diff --git a/app/code/Magento/Customer/Controller/Adminhtml/System/Config/Validatevat/Validate.php b/app/code/Magento/Customer/Controller/Adminhtml/System/Config/Validatevat/Validate.php
index b20ff74c9039ffb4a623a9e2c2931f50a9d7eb41..f1f638a852e2e21d213cd0bb6a89b49f69a7695a 100644
--- a/app/code/Magento/Customer/Controller/Adminhtml/System/Config/Validatevat/Validate.php
+++ b/app/code/Magento/Customer/Controller/Adminhtml/System/Config/Validatevat/Validate.php
@@ -1,40 +1,45 @@
 <?php
 /**
- *
- * Copyright © 2015 Magento. All rights reserved.
+ * * Copyright © 2015 Magento. All rights reserved.
  * See COPYING.txt for license details.
  */
 namespace Magento\Customer\Controller\Adminhtml\System\Config\Validatevat;
 
+use Magento\Framework\Controller\Result\JsonFactory;
+
 class Validate extends \Magento\Customer\Controller\Adminhtml\System\Config\Validatevat
 {
     /**
-     * @var \Magento\Framework\Controller\Result\RawFactory
+     * @var JsonFactory
      */
-    protected $resultRawFactory;
+    protected $resultJsonFactory;
 
     /**
      * @param \Magento\Backend\App\Action\Context $context
-     * @param \Magento\Framework\Controller\Result\RawFactory $resultRawFactory
+     * @param JsonFactory $resultJsonFactory
      */
     public function __construct(
         \Magento\Backend\App\Action\Context $context,
-        \Magento\Framework\Controller\Result\RawFactory $resultRawFactory
+        JsonFactory $resultJsonFactory
     ) {
         parent::__construct($context);
-        $this->resultRawFactory = $resultRawFactory;
+        $this->resultJsonFactory = $resultJsonFactory;
     }
 
     /**
      * Check whether vat is valid
      *
-     * @return \Magento\Framework\Controller\Result\Raw
+     * @return \Magento\Framework\Controller\Result\Json
      */
     public function execute()
     {
         $result = $this->_validate();
-        /** @var \Magento\Framework\Controller\Result\Raw $resultRaw */
-        $resultRaw = $this->resultRawFactory->create();
-        return $resultRaw->setContents((int)$result->getIsValid());
+
+        /** @var \Magento\Framework\Controller\Result\Json $resultJson */
+        $resultJson = $this->resultJsonFactory->create();
+        return $resultJson->setData([
+            'valid' => (int)$result->getIsValid(),
+            'message' => $result->getRequestMessage(),
+        ]);
     }
 }
diff --git a/app/code/Magento/Customer/Model/Vat.php b/app/code/Magento/Customer/Model/Vat.php
index 78fd927507f72990fd8d637d5cbe7de8ac7891de..43c883b5d0e6947b4a94ef95f1d55a3a1273d19c 100644
--- a/app/code/Magento/Customer/Model/Vat.php
+++ b/app/code/Magento/Customer/Model/Vat.php
@@ -166,7 +166,8 @@ class Vat
             'is_valid' => false,
             'request_date' => '',
             'request_identifier' => '',
-            'request_success' => false
+            'request_success' => false,
+            'request_message' => __('Error during VAT Number verification.'),
         ]);
 
         if (!extension_loaded('soap')) {
@@ -194,6 +195,12 @@ class Vat
             $gatewayResponse->setRequestDate((string)$result->requestDate);
             $gatewayResponse->setRequestIdentifier((string)$result->requestIdentifier);
             $gatewayResponse->setRequestSuccess(true);
+
+            if ($gatewayResponse->getIsValid()) {
+                $gatewayResponse->setRequestMessage(__('VAT Number is valid.'));
+            } else {
+                $gatewayResponse->setRequestMessage(__('Please enter a valid VAT number.'));
+            }
         } catch (\Exception $exception) {
             $gatewayResponse->setIsValid(false);
             $gatewayResponse->setRequestDate('');
diff --git a/app/code/Magento/Customer/Test/Unit/Controller/Adminhtml/System/Config/Validatevat/ValidateTest.php b/app/code/Magento/Customer/Test/Unit/Controller/Adminhtml/System/Config/Validatevat/ValidateTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..ac5625eadef26d993703ae10a3a29d25d43653ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/code/Magento/Customer/Test/Unit/Controller/Adminhtml/System/Config/Validatevat/ValidateTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,130 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Copyright © 2015 Magento. All rights reserved.
+ * See COPYING.txt for license details.
+ */
+namespace Magento\Customer\Test\Unit\Controller\Adminhtml\System\Config\Validatevat;
+
+class ValidateTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
+{
+    /**
+     * @var \Magento\Customer\Controller\Adminhtml\System\Config\Validatevat\Validate
+     */
+    protected $controller;
+
+    /**
+     * @var \Magento\Backend\App\Action\Context
+     */
+    protected $context;
+
+    /**
+     * @var \Magento\Framework\Controller\Result\Json | \PHPUnit_Framework_MockObject_MockObject
+     */
+    protected $resultJson;
+
+    /**
+     * @var \Magento\Framework\ObjectManagerInterface | \PHPUnit_Framework_MockObject_MockObject
+     */
+    protected $objectManager;
+
+    /**
+     * @var \Magento\Framework\App\Request\Http | \PHPUnit_Framework_MockObject_MockObject
+     */
+    protected $request;
+
+    protected function setUp()
+    {
+        $resultJsonFactory = $this->mockResultJson();
+
+        $this->request = $this->getMockBuilder('Magento\Framework\App\Request\Http')
+            ->disableOriginalConstructor()
+            ->getMock();
+
+        $this->objectManager = $this->getMockBuilder('Magento\Framework\ObjectManagerInterface')
+            ->getMockForAbstractClass();
+
+        $objectManager = new \Magento\Framework\TestFramework\Unit\Helper\ObjectManager($this);
+        $this->context = $objectManager->getObject(
+            'Magento\Backend\App\Action\Context',
+            [
+                'request' => $this->request,
+                'objectManager' => $this->objectManager,
+            ]
+        );
+        $this->controller = $objectManager->getObject(
+            'Magento\Customer\Controller\Adminhtml\System\Config\Validatevat\Validate',
+            [
+                'context' => $this->context,
+                'resultJsonFactory' => $resultJsonFactory,
+            ]
+        );
+    }
+
+    public function testExecute()
+    {
+        $country = 'US';
+        $vat = '123456789';
+
+        $isValid = true;
+        $requestMessage = 'test';
+
+        $json = '{"valid":' . (int)$isValid . ',"message":"' . $requestMessage . '"}';
+
+        $gatewayResponse = new \Magento\Framework\DataObject([
+            'is_valid' => $isValid,
+            'request_message' => $requestMessage,
+        ]);
+
+        $this->request->expects($this->any())
+            ->method('getParam')
+            ->willReturnMap([
+                ['country', null, $country],
+                ['vat', null, $vat],
+            ]);
+
+        $vatMock = $this->getMockBuilder('Magento\Customer\Model\Vat')
+            ->disableOriginalConstructor()
+            ->getMock();
+
+        $vatMock->expects($this->once())
+            ->method('checkVatNumber')
+            ->with($country, $vat)
+            ->willReturn($gatewayResponse);
+
+        $this->objectManager->expects($this->once())
+            ->method('get')
+            ->with('Magento\Customer\Model\Vat')
+            ->willReturn($vatMock);
+
+        $this->resultJson->expects($this->once())
+            ->method('setData')
+            ->with([
+                'valid' => $gatewayResponse->getIsValid(),
+                'message' => $gatewayResponse->getRequestMessage()
+            ])
+            ->willReturn($json);
+
+        $this->assertEquals($json, $this->controller->execute());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return \PHPUnit_Framework_MockObject_MockObject
+     */
+    protected function mockResultJson()
+    {
+        $this->resultJson = $this->getMockBuilder('Magento\Framework\Controller\Result\Json')
+            ->disableOriginalConstructor()
+            ->getMock();
+
+        $resultJsonFactory = $this->getMockBuilder('Magento\Framework\Controller\Result\JsonFactory')
+            ->setMethods(['create'])
+            ->disableOriginalConstructor()
+            ->getMock();
+
+        $resultJsonFactory->expects($this->any())
+            ->method('create')
+            ->willReturn($this->resultJson);
+
+        return $resultJsonFactory;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/app/code/Magento/Customer/view/adminhtml/templates/system/config/validatevat.phtml b/app/code/Magento/Customer/view/adminhtml/templates/system/config/validatevat.phtml
index d9916cb30d0d24873fa52d22c669268651caab7d..208394342e1f4e3a3db8363077a020a275cbccc8 100644
--- a/app/code/Magento/Customer/view/adminhtml/templates/system/config/validatevat.phtml
+++ b/app/code/Magento/Customer/view/adminhtml/templates/system/config/validatevat.phtml
@@ -27,11 +27,13 @@ require(['prototype'], function(){
         new Ajax.Request('<?php /* @escapeNotVerified */ echo $block->getAjaxUrl() ?>', {
             parameters: params,
             onSuccess: function(response) {
-                result = '<?php /* @escapeNotVerified */ echo __('Please enter a valid VAT number.') ?>';
+                var result = '<?php /* @escapeNotVerified */ echo __('Error during VAT Number verification.') ?>';
                 try {
-                    response = response.responseText;
-                    if (response == 1) {
-                        result = '<?php /* @escapeNotVerified */ echo __('VAT Number is valid.') ?>';
+                    if (response.responseText.isJSON()) {
+                        response = response.responseText.evalJSON();
+                        result = response.message;
+                    }
+                    if (response.valid == 1) {
                         validationMessage.removeClassName('hidden').addClassName('success')
                     } else {
                         validationMessage.removeClassName('hidden').addClassName('error')