Invoice Types by Country
Every country has its own words for “tax number” and “invoice.” On this page we’ve put together the terms you’ll see in the countries our invoice generator supports—so you know what to fill in when you create an invoice.
What Do They Call the Tax Number? (By Country)
Below is a quick reference. The exact format (digits, letters, dashes) can vary; this is just to get you oriented.
| Country | Tax / VAT ID name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | VAT number | Starts with GB, then digits |
| Austria | UID | VAT ID; ATU followed by 8 digits |
| Netherlands | BTW-nummer | NL plus digits and a letter/digits block |
| Belgium | BTW-nummer / TVA | Often same as company number; BTW BE then digits with dots |
| Bulgaria | ДДС номер (DDS) | VAT number; BG plus 9 or 10 digits |
| Turkey | Vergi Kimlik No (VKN) | Tax ID; 10 digits for companies |
| Poland | NIP | Tax ID; 10 digits, sometimes written with dashes |
| Serbia | PIB | Tax ID; 9 digits |
| Romania | CUI / Nr. TVA | Company ID and VAT number; RO plus digits |
Three Types of Invoice You’ll Meet
- Commercial invoice — The real bill for a sale that’s already happened. Used everywhere.
- VAT / tax invoice — The one that shows tax and lets the buyer reclaim it. Must include the tax ID and the tax amount. What it’s called and what it must contain depends on the country (see the table above).
- Proforma invoice — Not a final bill. Used for quotes or for customs. You can’t use it to reclaim VAT; you need the final tax invoice for that.
For more on what an invoice is and how it evolved, see What is an invoice? History and types.