VATS refundable?
 

Hi all,
Reading Rick Steve's book on Italy and France, he seems to indicate it is fairly difficult to get the VATS tax back. Is this true, has anyone gotten their refund? Thanks.

It's not difficult if you follow the methods, but you have to get the forms and turn them in properly. Also, you have to buy a whole lot of stuff in one place to be eligible, you know.

No, it's not hard if you can read and fill out forms and follow instructions. Thousands of people do it every day.

I have always gotten my VAT refund with no problem. I usually have them apply it to my credit card. But it does take about 6 weeks to show up on your account. You can get cash right there at the airport, but it is a reduced amount. The shop where I buy most of my items provides the form already filled out. My info is in their computer and it prints out all but my signature. So easy for me.

I heard you cannot use the item that you want the VATS refund on, is that true?
Also do you have to get it stamped at the airport?

I never carry the purse, just place it in my carry-on bag. Yes, you go to customs after you get your boarding pass. They will stamp it and you either stick it in the mailbox or if you want cash, they will tell you the location.

That is correct. The VAT refund is predicated on the idea that you are buying the item for export. If the customs person does examine the items and finds they are not in original packaging and condition, they can refuse the refund, though I've never seen this happen. You have to save time to do this before leaving the country, but it's not difficult. And you can get the cash at the airport before you get on the plane (it takes much longer to get a credit card refund). Realize, though, that the purchase has to be above a certain threshold.

On our last trip to Italy, the customs person that stamps VAT expenses decided to go on strike suddenly. He shut his 'shop' up and just left.

I managed to get most of my refund by citing the problem with customs and appealing to the folks at the refund address.

All customs folks went on strike together.

My credit card refund is super fast. All I do after the custom's stamp, is seal the envelope and drop it in the mailbox right in the airport. If you want cash, you will need to go to the cashier and stand in line for your cash.

But you do not get all your VAT back. You get a portion of it. It is always worth getting money but it is not enough to buy things you wouldn't buy anyway.

Do i need to bring an envelop with me and buy French or Italian stamps so i can mail it at the airport?

No, you will be given an envelope. Postage is usually on it unless you are mailing it from a different country. Most of my purchases that qualify for VATS are from France and I buy them at the end of my trip when I am departing from Nice. This is the easiest place I have ever done VAT refund. Once in Frankfurt, I had to get my boarding pass and take my bag which was going to be checked, to the customs desk. I had bought a knife for my husband and it had to go into the checked bag. At this desk the clerk did my paperwork and watched as I placed the knife into my checked bag. The he took my bag. It was easy enough, I was just worried that my bag would make it on my flight. It did! Expensive knife, so I was concerned.

Last year In France the store clerk filled out the form for me. She gave me an envelope with a stamp on it. I had the form stamped at the airport and I mailed it at the airport. I then received a check a few weeks later. It was easy because the store clerk was so accommodating and because the airport, Marseille, is small and easy to find the customs office and mail box.

Yipper