Don’t forget to return the VAT and “recapture” part of the money. How to get money using the Tax Free system quickly and without unnecessary fuss, read our life hack.

What is Tax Free and why can it be returned?

Even if you were expelled from Narxoz in disgrace, you know that all goods in the store are subject to value added tax (VAT or VAT - Value Added Tax). In each country, citizens and tax residents pay it, but tourists are not required to pay. Since convincing the seller that you are a tourist, and therefore should pay a quarter less, is not very effective (unless, of course, you are in), then when leaving the country, you can return the VAT in a civilized manner. And this, for a minute, is from 3% to 33% of the cost of the product.

To bring all returns to a common denominator, there are international companies that deal with VAT refunds - Global Blue, Premier Tax Free (luxury brands such as Christian Dior, Gian Franco Ferre, Yves Saint Laurent), Tax Free Worldwide, Litofolija Tax Free (in the territory of Lithuania). Most likely, you will deal with Global Blue - it is a confident dominant in the returns market. Therefore, let's concentrate on it.

You can receive your money from Global Blue in three ways: in cash at the Global Blue ticket office at the train station or at the airport, on a bank card, or pick it up from a bank in your country. By the way, you cannot return VAT on goods that you ordered on Ali Express, Asos or another favorite online store abroad. If you are shopping in Poland, then remember - you cannot return tax for the provision of services and fuel. In Lithuania they do not provide Tax Free for alcohol and tobacco. Only in Spain and Turkey they are ready to return VAT for everything.

What do you need to do in the store to get money?

In order to apply for Tax Free, you need to purchase for a certain amount (in one receipt). The minimum differs from country to country. For example, in Lithuania you need to make purchases worth € 55, in Poland - € 70 (300 zlotys), and in Germany € 25 is generally enough. Check the amounts of purchases and returns on the Global Blue website - everything is very clear there.

Look for the blue Global Blue sticker on the store doors and at the checkout. Don’t be lazy to ask the employee if the store is included in this program, if there is no sticker - believe me, the benefits are worth it. When you pay for a purchase, do not forget to ask for the Tax Free form - you fill it out yourself. In the form, indicate your passport number, first and last name, home address with zip code, country of residence and e-mail. The form must be signed. Don't forget to show your passport! If you screw up at this step, you definitely won’t get your money back. The Tax Free check must be issued on the same day as the invoice.

What to do with Tax Free at the border?

At the border, ask the customs officer to put a personal stamp on the Tax Free check. If you are leaving the EU, you need a stamp from the customs office of the last EU country you are leaving. By the way, if you are traveling to Belarus on a regular bus, there will most likely not be a stop for Tax Free.

You also need to “stamp” documents in a timely manner: if you export purchases from Lithuania, Germany, Poland, Italy, Holland or England - within three months, from France or the Czech Republic - six months, but checks and documents from Austria or Spain can be stamped deliver at any time.

You will only be given a stamp at customs for unused purchases in original packaging. If you decide to issue a return for purchases from a grocery store, be prepared that you will have to present every last piece of candy.

Please note: the border stamp has an expiration date. For example, if you want to return VAT on goods from Poland, Lithuania, Germany, the Czech Republic, Italy or France, you need to turn around 3 months in advance.

How and when to withdraw money?

There are three options to return everything you owe.
1. Fast option. Collect money at the airport at the Tax Free Cash Refund point. You will need a Tax Free receipt with a store receipt and a passport. Look for such a return point near the Duty Free store - you can also successfully use all your savings there. Check the full list of return points on the company's website.
2. The optimal option. Collect money upon arrival in Belarus. Our VAT refund is provided by Technobank - in as many as three places. Be sure to bring original documents - copies will not be accepted.
3. The option is hypothetical. Seal the documents (Tax Free receipt and store receipt) in a special Global Refund envelope (if they gave it to you in the store) and put it in the mailbox. In this case, the money is transferred to the card whose account number (usually 16 digits) you indicate in the documents. The address to which Tax Free checks should be sent is indicated on the Tax Free check, on the envelope issued at the store where the purchase was made, or on the official website of the company issuing Tax Free checks. Return time is 45 days. This system does not work in all countries - for example, it exists in Lithuania, but not in Poland.

Technobank must return the entire amount indicated on the check. The only thing is that recently the Global Blue company itself has been charging a commission of € 1 (if you plan to return more than € 10). If you intend to pick up cash at the airport, you will have to pay a commission of € 3 (depending on the specific airport). Payments are made in the currency of the country where the return point is located, or in US dollars.

Can they refuse?

In some cases, you may still not get your money back. True, the likelihood of such a situation is minimal. The most common mistake due to which you will be turned away at the bank is incorrectly drawn up checks or a large number of corrections in them. Among experienced VAT returnees, there is a story that Lithuanian visa holders often have “Sengeno valstybės” (“Schengen countries”) written on their checks instead of their first and last names. In any case, the documents should be carefully reviewed for errors - minor changes can be made at the top, but with significant corrections the chance of getting a refund tends to zero. Especially if it concerns passport data.

Another possible reason for being left out is the incorrect dates indicated on the Tax Free check. If they are ahead of the dates punched in the cash register receipt, you will not see a return.
Well, it’s trivial: Tax Free checks are only valid with a customs stamp - without it you don’t even have to go to the bank, you’ll just waste time. The stamp must clearly read the date and name of the checkpoint. If the seal came out so-so, ask the customs officer to slam it again: believe me, it won’t hurt him, but it could totally hurt you if the bank doesn’t make out the mark. But we, of course, believe in you. Everything will work out!

Photo: www.shopforgoodness.com, www.fortytravels.com, www.appletozebra.com

I’ll take Italy as an example, since it is in this country that more purchases are made and, accordingly, tax free refund.
What is this anyway: “tax-free return”, “tax-free” or “tax free”? As the name suggests, this is something related to taxes.
Yes, in the EEC the price of goods includes indirect taxes, including VAT.
Each European country has its own VAT rate: in Italy 21%, in Germany 19%, in Finland 22.

VAT rates can be viewed.
When returning money through the system tax free, part of the money from the refund tax is taken by the tax free system whose check you use, so in the end you get back approximately 12% of the cost of your purchase.
There is a special table for calculating refunds depending on the purchase price - this table (and it is the same for all countries) is used by the seller when issuing you a tax free check.

When does a tax free refund occur? :
– if a non-EEC resident who is in the country for no more than 3 months buys some product on the territory of the EEC (in my example, Italy) and exports it outside the EEC, then at the moment of crossing the economic border of the EEC (at airports or land border points ), he has the right to receive this same tax free (12%) back.

From what amount can a tax free refund be made? :
– for purchases worth more than 155 euros, you can receive a check for a tax free refund. If the purchase amount is less than 155 euros, a refund check will not be issued.

How to find out - issued at a tax free store :
– as a rule, special stickers are pasted at the cash register. Typically blue and white. They also come in yellow:

If you don’t see stickers, just ask about the Tax Free option.
You might find the following useful - this my experience on how to reduce the price of something you buy in Italy:

• I'm bargaining. I always bargain. Even in those places where goods with fixed price stickers and seemingly haggling are not accepted. For me it’s an element of communication and it’s just fun for me
• after the bargaining, after the lowest price is announced to me, I ask about issuing tax free
• sometimes you have to choose: the seller offers either a discount or write a tax free refund. I always choose a discount... Somehow it just so happened

What do you need to present at the store to issue a tax free check?
It is possible that your passport will be required, so it is better to have it when you go shopping. This does not always happen and the passport number can be entered later, at the hotel. But it’s still better to have a passport or at least a photocopy of it.
The seller himself draws up a receipt, enters the purchase amount and, using the table, determines the amount that will be returned to you.
Then he gives you to fill out the fields with your address and passport number.
If you wish, you can enter your credit card information if you are going to receive tax free by bank transfer to your card (more on this below).
And be sure to make sure that the seller has stapled the cash receipt from the store to your tax free receipt.
If you just threw it in an envelope, be careful not to throw it away. Useful at customs when processing tax free returns

What is the difference between different tax free return systems? :
– some systems, for example Global Refund have more representative offices throughout the country and, accordingly, it is more likely that the cash return point may be at the airport of your departure from the EEC. Other systems are less common - like the yellow sticker above. In this case, payments are made either to your specified credit card: its details must be indicated when filling out the tax free check, attach a cash receipt from the store to it, put it all in an envelope after receiving a customs stamp and throw it in a special box - usually yellow with the corresponding logo)

As an example of filling out a tax free check, I’ll just give you a picture from the Internet.
This appears to be from some Chinese site. The first line marked by the Chinese is the amount of your purchase.
The second line is that you will receive this money after going through all the procedures described below.
This is what the Chinese have in red - this is about what I wrote about above - the return of money is not in cash, but by transfer to a card.
Well, the lower right corner is the customs mark, which is what I’ll talk about now. It is important.

The procedure for registering the export of goods abroad and obtaining tax free:

Remember and this is very important: any receipt, any tax free system without a customs stamp - toilet paper, and of poor quality.

Important addition about tax free in Italy 2017

Based on the results of receiving tax free at Rome airport (April 2017), I wrote a new article.
The procedure for obtaining tax free has been significantly simplified:

To receive money from a tax-free check of any system, you must have a customs officer’s stamp on it. Therefore, first of all, you should look for customs at the airport. Any employee will tell you or you yourself will notice it in turns from the Chinese and Russians. Usually this is a piece of glass with the inscription customs or Dogana

Now let's decide on two points:
A) let's decide on your luggage
B) let's decide on your flight home

A) There are two options:
1) hand luggage only
2) there is checked luggage

B) There are two options:
1) you have a direct flight or with a landing outside the EEC countries
2) you have a flight with a stopover in an EEC country

The scenario for obtaining tax free based on these 4 options and combinations with them may be different, but the essence is the same and remember it: you must receive a customs stamp on the tax free form. And you receive a mark when you leave the economic zone of the EEC.

1. You have hand luggage and you are flying home through Germany: you do not apply for any tax-free in Italy, since you do not leave the borders of the EEC. Everything is processed in the last country of departure from the EEC - Germany
2. You have luggage to Moscow, but you are flying through Germany: go to check-in and check in your luggage straight to Moscow. You don’t check your luggage right away, but after placing a luggage tag with a barcode on it, you go to the customs office to get a stamp on your tax-free forms filled out in the store. Perhaps customs officers will ask you to show the purchased goods indicated on the receipts. They will definitely ask you to show it if you have a large refund (more than 1000 euros). After this, the customs officer puts his stamp on the tax-free check and can send your luggage to the baggage belt, or you yourself hand it over through a special departure point for loading on the plane, or skip the line at the check-in counter and place it on the baggage belt there. Depends on the airport, it’s different everywhere.
3. You have hand luggage and you are flying a direct flight or a flight with a landing outside the EEC (well, for example, you decided to fly through Istanbul): you need to apply for tax free and after checking in for the flight, go with your boarding pass to the customs office. And here another option is possible and it is absolutely logical (see retreat below) – you will have to go through passport control and only after that go to customs (customs) to get a stamp on your tax-free check.

Digression (lyrical). We reason like this: we decided to deceive the state of Italy for the amount of VAT. For this purpose, a criminal group is created: buyer (Russian) – seller (Italian). What we do: we write a tax-free check for some expensive item that fits in hand luggage. Afterwards, the two of us go to the airport, where the Russian checks in for a flight to Moscow with hand luggage, receives a customs stamp on the tax-free check, and after that gives the goods from his hand luggage to the accomplice seller, who again puts it on sale. The profit of this gang is 12% of the cost of the thing that has not left Italy and can be sold again. Now do you understand the logic of placing customs for citizens with hand luggage behind passport control? But this is not the case at all airports in Italy, so ask the airport employees on the spot, or it is better to ask both in information and at the flight check-in counter and at the customs office.

1. You have luggage to Moscow, direct flight. See point 2. We do the same

I hope I wrote it clearly. I don’t have the opportunity to tell you about all the airports in Italy and make instructions for you. I just gave an action plan for returning tax free. Decide for yourself based on the location - not small.

Receiving money from tax free checks marked with a customs stamp

We have a pile of papers with customs stamps. Look and sort them by company. Yellows in one pile, blues in another, browns in a third, and so on. Refunds at the airport are handled by the representative office of the tax-free company whose logo and color matches your check. As I already wrote, the blue and white Global Refund will most likely be at the airport. There may not be others. The easiest way to receive money is to receive it on a plastic card from your bank.

Receiving refunded tax free money on a plastic card: fill in the fields (usually the lower left corner) card number, expiration date and Ivanov Ivan. Then we put the check with the customs mark and the cash receipt pinned to it in an envelope, seal it and throw it in a special mailbox. The box will be painted the same color as your receipt and will have the same logo as your receipt. There is no need to add stamps or write the address - everything is already on the envelope, if it is the envelope that was given to you in the store along with the check. The money will arrive in your account in 2-4 weeks

Receiving money at the airport through a bank or a representative office of the tax free system: Usually, points for issuing money for tax-free checks are located after passport control. Typically marked with a blue and white sign Tax Free Refund. You submit your passport and a check with a customs stamp into the window and they must pay you in cash the amount that you have on the second line (remember the Chinese picture above?).
Sometimes it happens like this: the cashier reports that he does not have cash euros, but only cash dollars. Know. that they are trying to deceive you, since they have euros, but by pretending that they do not exist, they will count you euros into dollars at a very bad rate, and if you agree to take dollars, then know that you have just given the cashier about 10 dollars for every hundred of yours Euro. And it’s not possible to do anything - it’s a waste of time calling the authorities, showdowns and you need to know the language well. Well, that is, there is a 50/50 chance that the issue will be resolved. In this case, there are two options:

• send a check in an envelope to transfer your money to your card (the procedure for doing this is described above)
• get money in Moscow. For example, I know that Master Bank pays money using tax free without commissions and using many tax free systems: by yellow, brown, blue...

Oh yeah, I forgot. There is a third option: spit, swear and take the offered dollars...

Why do I still prefer a discount when choosing between so-free and a discount: this is exactly why. It’s not that much money to tear your ass and fray your nerves and run around at the airport. We only live once and I don’t want to stand in lines, fuss, beg... It’s easier for me to bargain for an item, spit on these tax frees and quickly go to the duty free territory to replenish the supply of cream and lotion, as well as cheese, prosciutto and drink something. Well, the choice is yours

Addition: regarding a full refund of VAT (VAT) on the invoice issued for the goods

This option is common in border countries or areas. For example, in Finland they go to places to buy nails for building a shed at their dacha.
The point is that when you buy a product, you ask the seller to issue an invoice for this product. When exporting it abroad, similarly to the described tax-free procedure, you put a customs stamp certifying that the goods were exported from the territory of the EEC (one copy of the invoice remains at the customs office).
And so, for this invoice you can receive VAT (in Germany, for example, VAT is 19%) the next time you visit the store where you purchased this product and where this invoice was issued to you.
The refund can be in cash, but as a rule the seller takes into account the VAT amount in the next purchase in this store.
It should be taken into account that the period for receiving money on an invoice is limited. The limitation period is written on the invoice itself and is usually 3 months.
That is, within three months you need to return to the same store where you bought the goods and, presenting an invoice sheet stamped by customs, receive either cash = the size of the VAT of this country, or a discount (which happens more often) on your next purchase in the same store.

This system (money refund or savings through VAT) works well in Finland, but I can hardly imagine tourists who, say, having bought a down jacket in Rome in the fall, will go there (to Rome and to the same store) to buy something else there in winter. In addition, the savings will not be that big (the difference between VAT 21% and the refundable tax free of 12%) compared to the more convenient tax free.

However, if you have relatives in Rome, then you can use this method of saving by sending the invoice to Rome, and they can personally transfer it to the seller so that he can transfer it to your card... In general, some kind of nonsense.
I know that in Finland they issue invoices even when buying smoked trout, but in Italy, when you ask: “Write me an invoice,” they will send you to hell... that is, they will not understand what you mean

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The price of most products includes value added tax (VAT). In Russia it is 18% and goes to state income. There is also VAT abroad, but you are not required to pay it because you are not a local taxpayer. VAT is automatically charged on every purchase. You can get your taxes paid back. This system is called “tax free”. There are more than 10 tax free operating companies in the world. We will talk about how this system works, using the example of the largest of them - Global blue.

Where and how much can I return?

Tax free can be returned for purchases in approximately 50 countries around the world. Typically, stores of all major international brands refund taxes. At the checkout of such stores there is a sticker with the words “Tax Free”, and at the entrance to the store - “VAT refund”. If there is no sticker, ask the seller about this option.

Only those who have made a purchase for a certain amount, which varies in each country, can receive a tax refund. Here is a list of popular countries:

A country	Minimum purchase price	How much will they return?
Great Britain	30 pounds
Germany	25 euros	Products and books - 7%, the rest - 19%
Greece	50 euros	17% or 24% (depending on the city)
Israel	400 shekels
Spain	90.16 euros
Italy	154.95 euros	Products - 4–10%, clothing and other goods - 22%
Netherlands	50 euros	Products - 6%, other goods - 21%
Thailand	2000 baht
Türkiye	100 Turkish lira	8% or 18% (depending on goods)
Finland	40 euros	4%, 10% or 14% (depending on goods)
France	175.01 euro	For some goods - 2.1%, food and books - 5.5%, medicines - 10%, other goods - 20%

When paying for goods, you will be asked for a foreign passport, the details of which will be recorded on a special form. Keep it along with the check and envelope (they will give you that too).

To calculate the refund amount you can use .

How to get tax free?

Money can be returned in 4 ways:

1. At the airport

Arrive at the airport no later than three hours before departure. If you arrive two hours in advance, there is a risk of not having time to do everything.

Do not put purchased items in your luggage; first go to customs. There you must have your receipts and receipts from stores stamped. You may be asked to show your purchases. Only after this can you put your suitcases in your luggage. However, in some countries (for example, Italy) you can get a stamp only after checking in for your flight. Therefore, at Fiumicino airport there are 2 customs offices - before passport control and after. Keep this in mind and take purchased items in your hand luggage.

If you want to get cash, then after going through passport control you need to find a Cash refund or Tax refund office. There you give a check and a receipt - in exchange they will give you money.

It may turn out that the office will be closed, then you need to fill out a form to transfer money to your bank account. The application, checks and receipt must be packed in the envelope that was given to you in the store (it already has all the necessary stamps and address) and placed in the mailbox near the office.Before sending documents, the operator of the tax free system, Global blue, advises making a copy of them and writing down the individual number (DOC ID) of each Tax Free form. This number can be used to track return on the company website.

The money will be transferred within 10–30 days.

2. In the city

There are also return points in cities. You can find their addresses . The algorithm of actions is the same as at the airport: show documents and purchase and receive money. In this case, when leaving the country, you must get a stamp at customs and send the documents by mail. If documents are not received within 21 days of purchase, a fee will be charged to your credit card (which will be asked at the time of refund).

3. At the border (if you are traveling by train or car)

You need to get a customs stamp when leaving the country (if you are in Europe, then at the border of the last country). There may also be a Cash refund or Tax refund point at the departure point or train station, where cash tax refunds are issued. If you do not find these items, then simply put a stamp at customs. You will get your taxes back after returning home.

4. In Russia

If you did not have time to receive cash or fill out an application for a refund to the card, then after returning to Russia you can send an envelope with a check and receipt to the address indicated on the envelope or check tax free . There you need to provide your bank card details to transfer money. You can also contact Banca Intesa, which handles refunds. tax free.

Important Details

• You can't get tax free for services, for example: payment for a hotel, car rental, restaurant bills, etc. Also, goods purchased in other countries of the world via the Internet are not eligible for return.
• Purchased goods must be packaged. If you use the item, a refund may be refused.
• A commission may be charged for issuing a tax free service - a fixed amount or a percentage of the refund. Also, an additional 3-5% may be written off if money is transferred from one currency to another.
• Right to tax free only non-citizens of the state have. If you have a residence permit or pay taxes in this state, you cannot qualify for a refund.
• If you forgot to stamp a check tax free , it can be placed at the country's consulate. However, this requires approval from the company that issued the check and may incur a fee (for example, $20).

Tax Tree (tax free) - a VAT refund system when making a purchase in a foreign country. The procedure for refunding part of the cost of goods is the same for all countries participating in the system, but there are differences in the amount of tax, the minimum purchase amount for the right to receive tax free and other nuances that you need to familiarize yourself with so as not to lose money.

Who can get taxfree: VAT refund conditions

Refund part of the purchase price made in a participating country TaxFree Shopping is possible if several conditions are simultaneously met:

• lack of citizenship, refugee status, residence permit and work permit in the state where the purchase was made;
• less than three months' one-time stay in the country;
• purchase of goods for a certain amount: the lower limit of the purchase price that gives the right to receive tax free, is set individually by states (for example, in France it is 175 euros, and in Germany - only 25).

Important: in most countries, VAT is not imposed on food and other food products, as well as tobacco, alcohol, printed products, precious metals and stones, and vehicles. Therefore, to return taxfree There is no need to count when buying cigarettes, books or a car.

Program TaxFree Shipping operates in all countries that are part of the European Union, as well as in Belarus, Argentina, Great Britain, Turkey, Jordan, South Korea, Morocco, Lebanon, Israel, South Africa, Iceland and Uruguay. Russia is not one of the participants in the system.

Important: system tax free does not apply to online purchases, even if they were made in a foreign store.

Tax free return procedure

The main condition for the subsequent return of VAT is the purchase of goods in stores that are partners of the system TaxFree. This is usually indicated by corresponding signs on the front door. If in doubt, you can always check with the seller - for this you do not need to be fluent in a foreign language, one phrase is enough: “ Tax free?».

1. Receiving a receipt.

When making a purchase, the seller must provide a receipt tax free(Global Refund Check or TaxFree Form - depending on the operator providing the return service), in which the buyer’s last and first name, country and city of residence, as well as the date of purchase and the total cost of the purchased goods are indicated in Latin letters.

The data is filled in in accordance with the buyer’s international passport - therefore it is necessary to have its original or copy with you. Most often, sellers issue a receipt themselves, but sometimes they limit themselves to only entering the purchase amount and issuing a cash receipt. In this case, you will have to fill out the form yourself.

Important: the integrity of the packaging of goods must be maintained until the money is returned. The same goes for tags, labels, labels and other insignia. In some stores, upon checkout taxfree the packaging is reinforced with special stickers or seals.

1. customs control.

Processing a VAT refund begins immediately before returning to your home country. Therefore, it is better to arrive at the place of departure (airport, train station, etc.) in advance - the procedure can be quite lengthy.

First resort on the way back taxfree- customs point. If taxable items are in your hand luggage, you can go to the customs officers before checking in for the flight, otherwise it is better to do this after, since it will be more convenient to check the suitcase into your luggage right there.

The customs officer will check the integrity of the packaging of the goods, make sure that there is a cash receipt, and then put a stamp on the receipt taxfree.

Important: when taking a transit flight or moving between EU countries, a refund is issued at the airport (seaport, etc.) of the last country visited before leaving for Russia, regardless of the place of purchase. For example, when purchasing goods in Germany with a subsequent flight to France, and from there to the Russian Federation, you should begin the return procedure in France.

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1. Receiving the money .

Get tax free possible in three ways: directly at the airport; in any Russian bank - a partner of the system TaxFree Shopping; or to a bank card - within several weeks after leaving all the documents in a specially equipped box.

Receiving money at the airport

Documents for VAT refund should be submitted to the VAT Refund point or TaxFree Refund, located in the international departures area (in the same place as Duty Free). Operators often provide the opportunity to choose the currency of the refunded amount.

Leaving documents in a special box

Choosing this method of receiving money is advisable when you have limited time - waiting your turn at VAT Refund often takes from 20 minutes to an hour and a half. Receipt tax free with a customs stamp and a cash receipt must be packed in an envelope and placed in a box marked “ TaxFree» - usually it is located next to the money issuing point. Before packaging, you should write your bank card number on the receipt - funds will be returned to it within 3-8 weeks.

Obtaining tax free in Russia

You can get information about banks that provide VAT refund services on the operators’ website TaxFree. To receive money at a bank branch you need to present a receipt TaxFree Form, cash receipt and both passports - Russian and foreign.

Important: tax refund points for the purchase of goods abroad do not operate in all bank branches - they are only in 10 cities in Russia. Therefore, if the way home lies through the capital, it is better to return the money there. Moreover, the period is limited - apply for a refund tax free possible within 3 months from the date of purchase.

How to calculate the tax free amount

Sum taxfree depends on the amount of value added tax established in the country in which the purchase was made. The range is from 7 to 21%. For example, in the Netherlands the VAT rate is 21, in France - 19.6%.

To accurately calculate the amount to be refunded, it is better to use an online calculator - it is available on the website of any operator taxfree.

It should be taken into account that a certain percentage will be withheld as a commission for the service, and if we are talking about a non-cash return of money, there will also be a commission for converting into rubles (usually about 3-5%).

Refund of tax free in Moscow

Get tax free in Moscow possible if you have a receipt TaxFree Form with customs stamp and cash receipt. Refunds are made both in cash and to a bank card. Moreover, for this you do not have to be a citizen of Russia: the partner bank of the system will issue money upon presentation of any identification document specified in the receipt.

With the program TaxFreein Moscow The banks Intesa, SMP, Promsvyazbank, MDM and JSC Bank Russian Credit cooperate.

Features of tax free in Germany

Since 2013, Italy has established a VAT rate of 22% (previously it was 20%), the minimum purchase price for tax free tax free

The VAT rate in Germany is 19%. Previously, the country had set a maximum limit tax free, but as of today it has been cancelled. Minimum purchase price to receive tax free- 25 euros. That is, tourists can count on a refund of the full amount of tax minus commissions.

Receipt procedure tax free in Germany complies with the general rules, however, there are restrictions on the timing of customs control - the customs stamp must be affixed to TaxFree Form within 30 days of purchase.

Features of tax free in Italy

In 2013, Italy established a VAT rate of 22% (previously it was 20%), the minimum purchase price for tax free- almost 155 euros (154.94). A significant advantage of Italian tax free- the ability to issue a refund directly upon purchase, that is, in essence, to receive a discount equal to the VAT rate.

However, in practice, such a service is provided only by elite stores selling exclusive and very expensive goods; others prefer to cooperate with operators TaxFree.

You can return VAT in Italy either in the traditional way - when leaving the country, or at money issuing points located in large cities, for example in Rome or Milan. But the latter is only possible if the service is provided by the Global Blue operator.

Put a customs stamp on TaxFree Form is required within 3 months from the date of purchase.

Features of tax free in Finland

Finland has the highest VAT rate in Europe - 23%. But in practice, it turns out to reimburse only 16% - the rest will be deducted by the operator as a commission.

The longest period for customs inspection is established here - 6 months from the date of purchase of the goods. Eligibility taxfree occurs when purchasing a value of 40 euros or more.

GlobalBlue: tax free in 37 countries

Largest system operator Tax Free Shopping - Global Blue. VAT refund points are located in 37 countries, including Russia - however, there are only 10 cities in which you can receive money:

• Moscow;
• Saint Petersburg;
• Novosibirsk;
• Chelyabinsk;
• Kaliningrad;
• Murmansk;
• Monchegorsk, Olenegorsk and Polyarnye Zori (Murmansk region);
• Rostov-on-Don.