Privacy policy
This privacy policy explains how VAT Registry Europe collects, uses, stores, and protects information when you visit our website. We are committed to handling your data responsibly and in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and applicable European data protection laws.
Data controller information
VAT Registry Europe operates this website as an independent educational resource. For the purposes of data protection legislation, we act as the data controller for personal data collected through this website. If you have questions about how your data is handled or wish to exercise your rights under data protection law, you may contact us using the methods described in the contact section below.
Information we collect
This website is primarily informational and does not require you to create an account or provide personal details to access our content. However, certain information may be collected automatically or through third-party services we use to operate and improve the site.
Automatically collected technical data
When you visit our website, our hosting provider and analytics services may automatically collect certain technical information. This typically includes your IP address, browser type and version, operating system, referring website, pages visited on our site, time and date of your visit, and time spent on pages. This information helps us understand how visitors use our site, identify technical problems, and improve our content and user experience.
Cookies and similar technologies
Our website uses cookies, which are small text files placed on your device when you visit. Cookies serve various purposes including enabling basic website functionality, remembering your preferences, and allowing our advertising partners to deliver relevant advertisements. The specific cookies used on this site fall into several categories.
Essential cookies are necessary for the website to function properly. These cookies do not require your consent as they are strictly necessary for providing the service you have requested by accessing our website.
Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting information about pages visited, time spent on the site, and technical errors encountered. This data is aggregated and anonymised where possible, allowing us to improve our content without identifying individual visitors.
Advertising cookies are placed by our advertising partners, primarily Google AdSense, to deliver advertisements relevant to your interests and to limit the number of times you see a particular advertisement. These cookies may track your browsing activity across different websites over time.
Third-party advertising
This website displays advertisements provided by Google AdSense. Google and its partners use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this website and other websites on the internet. Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your browsing patterns.
You can opt out of personalised advertising by visiting Google's Ad Settings at www.google.com/settings/ads. Alternatively, you can opt out of certain third-party advertising cookies by visiting the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page at www.networkadvertising.org/choices or the Digital Advertising Alliance's opt-out mechanism at www.aboutads.info/choices.
Please note that opting out of personalised advertising does not prevent advertisements from being displayed on this website. You will still see advertisements, but they may be less relevant to your interests.
Legal bases for processing
Under GDPR, we must have a valid legal basis for processing any personal data. Our processing activities rely on the following legal bases depending on the type of data and purpose of processing.
Legitimate interests provide the basis for collecting and analysing technical data about website usage. We have a legitimate interest in understanding how visitors use our site, identifying technical problems, and improving our content. This processing is necessary for these purposes, and we have determined that it does not override your fundamental rights and freedoms.
Consent provides the basis for non-essential cookies, including advertising and analytics cookies that track your activity beyond what is strictly necessary for website functionality. You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings or through any cookie consent mechanism provided on our site. Continued use of the website after being informed of cookie use may constitute consent where permitted by applicable law.
Data sharing and transfers
We share data with third parties only in limited circumstances. Our hosting provider necessarily has access to technical data to deliver our website to you. Our advertising partner, Google, receives information through its advertising cookies as described above. Our analytics provider, if any, receives aggregated usage data.
Some of these third parties may process data outside the European Economic Area. Where this occurs, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission or adequacy decisions recognising that a third country provides adequate data protection.
We do not sell your personal data to any third party. We do not share personal data with third parties for their own marketing purposes without your explicit consent.
Data retention
We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected. Technical log data is typically retained for a limited period sufficient to analyse website performance and security, after which it is deleted or anonymised. Cookie lifespans vary depending on their purpose, with session cookies deleted when you close your browser and persistent cookies remaining until their specified expiration date or until you delete them.
Third parties with whom we share data have their own retention policies. You can find information about Google's data retention practices in Google's privacy policy.
Your rights under GDPR
If you are located in the European Economic Area, you have certain rights regarding your personal data under GDPR. These rights include the right to access personal data we hold about you, the right to request correction of inaccurate data, the right to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances, the right to restrict processing of your data, the right to data portability, and the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the contact information provided below. We will respond to your request within one month, as required by GDPR. If your request is particularly complex or we receive numerous requests, we may extend this period by up to two additional months, in which case we will inform you of the extension and the reasons for it.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority if you believe that our processing of your personal data violates GDPR. You can file a complaint with the supervisory authority in your EU member state of residence, place of work, or place of the alleged infringement.
Cookie management
Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can typically find these settings in the "options" or "preferences" menu of your browser. You can configure your browser to refuse all cookies, accept only certain cookies, or alert you when a cookie is being sent.
Please note that if you disable cookies, some features of this website may not function properly. Essential cookies cannot be disabled while maintaining full website functionality.
The following links provide information about cookie management for common browsers: Google Chrome at support.google.com/chrome/answer/95647, Mozilla Firefox at support.mozilla.org/kb/cookies, Safari at support.apple.com/guide/safari/manage-cookies, and Microsoft Edge at support.microsoft.com/microsoft-edge/cookies.
Children's privacy
This website is not directed at children under the age of 16, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe that we have inadvertently collected personal data from a child, please contact us immediately so that we can take appropriate steps to delete such data.
Changes to this policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will update the "last updated" date at the bottom of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.
Contact information
If you have questions about this privacy policy, wish to exercise your data protection rights, or have concerns about how we handle your data, you may contact us through our website. We take all privacy inquiries seriously and will respond as promptly as possible.
For complaints about our data handling practices, you may also contact the supervisory authority in your country of residence. A list of EU data protection authorities is available on the European Commission's website.
Last updated: December 2025