Invalid VAT number for individuals, what can I do?

	function onBeforeAddressCreate($addressData, $do){
		if(!$this->isValid($addressData)){
			$do = false;
			return false;
		}
		return true;
	}

	function onBeforeAddressUpdate($addressData, $do){
		if(!$this->isValid($addressData)){
			$do = false;
			return false;
		}
		return true;
	}

	function isValid(&$vat){

		$class = hikashop_get('class.zone');
		$zone = $class->get(@$vat->address_country);
		if(empty($zone->zone_code_2) || !in_array($zone->zone_code_2,array('AT','BE','BG','CY','CZ','DK','EE','EL','DE','PT','GR','ES','FI','HR','HU','LU','MT','SI',
		'FR','GB','IE','IT','LV','LT','NL','PL','SK','RO','SE'))){
			//skip check for countries outside europe
			return true;
		}

		//skip VAT number check for las palmas as las palmas is not in the european VAT zone
		if($zone->zone_code_2=='ES' && !empty($vat->address_state)){
			$statezone = $class->get(@$vat->address_state);
			if($statezone->zone_code_3=='GC'){
				return true;
			}
		}

		static $vat_check = null;
		if(!isset($vat_check)){
			$config = hikashop_config();
			$vat_check = (int)$config->get('vat_check',2);
		}
		//Country code GR is in fact VAT EL!
		if($zone->zone_code_2 == 'GR') $zone->zone_code_2 = 'EL';

		switch($vat_check){
			case 1:
			case 2:

				if(is_object($vat)){
					$vat_number =& $vat->address_vat;
				}else{
					$vat_number =& $vat;
				}
				$regex = $this->getRegex($vat_number);

				if($regex===false){
					if(is_object($vat) && !empty($vat->address_country)){
						//try to get the VAT country prefix from the country in the address
						if(!empty($zone->zone_code_2)){
							$vat_number = $zone->zone_code_2.$vat_number;
							$regex = $this->getRegex($vat_number);
						}
					}
					if($regex===false){
						$app = JFactory::getApplication();
						$this->message = JText::_('VAT_NOT_FOR_YOUR_COUNTRY');
						if(@$_REQUEST['tmpl']=='component'){
							hikashop_display($this->message,'error');
						}else{
							$app->enqueueMessage($this->message);
						}
						return false;
					}
				}

				if(!$this->regexCheck($vat_number,$regex)){
					return false;
				}
				$vat_number = strtoupper(str_replace(array(' ','.','-'),array('','',''),$vat_number));
				$code = substr($vat_number,0, 2);
				if($code == 'GR'){
					$code = 'EL';
					$vat_number = $code.substr($vat_number,2);
				}
				if($zone->zone_code_2 != $code){
					//Error, the VAT does not match with the specified country...
					$app = JFactory::getApplication();
					$this->message = 'Your VAT number can not be used with the country you selected. Please select the right country ( CODE: '.$code.') or make sure your VAT starts with '.$zone->zone_code_2;
					if(@$_REQUEST['tmpl']=='component'){
						hikashop_display($this->message,'error');
					}else{
						$app->enqueueMessage($this->message);
					}
					return false;
				}

				if($vat_check==2){
					return $this->onlineCheck($vat_number);
				}
			case 0:
			default:
		}
		return true;
	}

	function getRegex($vat){
		$regex = false;
		switch(strtoupper(substr(str_replace(array(' ','.','-'),array('','',''),$vat),0, 2))) {
					case 'AT':
							$regex = '/^(AT){0,1}U[0-9]{8}$/i';
							break;
					case 'BE':
							$regex = '/^(BE){0,1}[0]{0,1}[0-9]{9}[0-9]{0,2}$/i';
							break;
					case 'BG':
							$regex = '/^(BG){0,1}[0-9]{9,10}$/i';
							break;
					case 'CY':
							$regex = '/^(CY){0,1}[0-9]{8}[A-Z]$/i';
							break;
					case 'CZ':
							$regex = '/^(CZ){0,1}[0-9]{8,10}$/i';
							break;
					case 'DK':
							$regex = '/^(DK){0,1}([0-9]{2}[\ ]{0,1}){3}[0-9]{2}$/i';
							break;
					case 'EE':
					case 'DE':
					case 'PT':
					case 'EL':
					case 'GR':
							$regex = '/^(EE|EL|DE|GR|PT){0,1}[0-9]{9}$/i';
							break;
					case 'ES':
							$regex = '/^(ES){0,1}([0-9A-Z][0-9]{7}[A-Z])|([A-Z][0-9]{7}[0-9A-Z])$/i';
							break;
					case 'FI':
					case 'HU':
					case 'LU':
					case 'MT':
					case 'SI':
							$regex = '/^(FI|HU|LU|MT|SI){0,1}[0-9]{8}$/i';
							break;
					case 'FR':
							$regex = '/^(FR){0,1}[0-9A-Z]{2}[\ ]{0,1}[0-9]{9}$/i';
							break;
					case 'GB':
							$regex = '/^(GB){0,1}([1-9][0-9]{2}[\ ]{0,1}[0-9]{4}[\ ]{0,1}[0-9]{2})|([1-9][0-9]{2}[\ ]{0,1}[0-9]{4}[\ ]{0,1}[0-9]{2}[\ ]{0,1}[0-9]{3})|((GD|HA)[0-9]{3})$/i';
							break;
					case 'HR':
							$regex = '/^(HR){0,1}[0-9]{11}$/i';
							break;
					case 'IE':
							$regex = '/^(IE){0,1}[0-9][0-9A-Z\+\*][0-9]{5}[A-Z]$/i';
							break;
					case 'IT':
					case 'LV':
							$regex = '/^(IT|LV){0,1}[0-9]{11}$/i';
							break;
					case 'LT':
							$regex = '/^(LT){0,1}([0-9]{9}|[0-9]{12})$/i';
							break;
					case 'NL':
							$regex = '/^(NL){0,1}[0-9]{9}B[0-9]{2}$/i';
							break;
					case 'PL':
					case 'SK':
							$regex = '/^(PL|SK){0,1}[0-9]{10}$/i';
							break;
					case 'RO':
							$regex = '/^(RO){0,1}[1-9][0-9]{1,9}$/i';
							break;
					case 'SE':
							$regex = '/^(SE){0,1}[0-9]{12}$/i';
							break;
					default:
							break;
			}
			return $regex;
	}

	function regexCheck(  $vat , $regex) {
		if(!preg_match($regex, str_replace(array(' ','.','-'),array('','',''),$vat))){
			$app = JFactory::getApplication();
			$this->message = JText::_('VAT_NUMBER_NOT_VALID');
			if(@$_REQUEST['tmpl']=='component'){
				hikashop_display($this->message,'error');
			}else{
				$app->enqueueMessage($this->message);
			}

			return false;
		}
		return true;
	}

	function onlineCheck($vat){
		JPluginHelper::importPlugin('hikashop');
		$dispatcher = JDispatcher::getInstance();
		$processed = false;
		$rc = $dispatcher->trigger( 'onBeforeVATOnlineCheck', array( &$this, &$processed, &$vat) );
		if( $processed) {
			return $rc;
		}

		//no online check for php4
		if (extension_loaded('soap')) {
			try{
				$client = new SoapClient("http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/vies/checkVatService.wsdl");
				$countryCode = substr($vat, 0, 2);
				$result = $client->checkVat(array('countryCode' => $countryCode, 'vatNumber' => substr($vat, 2)));
				if(empty($result) || !$result->valid) {
					$this->message = JText::_('VAT_NUMBER_NOT_VALID');
				}
			}catch(SoapFault $e) {
				$this->message = $e->__toString();
				return true;
				//$result = false;
			}catch (Exception $e) {
				$this->message = $e->__toString();
				return true;
				//$result = false;
			}
			if ($result === false || empty($result) || !$result->valid ) {
				$app = JFactory::getApplication();
				if($_REQUEST['tmpl']=='component'){
					hikashop_display($this->message,'error');
				}else{
					$app->enqueueMessage($this->message);
				}
				return false;
			}
		}else{
			$app = JFactory::getApplication();
			$this->message = JText::_('SOAP_EXTENSION_NOT_FOUND');
			if($_REQUEST['tmpl']=='component'){
				hikashop_display($this->message,'error');
			}else{
				$app->enqueueMessage($this->message);
			}
			return false;
		}
		return true;
	}

$this->regexCheck($vat_number,$regex)

$theClass = hikashop_get('class.the');
$theVar = $theClass->theFunction();

$theVar = $this->theFunction();

if(!isset($vat_check)){
	$config = hikashop_config();
	$vat_check = (int)$config->get('vat_check',2);
}

$usuario = JFactory::getUser();
foreach ($usuario->groups as $grupo){
	$grupo = (int)$grupo;
	if ($grupo == 21){ //My User group 21 = Company with VAT number => Online check
		$vat_check = 2;
	}
	if ($grupo == 23){ //My User group 23 = Company without VAT number => No check
		$vat_check = 0;
	}
	if ($grupo == 24){ //My User group 24 = Individuals	=> Format check
		$vat_check = 1;
	}
}

		$app = JFactory::getApplication();
		$this->message = 'valor de Vat_check: '.$vat_check;
		hikashop_display($this->message,'error');

$usr_joomla = JFactory::getUser(); //obtain joomla user 
$class = hikashop_get('class.user');
$usr_hika = $class->get($usr_joomla->id,'cms');  //obtain hikashop user

var_dump(get_object_vars($usr_joomla));
sleep (10);

switch ($usr_hika->user_tipo){
	case...