We went to Ireland in June. I completed the proper VAT forms for my purchases but the VAT office at the airport was closed (we returned to the US on a Sunday). There was a box with a sign instructing travellers to put their refund paperwork in it, which we did. I still haven't rec'd my refund. My question is...how long is the wait for a VAT refund for Ireland and should I just assume at this late date that we won't get it? When we travelled to England 2 yrs ago it only took about 6 weeks to get the refund but the office was "manned" at the time. Thanks.

Normally the paperwork must be stamped by the revenue officer before you drop it in the box. Did the sign simply say "place your completed VAT forms in this box" - or did it say something like "due to the Tax desk being closed, place the paperwork in this box for processing". It makes a big difference.

If the paperwork is not stamped I don't think the VAT can be refunded. But if the sign indicated it was OK w/o the stamp, then you might still get credit.

Hmmmm...I don't recall the exact wording of the sign. All I can say is the box was absolutely full, and at the time I thought it was very odd because it was awfully early in the morning for it to be so jammed. What would my options have been, though? Oh well, I guess I will just chalk it up to another one of those "lessons learned". Thanks for the input.

Hi Donna,

I'm still waiting for my VAT refund from France, 2001.

I recall filling out a form and just dropping it in a box at the airport because no customs agent was around to verify the purchase which was in any case in the checked in luggage. I did not get the VAT back for months, and one day received a bill for the amount of the VAT. I checked with the commercial section of the Irish Consulate, and eventually was refunded the VAT. The consulate told me that they had other reports of similar problems, so I think that someone in the non-governmental agency that handled the VAT refunds figured out that it was possible to collect rather than pay off.

Ira, I had completely forgotten about my VAT refund from France, also from 2001, until I read this thread. I too am still waiting...... ;-)

We dropped ours off in the box at the Dublin airport in November 2002. Still waiting.

On 2-trips in 2001 & 2002 it took about 3-months. My most recent trip May'03 the girl at the TaxBack desk at Shannon airport asked me: "cash or credit?" I told her I had paid for my purchases with my MasterCard and said: "credit!" It showed up on my c/c statement about 2-months later.

I prefer buying stuff where they give you an instant VAT refund (Beleeks, in Ennis or Irish Handicrafts in Limerick City, for example) but sometimes it's impossible.

I dropped my forms in a similar box at Shannon when I departed at the end of July. The refund was reflected on a credit card statement that arrived this week. So, almost three months...but it did come through.

Believe it or not, I received my VAT refund yesterday...a mere 7 months after our trip. I had just about given up on it! What a nice little surprise!
Happy travels.

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.

"And does anyone know what I can do to avoid trouble?"

Yes, keep your mouth shut and don't tell anyone.

gkhng81, a first-time poster, has posted this exact same message on 6 elderly threads today, each message asking the same question.