identified that your Tax ID number is no longer valid or incorrectly formatted, Twilio will automatically update your account reflecting an incorrect Tax ID and your future invoices will be subject to taxes. VAT/GST will continue to be charged on all future invoices until a valid Tax ID number is provided.
If a customer entered their Tax ID prior to January 2025 and it has an invalid format, it will be automatically removed from the system.
Tax ID Formats Per Region
Twilio is registered as a non resident taxpayer in multiple jurisdictions where VAT or GST applies to digital services. Below is a reference table of tax ID formats by region.
Note: This table provides examples for some jurisdictions where Twilio is registered for VAT/GST purposes. If your country is not listed here, please refer to the official tax authority website in your jurisdiction for accurate Tax ID format information.
| Region | Country | Tax ID Name | Format | Official Reference |
| Europe | 27 EU Member States | VAT Registration Number | Varies by country (e.g., DE123456789, FR12345678901) | European Commission - VAT Numbers VIES Database |
| Europe | United Kingdom | VAT Registration Number |
GB + 9 digits (e.g., GB123456789) |
UK HMRC VAT Number |
| Europe | Switzerland | VAT Registration Number (UID-number) |
CHE + 9 digits +MWST/TVA/IVA (e.g., CHE123456789MWST) |
Swiss Federal Tax Administration |
| Europe | Norway | VAT Registration Number |
NO+9 digits +MVA (e.g., NO123456789MVA) |
Norwegian Tax Administration |
| Americas | Canada |
GST/HST Registration Number (Federal) aBusiness number |
Unique 9-digit number + Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) program account numbers (two letters and four digits) (e.g., 123456789 RT 0001) |
|
| Americas | Canada - Quebec (QC) | QST number |
16-character identifier. *First 10 characters : Numeric digits *Characters 11 and 12 : The letters “TQ”. *Characters 13 to 16 : Numeric digits, commonly “0001” (e.g., 1234567890TQ0001) |
QST number validation |
| Americas | Canada - British Columbia (BC) | British Columbia PST number |
Unique 8-digit PST number. (e.g., 1234-5678) |
BC PST number validation |
| Americas | Canada - Saskatchewan (SK) | Saskatchewan PST number |
Unique 6-digit PST number (e.g., 123456) |
SK PST number |
| Americas | Canada- Manitoba (MB) | Manitoba RST number |
Unique 7-digit RST number (e.g., 1234567) |
MB RST number |
| Americas | Brazil | Cadastro Nacional da Pessoa Jurídica (CNPJ) |
Unique 14 digits with the following structure: First 8 digits (00.000.000) Identify the main company Next 4 digits (/0000)- Represent the branch or establishment number Last 2 digits (-00) : Check digits used for validation (e.g., 12.345.678/0001-90 |
Brazil Tax Authorities CNPJ |
| Americas | Chile |
RUT (Rol Unic o Tributario) |
8 numeric digits and 1 check digit (Digit between 0-9 or the letter K)
(e.g., 12345678-X) |
Chilean Taxing Authorities |
| Americas | Mexico | RFC (Federal Taxpayers Register - Registro Federal de Contribuyentes) |
Businesses: 12 digits. xxx-yyyyyy-zzz (x = letters, y = numbers, z = alphanumeric) xxx = firsts three letters of the company name. yy = last 2 numbers of the year of incorporation. yy = 2 numbers of the month of incorporation. yy = 2 numbers of the day of incorporation. zzz =alphanumeric digits randomly assigned |
Mexican Taxing Authorities |
| APAC | Australia | Australian Business Number (ABN) |
11-digit number. With a format as follows xx xxx xxx xxx. The first 2 digits will be derived from the subsequent 9 digits using a modulus 89 check digit calculation. (e.g., 12345678912) |
Australian Taxing Authorities |
| APAC | India | Goods and Services Tax Identification Number (GSTIN) |
Unique 15-digit identification number -The state code is represented by the first two digits. -The PAN number of the firm or registered taxpayer is represented by the next 10 digits. -The number of registrations for the same PAN within a state is indicated by the thirteenth digit. -The 14th digit is a default value, usually “Z.” -The 15th digit is a check code to ensure accuracy. |
Indian Taxing Authorities GSTIN number |
| APAC | Japan | Japan Corporate Number |
13-digit number (e.g.,1234567890123) |
Japanese Taxing Authorities -Hougin Bangou |
| APAC | Singapore | Unique Entity Number (UEN) | 9 or 10 characters (e.g., 123456789A) | Singapore Taxing Authorities |
| Africa & Middle East | South Africa | VAT Registration number |
10 digits (e.g., 1234567890 |
South Africa Taxing Authorities |
| Africa & Middle East | Egypt | Tax Registration Number (TRN) and Unique Identification Number (UIN) |
TRN 9 digit-number xxx-xxx-xxx. UIN is a unique identification number provided by the Egyptian Tax Authority. This is a 39 mixed character and numbers format (e.g. a42092951766be009007c8 fFmOVoqX3Pb793b070). Please note that this number will expire after one year, after which you will need to provide us with the new one. |
Egypt Taxing Authorities |
| Africa & Middle East | Kenya | Personal Identification Number (PIN) |
Unique 11-digit number (e.g., YXXXXXXXXXYY= Letter X=Number) |
Kenya Taxing Authorities |
| Africa & Middle East | Turkey | Vergi Kimlik Numarası (VKN) |
Unique 10-digit number (e.g., 9999999999) |
Turkey Revenue Administration |
| Africa & Middle East | Tanzania | Tax Identification number (TIN) |
Unique 10-digit number (e.g., 9999999999) |
Tanzania Taxing Authorities |
| Africa & Middle East | Uganda | Taxpayer identification number (TIN) |
Unique 10-digit number (e.g., 9999999999) |
Uganda Taxing Authorities |
Additional Resources
For a complete list of Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) , including official structures and validation guidelines , visit the OECD´s portal on Tax Identification Numbers
What Happens If My Tax ID Is Invalid?
- Twilio validates Tax IDs monthly.
- If your Tax ID has the wrong format, it will be automatically removed from our system. You may be subject to tax charges on your transactions.
- If your Tax ID is invalid, it will remain in our system and you will receive an email notification informing you that your Tax ID is invalid and may be subject to tax charges on your transactions.
How Can I Update My Tax ID?
If your Tax ID was removed due to an invalid format or you want to update your invalid number , you can update your information in the “Business Tax ID” field on the Billing Preferences page in Console
Ensure that:
- Your Tax ID follows the correct format.
- Your Tax ID is active and registered with the relevant tax authority.
- You verify it using the official tax authority website before resubmitting.
For any additional questions, please contact our support team.