Paris - London - Paris - VAT Refund?
Oct 24th, 2023, 06:54 PM
#1
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Paris - London - Paris - VAT Refund?
Hello:
Hubby and I are flying from the U.S. to Paris, staying for a few days; taking the Eurostar to London for a few days, and then back to Paris, and will be flying back to the states. We are both planning on doing a lot of shopping in Paris before heading to London, and we're wondering if we should claim the VAT refund when we leave France for London, or should we wait and claim it when we return back to Paris and before we fly home?
Thanks!
Hubby and I are flying from the U.S. to Paris, staying for a few days; taking the Eurostar to London for a few days, and then back to Paris, and will be flying back to the states. We are both planning on doing a lot of shopping in Paris before heading to London, and we're wondering if we should claim the VAT refund when we leave France for London, or should we wait and claim it when we return back to Paris and before we fly home?
Thanks!
Oct 24th, 2023, 08:24 PM
#2
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I believe you should claim the VAT refund when you actually leave France with the items. Some offices like to see that they actually are accompanying you out.. at least, that has been my experience.
Oct 24th, 2023, 10:33 PM
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Yes, I think you need to do it when you leave France, and it needs to be in your carryon bag, since they can want to see the items. Also, and maybe you know this, in order to qualify, it needs to be the required amount spent in the same store on the same day.
Oct 25th, 2023, 05:49 PM
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This is not what you asked, but I will volunteer an opinion anyhow. You do not have to go back to England to fly home. A multi-destination flight search can build you an itinerary to fly into England and home from France, saving the time and money of crossing the channel twice. This is not a pair of flights; all the travel is on a single itinerary which often costs the same as a round trip.
Oct 25th, 2023, 09:22 PM
#6
You should make your claim when you leave to go home. It would be illegal to bring back detaxed items to France after going to London and you could receive a signficant fine (more than the original tax) if ever customs checked you coming back to Paris.
Oct 25th, 2023, 09:56 PM
#7
Kerouac beat me to it. You are getting the VAT refund because you are exporting the goods out of the EU -- would sort of defeat the purpose if you could turn around and bring the goods back into France with no VAT having been paid. Claim it when you are leaving France for good.
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