So you are traveling to Europe, visiting one of the most fascinanating cities on earth, and off course you are plaanning to get home full, and make good shoppings around. Now, do you that coming back to your home country, you can ask for a VAT refund? In more than 10,000 affiliated establishments you can choose from 12 categories of products participating in the tax refund program.
If you are planning to travel through Europe, you should know you can get a tax refund from many companies such as Global Blue, Premier Tax Refunds, Tax Refunds for tourists, Taxback, Vocalink, Fexco and many more.
To know more about Global blue, check out also this article about global blue tax refund in italy.
Categories of products from which you can usually get a tax refund
Here is the complete list of categories for which you can get a tax refund when traveling in Europe:
- Animal or vegetable fats and oils, products of their splitting; processed dietary fats; waxes of animal or vegetable origin (body moisturizers, oils, beauty treatments, cosmetics, scrubs).
- Plastic and its manufactures; rubber and its manufactures.
- Furs, leather, fur, travel articles, handbags (wallets, wallets), saddlery.
- Beverages, alcoholic liquids (wine bottles) and vinegar; tobacco and tobacco products.
- Umbrellas, parasols, canes, whips, whips, and their parts; artificial flowers; hair manufactures (dyes, extensions, headbands).
- Articles of stone, settable plaster, cement, asbestos (asbestos), mica or similar materials; ceramic products; glass and its manufactures.
- Machines and appliances, electrical material and their parts; sound recording or reproducing apparatus, television image and sound recording or reproducing apparatus, and parts and accessories of these apparatus.
- Objects of art or collectibles and antiques.
- Optical instruments and apparatus (glasses and contact lenses), photography or cinematography, measurement, control or precision; medical-surgical instruments and apparatus; clocks and watches; musical instruments; parts and accessories of these instruments or devices, compact discs, DVD’s.
- Textiles and their manufactures (clothing, footwear, ties).
- Natural or cultured pearls, precious or semi-precious stones (necklaces), precious metals, plated with precious metal (plate) and articles of these materials; imitation jewelry; coins.
- Miscellaneous items (perfumes, fragrances, pens, toys, board games, etc).
Keep your invoice
Request your tax receipt (invoice), along with the payment documents.
Once your purchase is made, you only need to request the invoice in the cashier or customer service area of the establishment. Remember that it is very important that you keep each of the documents that guarantee the payment, as well as the purchase receipt, sales note and credit card vouchers in case of having made the purchase with a credit or debit card.
Things to remember for the application
- Present your invoices, passport and boarding pass to get a refund!
- Visit one of many service points located generally in the city centre of the main tourist cities, in the post office or in almost every medium or big size airport.
- After submitting the required documentation, you will fill out an application containing personal data and the foreign card number where the VAT payment will be refunded.
Upon completion of the process, the refund will be made within 60 days at most.
