Is an LEI the same as a VAT number?

Total LEI Team
Total LEI Team
Created: Jan 8, 2026Updated: Jan 8, 2026Est. reading time: 2 min

No, they are fundamentally different identifiers. A VAT number is strictly for tax purposes within specific jurisdictions, whereas an LEI is a global identifier designed to provide transparency in financial markets and connect to a publicly accessible database of reference data.