LoveItaly my dear....I'm not really sure it's worth it either....thank you for your good wishes and the same for you. Actually my brother and SIL and neice...they live in Cotati.. are coming up the Monday after Christmas so extends the season and is fun. Just found out that my neice, who is going to Sonoma State, is applying for a program to study in Denmark next year. She was in London for six months year before last, but Denmark will be for a year. I am just so excited for her and will probably be on the board some months down the road with questions for her. Wish she was going to Italy then I could ask you!!!!! LOL Well, I guess I hijacked THIS thread...my apologies...hope all have a wonderful Christmas and a happy, healthy, and well traveled new year.

The exact situation happened to us in Italy last year, when we stopped in London for a day on the way home. The Italian agent told us we had to get the stamp in the UK (even though all the items were purchased in Italy). We did not have time to get the stamp in Heathrow because it took us 90 mins to check in and we had to get to our plane asap. So, we turned in the Global Refund form upon returning to the US wthout the stamp. I thought for sure we would not get the refund but we did about 4 months later. I made sure to send copies of our stamped passports upon returning home along with our flight stubs and all the requested paper work.

I'm sorry you haven't received your refund, perhaps you should have sent it in from the US, maybe it got lost in the mail?

Loveitaly, the amount u have to spend varies country to country. In Italy is 155 euro. In england varies even store to store but is generally 75 punds minimum. U can claim VAT on wine - is at 20% of cost price. As u know from my Milan post I shopped extensively at Peck - I got VAt back on wine, cold cuts and cheese - diff percentages on each, 20% on wine (which makes it as cheap as duty free I assume plus the advantage of the far better selection than the airport). W.r.to where u claim. If u are flying Venice to the US on KLM e.g. and only changing planes or something in Amsterdam and have both your boarding passes until the US in hand in Italy u should be able to do your VAT stamps and all in Italy. A store at which u spend more than the minimum is OBLIGED to fill in the VAT forms for you - as a matter of fact in Italy the first time u fill in a VAT refund form they give u a little card with all the details necessary for VAT and then u do not even need your passport in future stores as just the card is enough - at least this was my experience. I claimed VAT from Alessi, Rinascente, Peck and the optical store and each one was very easy - just a couple mins extra to collect the VAT forms.

LoveItaly:

The honest truth is that the rules on what happens if you change planes on the way out of the EU are murky.

The general rule is that you file at your last EU airport. BUT the Italian Customs website (1) says, as hobbes points out, that doesn't apply if you're changing planes elsdwhere in the EU and have one, through ticket for no more than two flights. Under those circumstances, you file where the journey begins

OK? Well, not quite.

The UK website (2) says that if you change planes within the EU on the way home, then you have to show any goods in CHECKED baggage at your first airport, and any goods in your HAND baggage at your final exit from the EU.

Moral? If you're making an international change on the way out of the EU, expect your VAT refund application to get fouled up. And you have to be very naive to conclude that's because there's a scam going on.

National bureaucracies screw up. Any activity involving two national bureaucracies is four times as likely to screw up.

Detailed rules at:
1. Italy http://www.agenziadogane.it/italiano...va-inglese.htm
2. UK: Public Notice 704 at www.hmce.gov.uk

First of all, so many thanks to all of you taking the time to answer my questions. You are wonderful!

I emailed this thread to myself. I still can't believe that I have never thought about getting the VAT reimbursed. Oh sigh, every day we can learn something new. Actually in the back of my mind I did know about it more or less but just did not know the details Having info from Fodors is so wonderful.

To all, my wishes for a very beautiful Holiday and hope all of you have beautiful trips in 2005. Again thank you for the time and effort spent to give me this information. Christmas hugs. ((L))

interesting article on VAt vs duty free shopping in latest Conde Nast

http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/...12dec/sp2.xml/

I'm soooo confused. If I fly out of Venice, with a plane change in Milan, should/can I do the VAT work in Venice or will they make me wait for Milan?

Hi, this question is somewhat related to this thread. Hope someone would be so kind to answer it.

I am student in the UK from Malaysia. Last year I bought a PDA and got VAT refund for it at Heathrow airport. I'm still studying here though. I just found out that I can only claim VAT refund if I do not return to the UK.

Which means I am in trouble! Because I've claimed VAT refund even though I'm not eligible. Does anyone know what penalty/criminal punishment that I might risk? And does anyone know what I can do to avoid trouble? I'll be studying in the UK for a couple more years and I want them to be trouble-free.

Cheers
khim.