Hi!
I have a question on VAT refund in Europe.

I will be going to Italy, London and Paris. Will be leaving Italy from Venice to London, and then to Paris.
About my purchases in Italy, do I claim the VAT refund at Venice Airport, or at Paris CDG airport when I leave the EU?
The general rule is to claim VAT refund at the last EU stop right, since UK is also part of EU, so I should collate all claims to be processed at CDG?
Thanks!

Yes

Thanks!
There are people telling me UK is not part of the EU and therefore, purchases made in Italy has to be claimed for the VAT refund in Italy, and Paris in CDG.
I thought UK is part of the EU! I am so confused!

UK IS EU for the moment anyway!!It's too much bother for me to try to collect the VAT on the small amount of shopping I do. You have to have receipts and the mdse with you to claim it and sometimes it involves a long wait!

I'm still waiting for my VAT refund for purchases I made in London in 2003...

"There are people telling me UK is not part of the EU"

It has been a member of the EU since 1973 (some would say unfortunately).

Some places are now using a VAT card, where you just swipe it at purchase place, and then again when you arrive at your last airport. In NI and Ireland, only about a third of the vendors used it - but it's growing in use. It was MUCH easier than filling out all those silly receipts.

And - you won't receive the full amount of the VAT. After processing/fees you'll get between 50% and 75% of the VAT

nt all purchases get a VAT refund - the store has to be a member of the VAT scheme and have the necessary paper work, etc and there is often IME a minimum amount that I never qualify for but hey if waiting in line don't bother you potentially go for it - have the receipts, etc.

Folks may be forgetting the UK is in EU but not Schengen Accords which means you have to exit the EU countries in Schengen Accords, which do not exactly comport to EU countries when leaving Paris - go thru French customs to get out so why not try to do it there?

The European Union has 27 members. A subset of those nations entered into a Economic and Monetary union whereby they would use a common currency. The UK, Denmark and Sweden are the three most prominent members of the EU that have opted out (formally or de facto) of the common currency.

Ryan makes a good point - if you get your VAT refund in London tbey I think would not give it to you in euros, not used in the UK but in pounds or a check in pounds - changing from euros to pounds to dollars means less return as everytime a bank changes money they, of course, keep some for themselves.

Ultimately, check how much it will cost to post to the US, then check out the VAT-free price. If the costs are close, mail it. I can order dress shirts from the UK for far less than what they cost to buy there because the VAT is removed and the freight charge is far less than the VAT savings.

Rick Steves' Europe: Value-Added Tax Refunds
www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/vat.htm

Value-Added Tax (VAT) Refunds in the ]
EU. Every year, tourists visiting Europe leave behind millions of dollars of refundable sales taxes. ...
Tax-Free Shopping - VAT Refunds - Europe for Visitors
europeforvisitors.com/europe/articles/taxfree_shopping.htm

"The UK, Denmark and Sweden are the three most prominent members of the EU that have opted out (formally or de facto) of the common currency."

Yes.

And what's that got to do with EU membership? Or with the VAT rules?


It's not clear whether the OP is American or Chinese.

Either way: she's got some bloody ill-informed friends.

But in both cases: what do you expect?

"changing from euros to pounds to dollars means less return as everytime a bank changes money they, of course, keep some for themselves."

In this case total nonsense.

UK Customs do their calculations at the absolute midmarket £:€ rate on the date tax became due. A traveller is neither advantaged nor disadvantaged by the currency conversion.

PalQ may - sorry, certainly is - so uninformed about his own country he doesn't know US Customs (and Japan Customs, and Australia Customs and Canada Customs and ...) all follow the same general policy.

When it comes to currency conversions, banks rip you off. So do PalQ's chums at Rail Europe.

National Customs administrations - at least in the civilised world - don't

Nothing, except some seem confused by the difference between the EU and the Euro users.

If you have to do your VAT refund at Paris CDG airport, give yourself plenty of time for the queue. It took about one and half hour (including queueing for the cash refund after the refund forms were stamped) when my wife did it in our recent trip.

Ronald
http://paris-france-holiday.blogspot.com/

When I checked out through the Shannon airport in Ireland, my VAT took about 20 minutes, total - and that was two windows (separate window for the VAT card). About 10 each. No line at 6am on a Monday.

VAT is quiet difficult with little return.....
first time in switzerland/austria did it wrong...switz not in the EU
second time in barcelona did it right got money in 6 weeks.
third time in rome i thought i knew how to do it. in italy they have different companies. after clearing security and showing all the mdse to customs we deposited all the different color envelopes in the correct boxes....never got any refunds .....

it is a lot of work for chance at getting anythign in return. spent way too much time figuring it out .....

Is it not true that with the dollar so low that anything you can buy in Europe you can perhaps get cheaper at home?