Check company VAT number using SOAP service at http://ec.europa.eu and return JSON encoded result

check_vat.php

<?php

header('Content-type: application/json; charset=utf8');
$vatno = str_replace(array(' ', '.', '-', ',', '"'), '', $_GET['vatno']);
echo serviceCheckVat($vatno, &$name, &$address, &$error);
/*
include "connect.php";
mysql_query("SET NAMES utf8");

$vatno = mysql_real_escape_string($_GET['vatno']);
$name = mysql_real_escape_string($name);
$address = mysql_real_escape_string(strlen($address) != 0 ? $address : $error);
@mysql_query("REPLACE INTO ppl_dreem_cg (TaxNo, Name, Address) SELECT '$vatno', '$name', '$address'");
mysql_close();
*/

function serviceCheckVat($vatno, $name, $address, $error) {
    if (strlen($vatno) <= 2) {
        $error = "Incorrect VAT number";
        goto QH;
    }
    $client = new SoapClient("http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/vies/checkVatService.wsdl");
    if(!$client) {
        $error = "web service at ec.europa.eu unavailable";
        goto QH;
    }
    try {
        $response = $client->checkVat(array(
            'countryCode' => substr($vatno, 0, 2),
            'vatNumber' => substr($vatno, 2)
        ));
    }
    catch (SoapFault $e) {
        $faults = array (
            'INVALID_INPUT'       => 'The provided CountryCode is invalid or the VAT number is empty',
            'SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE' => 'The SOAP service is unavailable, try again later',
            'MS_UNAVAILABLE'      => 'The Member State service is unavailable, try again later or with another Member State',
            'TIMEOUT'             => 'The Member State service could not be reached in time, try again later or with another Member State',
            'SERVER_BUSY'         => 'The service cannot process your request. Try again later.'
        );
        $error = $faults[$e->faultstring];
        if (!is_set($error))
            $error = $e->faultstring;
        goto QH;
    }
    if (!$response->valid) {
        $error = "Not a valid VAT number";
        goto QH;
    }
    $retval = "{\n  \"success\": 1";
    foreach ($response as $key => $prop) {
        $retval .= ",\n  \"" . $key . "\": \"" . str_replace('"', '\"', $prop) . "\"";
        if ($key == 'name')
            $name = $prop;
        else if ($key == 'address')
            $address = $prop;
    }
    $retval .= "\n}";
    return $retval;
QH:
    return '{ "success": 0, "error": "' . $error . '" }';
}
?>