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Comment by wbond | Hacker News Reader

I wrote Python (https://github.com/wbond/vat_moss-python) and JS (https://github.com/wbond/vat-moss.js) libraries for this. They include docs about how to handle other aspects of VAT MOSS also.

Included are methods to determine the applicable rate based on self-declared location, billing address, phone number or IP address. The Python library includes functionality to grab exchange rates and perform VAT ID validation.

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Yeah, its not the nicest change of all time, but I recently implemented it for a customer and with a bit of magic and a dictionary of the form {"GB":20.0,"DE":19.0, ...} and everything was fine.

Well, I would say it is a bit more complicated than a dictionary with rates. You have to deal with all of the VAT rate exceptions, for instance the Azores, Jungholz, Heligoland, Livigno, etc. And then you have to collect two non-contradictory pieces of location proof. And allow businesses to provide a VAT ID, etc.

We had the VAT ID for businesses in place before that already and checked these against VIES, same for collecting two pieces of address, we have done that for a year already.

What are the exceptions for Azores etc? I didn't implement them, better check what the implications are.

I see the problem probably as an easier thing because I was able to roll it out bit by bit and only switch the tax codes over on Jan 1st. If one were to start from scratch now, that would be more annoying.

Here is an overview of the exceptions to the standard VAT rates: https://github.com/wbond/vat_moss-python/blob/master/vat_mos...

Those two libraries contain the logic to determine if a user is in one of those special areas by feeding in various information they have provided.

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