Leslie

The other day, I successfully bid for a hotel room in Montreal. The total before taxes is $201 USD (3 nights), approximately $318 CDN. The taxes are $13.71 USD, approximately $22 CDN.<BR><BR>Just read on the Canadian Customs and Revenue website (www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca/menu-e.html), that hotel room taxes are refundable, as long as the following requirements are met: the stay in Canada is more than 24 hours, but less than 30 days, each receipt is at least $50 CDN prior to taxes (not just for hotel rooms, but including merchandise), and that the total receipts must be at least $200 CDN.<BR><BR>So, I will have met all of the requirements, but my receipt for the hotel is the one I printed from my computer with the itinerary on it and in US $. Is this receipt okay to use and will the hotel issue a VAT refund tax stamp onto the receipt? If not, will the hotel issue me a duplicate receipt in CDN $ with a VAT refund tax stamp on it so that I may apply for a VAT refund?<BR><BR>Has anyone been successful with this type of VAT refund when buying the hotel through Priceline? If yes, could you please advise what I need to do. <BR><BR>Many thanks.

Dave

Leslie,<BR><BR>I ran into the same problem with Expedia special rate. My credit card was immediately charged after my reservation. Radison refused to give me a receipt because I did not pay them directly. Their only suggestion was for me to get a recept through Expedia.

traveller

See if your hotel will print you a receipt. They probably won't (you never know) as they would have to put this through their computer system and it could throw out their daily sales, but I suspect that your priceline receipt will work. Perhaps Priceline will send you a receipt that is more detailed?

Leslie

Thanks for the answers so far. My concerns with the Priceline receipt are, well its a Priceline receipt and not the Crowne Plaza's and its in US $, not CDN $ (I'd think Canadian Customs would like to see a receipt in CDN $). And, technically, its the user friendly receipt that has the hotel's confirmation number on it, confirming my winning bid. Granted $13.71 is not a fortune and is not going to buy much if I do get a refund, but it all adds up in the end. <BR><BR>I've posed the same question on Bidding for Travel and have not yet received a response. Do you think its worth emailing Priceline or calling the hotel in advance? As soon as I get some definitive answers, I'll print any positive or negative responses here on this thread.<BR><BR>Of course, I'm really hoping that someone here has had a similar experience.

Leslie

Seems that there is no refund, because I wasn't charged for those taxes that would be refundable. Here's the answer I received from one of the moderators at Bidding For Travel:<BR><BR>"The taxes that would be refundable to non-Canadians are not charged to you by Priceline, so there is nothing to be refunded. This is addressed on Priceline's website."

Donna

When visiting Montreal, there's the GST (General Sales Tax) which is 8% and the PST (Provincial Sales Tax, in this case Quebec, which is 7%). Since your taxes calculate to 7%, it would appear that you were charged only the PST which is not refundable. The Province of Quebec no longer refunds those taxes (they used to until about a year ago). There are no "VAT" taxes. On purchases with receipts of $50 or more which total $200 or more, you will be entitled to a refund of the GST, but not the PST. To qualify, your receipts must be validated by a Canadian Customs Official as you depart. You can do this at any international airport or border crossing. You can also process the refund form at either of those places, as opposed to mailing it in and waiting for a check or credit. When we've booked directly with the hotel, as opposed to prepaid via the web, we are always presented two invoices upon checkout. One for us, and one for Customs. The hotel does not "stamp" your receipt. You have to get a validation stamp at Customs.