Are HMRC VAT records up to date?

[Green shed man]

I wonder if anyone is aware of whether the information given by a VIES VAT number validation is reliable and up to date.

A VAT registered tenant included the name of the rented property in his business name. When the tenant gave up his tenancy and left, he agreed that, within a month, he would change his business name so as not to include the name of the property, and also change the registered address, and to correctly notify HMRC and HMC&E. Ten months on and a VIES check shows the former tenant's VAT number as still valid and the name and address of the business unchanged.

Both the former tenant, and HMRC at Victoria Street, Grimsby, have been contacted about this. Neither has responded.

The VIES system clains to function in real time using data supplied by Member States. Are forum users confident that HMRC records are reliable and up to date?
Thanks

[absolutevat]

From my experience, new UK registrations tend to be updated fairly regularly on the VIES systems (perhaps on a weekly basis), certainly it does not take 10 months to update!

[Green shed man]

Thank you for the reply.
Moral 1:- get the forms signed and send them to HMRC oneself!
Moral 2:- don't rely totally on a VIES check!?

[bd6759]

If your former tenant hasn't changed his business name and address, then the VIES system is correct.

[Green shed man]

Thanks and yes indeed it is apparently correct.
But HMRC knows that the trader is no longer at that address and yet continues to publish that he is.

[bd6759]

If I wrote to HMRC to tell them that you were no longer living in the Green Shed, would you be happy if they changed their records?

[Green shed man]

That's a very fair point but it is also important for people to realise (as I now do) that the VIES information can be misleading.
In the particular case I mentioned it now transpires that the person in question may have tried to deregister his business. Assuming that to be so and for whatever reason that has not happened (.......), we have a situation where HMRC is aware that the business in so many words has closed down but continues to give out - through the VIES system - that it is validly registered, so giving a false impression to people using that service. Be warned.