I will be traveling to London, Paris and Amsterdam and am pretty sure I will buy a handbag that would qualify me for a VAT refund in Paris.
From all the research I've done, you're supposed to process you VAT refunds at your last stop in the EU (in my case, Amsterdam) but the VAT Web site for Amsterdam says it will ONLY process VAT refunds for purchases made in the Netherlands. Am I completely out of luck with regards to my purchases in London and Paris?
Thank you so much for any help you can give!
VAT refund scenario
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Missy - I purchased shoes in France that qualified for the VAT refund. As I had a 6:30am flight out of Toulouse (VAT/customs office not open!), and a stop in Amsterdam, I had my forms stamped in Amsterdam. No problem. Just ask when you check in for your flight for the location of the VAT/Customs office. It was a hike, then I had to find my gate to the flight to the US. Be prepared to show your items - don't pack them in checked luggage. He asked, when I went to unzip my carry-on, he said it was okay - didn't have to pull the shoes out. Also, I elected to have the tax credited to my cc, and it came through in a few days. The mail box to send the form (no stamps needed) is right next to the customs window. Good luck and have a great trip! Janet
Missyrose,
You may also ask the shop to ship the bag to your US address. I opted for this in December when I purchased a coat in Austria. So, in this case, I did not have to hassle with the forms and finding the office, and I did not have to declare the value of the coat on entry into the US, which would have forced me to pay a duty.
TN
Ship it -- they take the VAT off the price and just charge you the shipping fee. That should be WAY less than the VAT.