Extract data from VAT and GST returns
A VAT or GST return is the periodic filing a business sends to the tax authority to declare the tax it charged on sales, the tax it paid on purchases, and the net it owes or reclaims. Finance teams at a company registered for VAT in Germany file quarterly, reporting output tax collected on invoices raised, input tax paid to suppliers, and the difference that settles with the Bundeszentralamt für Steuern. Groups operating across the EU file in several member states at once, each with its own rate, its own deadline, and its own form, while a UK business sends a return to HM Revenue and Customs every quarter under Making Tax Digital. The headline is always the same three numbers: total output tax, total input tax, and the net VAT due.
The detail underneath is where a return stops being simple. Sales split into standard-rated, zero-rated exports, and exempt supplies, and only some of them carry output tax. Purchases split into domestic input tax, intra-community acquisitions from other member states, and import VAT paid at the border, and not all input tax is recoverable. One reverse-charge supply moves the liability to the customer, so it shows in two places at once. Prepayments and prior-period corrections adjust the balance before it settles. Registration numbers such as DE123456789 anchor the filing, and the tax period from 2026-04-01 to 2026-06-30 fixes the window that has to reconcile.
Talonic reads the return and returns the taxpayer identity, the period, the sales and purchase summaries, and the output, input, and net figures as structured fields. Output tax of €91,200 less recoverable input tax of €34,580 leaves a net €56,620 due, checked against the return so a filing that does not reconcile is caught before it is submitted.
What gets extracted from VAT and GST returns
How extraction works for VAT and GST returns
VAT and GST returns arrive as portal PDFs from filing platforms, exports from accounting software such as DATEV, Sage, and Xero, and scans of paper submissions, and the box numbering differs by country even when the tax logic is shared. Talonic classifies each return by jurisdiction and period, then maps it to the VAT return schema in the Field Registry, which models output tax, input tax, and the sales and purchase categories rather than one country's box layout. Standard-rated, zero-rated, and exempt sales are separated, reverse-charge and intra-community lines are tagged so they are not double counted, and every amount is normalized to its ISO 4217 currency. The arithmetic is checked: total output tax less recoverable input tax is reconciled against the net VAT declared, and a return that does not balance is flagged. Each captured value returns with a confidence score and a pixel-region pointer under DIN SPEC 91491 conformity, so a tax manager can trace the net VAT due back to the box on the source return before filing.
Sample extraction
A German quarterly VAT return for Q2 2026
{
"document_number": "VAT-2026-Q2-00417",
"taxpayer.name": "Meridian Retail GmbH",
"taxpayer.tax_id": "DE123456789",
"tax_period_start": "2026-04-01",
"tax_period_end": "2026-06-30",
"currency": "EUR",
"taxable_sales": 480000,
"zero_rated_sales": 62000,
"exempt_sales": 0,
"total_output_tax": 91200,
"total_input_tax": 34580,
"intracomm_acquisitions": 28400,
"import_vat": 4900,
"tax_due": 56620,
"return_type": "periodic_quarterly",
"filing_status": "submitted"
}Frequently asked
Does it separate output tax from input tax?
Yes. Tax charged on sales is captured as output tax and tax paid on purchases as input tax, each with the taxable base behind it. The net VAT due is the difference, and it is reconciled against the figure printed on the return so a mismatch is caught rather than filed.
How are zero-rated, exempt, and reverse-charge supplies handled?
Standard-rated, zero-rated, and exempt sales are kept as distinct categories because only some carry tax and only some allow input recovery. A reverse-charge supply, where the customer accounts for the tax, is tagged so it is reported without being counted twice.
Does it work across EU member states and the UK return?
The schema models the VAT and GST logic rather than one country box layout, so a German quarterly return, a French filing, and a UK Making Tax Digital submission map to the same output, input, and net fields. The registration number and period keep each filing tied to its jurisdiction.
Can it capture intra-community acquisitions and import VAT?
Yes. Intra-community acquisitions from other member states and import VAT paid at the border are captured as their own lines, since both affect recoverable input tax and both are audited separately from domestic purchases.
What fields are extracted from VAT and GST returns?
Talonic returns VAT and GST returns as schema-validated, typed fields. Common fields include VAT / GST Registration Number, Taxpayer Name, Tax Period, Taxable Sales, and more, each normalized (dates to ISO 8601, amounts as numbers) and mapped to a stable key so the output shape stays the same across layouts.
How accurate is extraction from VAT and GST returns, and how is confidence reported?
Every extracted cell carries a confidence score from 0.0 to 1.0 and a provenance pointer back to the source page and region, so low-confidence values can be reviewed against the original before the data is trusted downstream. There is no single accuracy number: confidence is reported per field so you can gate on it.
Can I use VAT and GST returns extraction in production?
Yes. The same engine behind this guide is available as a production REST API and Node SDK with sync, async, and streaming modes, schema versioning, signed webhooks, and EU-resident processing. Start free with an API key, then scale on usage-based pricing.
What does it cost to extract data from VAT and GST returns?
There is a free tier for prototyping and agent evaluation with no credit card. Paid usage is credit-based at 1,000 credits per euro: page ingestion is 100 credits per page and registry-resolved queries are free. See talonic.com/pricing for current rates.
Ready to extract from your own VAT and GST returns?
- GDPR
- HIPAA
- ISO 27001 / 42001 aligned
- DIN SPEC 91491 co-author
- EU-resident infrastructure
Author note
Reviewed by Talonic engineering · last reviewed 2026-07-06