How to buy in Europe and not pay taxes

"Medusa" and Tinkoff tell how to correctly draw up a refund of money according to the tax-Fri system

Medusa continues the project with Tinkoff Bank - about how to save properly. This time we publish instructions from the magazine Tinkoff - how to return the value added tax after shopping in Europe.

What is a tax-free system

In Europe, as in Russia, the price of store added tax and VAT are included in Russia. VAT in all countries is different: the lowest in Switzerland is 8%, and the highest in Croatia, Denmark, Hungary, Norway and Sweden - 25% of the cost of the purchase.

Tourists have the right not to pay VAT a foreign country, because they do not use the budget benefits of this country. They are not supposed, for example, free travel or free treatment. But since you can’t pay taxes at all, tourists pay VAT in the store, and then return it - after they cross the border. This system is called dachshund. And this is a very good way to save on purchases abroad.

How the tax-free system works

The tax-free system works only for store products. You can not return the tax for the services rendered: for example, paying for living at the hotel or dinner in a restaurant. At the same time, a chance to return VAT with clothing or technology purchased in a store is more likely than from food or alcohol.

Before returning your tax, each country wants to make sure that you are really a tourist and really spent money on purchases in this country. Therefore, three services are involved in the tax refund:

1. Shop - sells you a product and helps to apply for a tax refund.

2. Customs - upon departure, checks documents and purchases. Confirms the right to refund tax.

3. Operator Taxs Fri -pays you money. Cash or on a card.

Customs works for the state and monitors that tourists are not returned to purchases tax, which they do not make. Therefore, when departing, customs officers usually make purchases with checks, although the severity of customs is highly dependent on the country.

The tax-Free operator works for you, but cannot return the money to you without the permission of customs. Tourists undergo customs control when leaving the country, so the tax-free operators are most often located at the airport.

Sometimes operators open offices in cities - usually at banks or in large shopping centers. Here you can return the money before leaving the country. But, be careful, upon leaving, you still have to assure the documents for the Customs on the so-free and/or send them to the operator.

Nevertheless, in 90% of cases, you will still be at the airport to return the money. In order to get them quickly and without problems, it is necessary to perform a few simple steps.

Find out in advance where the airport is customs and operators of the tax-Fri

It is better to look for these offices when you just flew to the country, and not when you have two hours left before departure. If the customs office is in the registration or arrival zone, get there and check the requirements for the transportation of purchases at the fi-whether it will be necessary to make purchases or enough checks. At the same time, you will evaluate how much time when departing will take customs control and tax refund. See how much to go from customs to registration and what lines to the customs office. This will help you understand how much time to add to the airport.

Look for shops with a tax-free emblem and come there with a passport

Do not wait for you to return the tax in small grocery shops and tiny local shops. The tax-free system is returned to the VAT system usually large and popular shops among tourists. In Spain, this is the El Corte Inglés department stores and the FNAC media-gumpermarket (it is in France and Portugal), in France-the Galeries Lafayette trading galleries (in the Parisian, for example, there is also a city office of Global Blue-one of the tactical operators), and in Italy-trademarks Centers "La Rinascente". Do not forget the passport - evidence that you are a foreign tourist.

Such stores are placed in a window or at the box office of a special emblem:

In addition, in the store you can see the logo of a particular Operator of the Tax-Fri with whom this store works. Here are the largest:

Find out the minimum amount with which the tax is returned

With a return of trifles (two, three, seven euros), no one will bother. Countries return purchases tax, starting with a certain amount. Each country has a different minimum check amount. You will find the rules of the countries on the sites of Operats Tax-Fri . Or check the minimum amount right in the store.

You can not add the amounts of several checks from different stores to gain the necessary minimum amount. But if you have several checks, each for the minimum amount, you will return the tax from each check. Megamarkets, for example FNAC, make out dachshunds on several checks from different departments.

Fill out at the checkout an application for a refund by the tax-Fri system

The stores need to explain to the state why the budget has not received your purchase. Therefore, together with the check, you receive a special application from the store at the tax-free from the store employee. You (but most often - the seller) fill out the application, the seller or the cashier signs and leaves yourself a copy.

A store employee issues your copy of the application in an envelope with checks and a brochure about the tax-free rules. When you get an envelope from the seller, make sure that the check and the application is in the envelope and that the seller signed the application: without a check and a signed application, the tax cannot be returned.

Collect the suitcase so that the documents and purchases are at hand

Put the application for dachshunds and purchases for purchases with the passport. Everything else depends on the severity of customs officers. If you could not find out the requirements of customs in advance, get ready for the most strict inspection. During the trip, do not use purchases, do not unpack them, do not take off the tags. When leaving, collect purchases so that at any time you can get it and show them to customs officers.

At the airport, on the day of departure, Assign the application for the Tax Fri by customs officers

If everything is fine, customs officers will put their stamp on the application.

Do not take purchases in baggage before you pass customs control. But in some airports (most often these are small European airports), you get to customs after registration and luggage. In this case, during registration, ask the airport employee to invite a customs officer to you. The customs officer will check the purchases right at the registration rack under the angry glances of the compatriots that you delay. After that, calmly pass the luggage.

Seek the money back to the Operator Tais Fri

After customs control, go to the office of the Operator of Taks-Fri and present checks and an application with a stamp of customs.

The operator will return the tax, but not the whole - from 5 to 15% of the money you put to you, the operator will take on the commission for his services. Operators do not advertise the commission, and it is difficult to calculate it in advance: it depends on the operator, the country and even the purchase amount. The most common rule: the larger the purchase amount, the less the commission. Therefore, tax-free from purchases is 1000 euros more profitable than from purchases for 100 euros.

The operator will give you cash or transfer money to a bank card. Tax-free operators do not work with all cards: any credit card is suitable, but, for example, not everyone can accept a debit card. Here, the owners of the Tinkoff Black card were lucky - foreign banks perceive the debit card of Tinkoff Bank as a credit. Therefore, feel free to draw up a dachshund on Tinkoff Black.

Find out how else you can return the money

If there is little time left for customs officers to leave, the main thing is to stamp the application from customs officers. After that, send an application and checks by mail to the operator-here you will come in handy an envelope received with an application for a dachshund. Be sure to take a picture of the documents before sending: if the letter is lost, photos of the documents will help to find out the relationship with the operator.

The latest option is to turn to the Russian Bank for a return. In Russia, there are few such banks and they are only in large cities. You will find a list of such banks on the website of the Operator Tax-Fri. At the bank, present a request, checks and passports - Russian and passport. Be prepared that the bank will give you money in rubles at the internal course, and this course will not be in your favor.

Tinkoff Bank

How to return the money - in cash or to the card - depends on the situation. For the issuance of money in cash, the operator takes an additional commission - on average 3 euros in Europe for one application. Transfer to the card is worth the money when the tax-free operator sends you money in one currency, and you have a card in another.

Global Blue sends money in dollars or in rubles. If you get a return on a foreign exchange card issued in Russia, you will pay from 3 to 5% of the commission for re -reducing money in euros. Therefore, a ruble or dollar credit card is better for returning tax return from Global Blue.

Another feature of the return return to the card: money does not come right away. The operator is obliged to send money within 3-5 days, but does not guarantee that the money will quickly come to your card. Money can go for two months. It’s bad or good to decide. At least you will avoid the temptation to immediately spend the money returned on wine, chocolate and cards from Duti Fri.

At the same time, a bank card will help out in many cases. For example, if the tax-free operator suddenly ended in cash. “Global Blue” also returns only 1,500 euros in cash - if you apply for a return to a large amount, you will be offered the rest to be transferred to the card. If you did not have time to apply for a return to the airport, it is more convenient to get money for a card than to look for a bank in Russia, which makes tax-free payments.

We had sooo many materials with Tinkoff Bank, you can see here .