Paris shopping, vat tax
 

To get a vat tax discount you need to exceed a certain amount (175 Euro?)/day in the same store, I was wondering if a whole center like Galleries Layfayette is considered "one store" in regard to this or do you have to spend that much in each individual shop?

The amount is per vendor.<BR><BR>Considering the Galeries Lafayette, you can visit their website in English (http://www.galerieslafayette.com/inter/index.asp) and there is a specific section for the VAT refund circumstances of their store.<BR><BR>Most of the major department stores in France have multi-lingual websites &amp; include VAT refund information.

Yes, and in addition you get a 10% tourist discount and the store will fill out the VAT forms for you.

Annie, Galeries Lafayette is not a collection of shops, it is one department store, so the 175 euros is for anything in the whole store. As Gretchen said, they will fill out the forms for you. Note that you need either your passport or a copy of it in order for them to do so.

Susan, that's how it appeared to me too on the website. Thanks for the info!

Just to clarify a bit what Gretchen mentioned about Galeries Lafayette offering a 10% discount. This is a discount coupon that's on the bottom of a card which you need to obtain from your hotel. My hotel did not offer any and when I asked the Galeries Lafayette &quot;Welcome&quot; Desk (the girls at the desk weren't welcoming at all-they wanted to get back to their chatting), they said they don't offer the discount card at the store, I need to check with my hotel.

When I went to Galeries Lafayette all I had to show was my passport and I filled out some information to get a discount card. You might check with a manager.

As I said the two girls working the welcome desk were not helpful at all. There's a rep. who sits near the escalator and when I had asked her about getting the discount she said I should go over to the welcome desk. And that's the result.<BR><BR>I was too tired to go look for the manager and argue about it. So I just left and went shopping elsewhere.<BR><BR>But just to let others know that's the service I encountered. Just try what Kate suggests.