UK trip and VAt

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UK trip and VAt
Topic Started: 16 Mar 2010, 05:50 PM (175 Views)
chmaiden	16 Mar 2010, 05:50 PM Post #1
Addicted Member Posts: 108 Group: Members Member #1,309 Joined: 9 April 2007	hi we are off to the UK (i dont even call it home now!) in June - I realise that I can claim the VAT back on stuff but have a coupl eof questions: 1) how does it work? do i have to show that i have the items on me at the airport? 2) if I start buying stuff now (and making use of the exchange rates!) and sending it to my mums can i claim that back when i leave the UK in July or do i physically have to be in the country when the items are purchased ??? I am basically thinking of buying some clothes and cricket gear now to get sent to my mums in london and then pick it all up in June??? what you think?



Davyfella	16 Mar 2010, 09:29 PM Post #2
Addicted Member Posts: 472 Group: Members Member #1,598 Joined: 12 August 2007	We are in the same situation, but we are flying into Dublin and then onto Belfast from there. So where would we claim UK VAT back, I know if you are flying out of a UK airport, you claim it at the departure point, but for us, Do I loiter around in a South Armagh layby and accept a fist full of freshly printed notes (probably with spelling mistakes) before crossing Bandit Country and into the highly dodgy area around Dundalk?



Nod	17 Mar 2010, 06:36 AM Post #3
Elite Member Posts: 563 Group: Members Member #234 Joined: 29 March 2005 Migration Status Citizen	As far as I know the Items you are caliming the VAT back for should be available for Inspection. So you'd have to do this prior to checking in your luggage. This is to stop anybody just turning up with a fistfull of your rellie's reciepts and making money out of the VAT man. Judging by the queues, normally, at the VAT claim desk, I don't generally bother for a couple of jumpers. Nod



koalakim	17 Mar 2010, 07:05 AM Post #4
Legend Posts: 4,456 Group: Members Member #889 Joined: 1 September 2006 Migration Status Citizen My Location Mornington	When I've done this overseas (i.e. Aus or Singapore) then the reclaim desk is on the other side so you have to take the goods through with you. We once bought a load of Drizabone gear here and had to take it through to departures as handluggage. They probably wouldn't allow that now with the new restrictions on handluggage. In Singapore I just take the receipts to the desk in the departure lounge to get the tax back - having said that it's only worth it for large purchases as you don't get it all back as they take off a couple of handling charges! I've never really thought about doing it in the UK because basically I can't be bothered.....going through Heathrow is bad enough without having to queue for yonks at yet another desk!



Amanda & Simon	17 Mar 2010, 07:15 AM Post #5
Braiiiiiinnnss Posts: 4,266 Group: Admin Member #1,707 Joined: 28 September 2007 Migration Status Citizen My Location Middle Park	Used to know all this backwards from checking that shops were doing it right, but it's been a few years and I might not be remembering all this correctly (or it may have changed). First bit, which I honestly can't remember, is if whether it's open only to non-EU residents or only to non-EU citizens. If it's the second since you're both still British passport holders and therefore EU citizens you won't qualify. If it's the first then you might but will probably need to satisfy someone at the airport that you are resident somewhere outside the EU. No idea what they'd expect to see but I imagine a Victorian driver's licence would be a good starting point, maybe a bill in your name with the address here as well. Davyfella, honestly don't know how you'd get the VAT back. Am I reading it right that you're going Oz -> UK mainland -> Eire -> NI and then either the reverse or straight back here? If so then your final point of departure is in the UK so you should be alright assuming that it is based on residence outside the EU and not citizenship. If you're going Oz -> Eire and driving into the UK and then doing the same to come back again then I'd guess there's somewhere to send them copies of the receipts and where they can send you a cheque. I'd have thought they'd want to see the receipts for return tickets to Australia and proof of residence here as well. Not sure that buying online and having a pile of goods ready and waiting to pack when you get there is going to be that practical for several reasons. First point is time. IIRC you and the goods both have to leaving the EU, not just Britain, within 90 days of purchase. That's pretty generous unless you're having a very long trip and taking in other countries but I'm less certain about the time than I am about the leaving the EU bit. If you've bought well in advance of even flying to the UK I can imagine falling foul of this time limit. Leave it as late as possible or, because I imagine a UK shipping address on the bill could potentially cause problems, just buy it yourself when you get there. Second problem is that I'm not sure this is an automatic thing - the company I used to work for had signs up on the door of every shop advertising that they were a member of the VAT back scheme, or words to that effect. So what about retailers who are not a member of the scheme? Dunno. Might mean that you can't get VAT back from things that you buy from there, or it might just mean they don't do the forms for you and you have to deal with it yourself on the way out of the country. Third is value. Again, going from memory here, but it simply wasn't worth it for individual items less than about 35 quid so the VAT back scheme for the retailers, which had a ready reckoner so shop staff could easily work out roughly what a customer could expect to get back, assumed a minimum purchase of at least that. This is because customs charged a fiver or so for the privilege of getting your money back off 'em, and the VAT on �35 is about a fiver so below that point you got nothing. Even at �35 you were only getting pennies back. If you're going to do some serious shopping then that's probably not a problem but you should possibly anticipate losing most of what you get back on import duty this end. :shrug: If one lot of bastards don't get you then another lot of bastards will. I'm pretty sure the scheme my old company was in was this lot: Premier Tax Free. I'd have a look at their website for more info about who can get it, how, what you have to spend and where you get your paws on the dosh. Edit: or go to Google UK and stick in something like VAT back for tourists. Edited by Amanda & Simon, 17 Mar 2010, 07:16 AM.



dracomjb	17 Mar 2010, 12:07 PM Post #6
Member Posts: 50 Group: Members Member #2,708 Joined: 12 February 2009 Migration Status Citizen My Location Melton	The basic requirement is that the store must be participating in the Tourist Refund Scheme (or whatever it's called) and you have to get the store to fill out the form when you purchase the items, and there is a minimum amount that has to be purchased in one transaction. I think you then take your part of the form to the location at the airport, they process it and as long as the store does their bit you get a refund onto a credit card minus an admin fee. It's a lot more complicated than in Australia. ~~I'll see if I can find the exact details in a google search~~ Found a link HM Gov VAT Refund Info For those too lazy to click the link ;) They also specifically exclude online purchases "mail order goods, including Internet sales" Quote: First, you need to choose a shop that operates the VAT Retail Export Scheme. It's a voluntary scheme and not all shops operate it, so you need to check before you buy anything. To obtain your VAT refund, you need one of the following documents. The shop will give you this: * a VAT 407 form * a shop or refund company's own version of form VAT 407 * a VAT Retail Export Scheme sales invoice You need to fill in the form when you make your purchases, in front of the retailer. The retailer will ask to see evidence that you are eligible to use the scheme, such as your passport. You also need to agree with the retailer how your refund will be paid. Some retailers will pay you the refund directly, others will operate through a refund company, and some will have an arrangement with a refund booth at the point where you leave the UK. You may not get all the VAT back. The retailer and/or the refund company may make a charge to cover the cost of handling your form. If they do, this will be deducted from your refund before you receive it. When you leave the country If you're travelling outside the EU, you must show your goods and your refund form to UK customs staff at the airport you're leaving from. Make sure you arrive at the airport early so that you have plenty of time to deal with the customs staff before your departure. If you're travelling to another country within the EU before you finally leave the EU, then you must show your goods and refund form to customs officials in that country when you leave it. If you are leaving the EU on a flight that stops in another EU country before leaving the EU, then you have two options: * if you're taking your goods as hand baggage, then you must show them to customs officials along with your refund form in the last EU country you stop in before leaving the EU * if you're checking your goods in as hold baggage, then you must show your goods and your refund form to UK customs officials before checking in If there aren't any customs officials at the port or airport you're leaving from, there will be a telephone you can use to ring an official or a clearly marked customs post box in which you can leave your refund form. Customs officials will collect it from there and if they are satisfied that all requirements have been met, they will contact the retailer to arrange your VAT refund. Once your form has been approved by customs officials, you can then obtain your refund in the way you agreed with the retailer when you made the purchase. You will use one of these methods: * post the form back to the retailer to arrange payment of the refund * post the form back to a commercial refund company to arrange payment of the refund * hand your form to a refund booth to get paid immediately There may be a charge to cover the cost of handling your refund. This charge will be shown on your refund form. I think we tried to do it one year and gave up because it's too complicated. Edited by dracomjb, 17 Mar 2010, 12:13 PM.



Pomster	17 Mar 2010, 08:34 PM Post #7
Addicted Member Posts: 498 Group: Members Member #310 Joined: 6 July 2005	I did it once....got the form, carried my shoes (3 pairs) in ,my hand luggage, had to show my AU visa. Then I got the refund less a very hefty admin charge....unless you are buying diamonds or similar it is really not worth the effort. I expected about 50 quid, got 20 or so (diamonds- small, portable and high value)



Davyfella	17 Mar 2010, 09:41 PM Post #8
Addicted Member Posts: 472 Group: Members Member #1,598 Joined: 12 August 2007	Amanda & Simon 17 Mar 2010, 07:15 AM Davyfella, honestly don't know how you'd get the VAT back. Am I reading it right that you're going Oz -> UK mainland -> Eire -> NI and then either the reverse or straight back here? If so then your final point of departure is in the UK so you should be alright assuming that it is based on residence outside the EU and not citizenship. If you're going Oz -> Eire and driving into the UK and then doing the same to come back again then I'd guess there's somewhere to send them copies of the receipts and where they can send you a cheque. I'd have thought they'd want to see the receipts for return tickets to Australia and proof of residence here as well. No, we are bypassing Shithole Central (Heathrow the only building site with it's own airport) completely. We are flying with etihad direct to Dublin via Abu dhabi. This avoids paying the One eyed Scottish idiot's "King cannute tax" (If I charge you lots of tax, I can pretend to spend it it on stopping climate change) So we wont actually be stepping foot on UK soil (except for marching our traditional route from the Boyne to the Glorious Loyalist Free six Counties)!!! :rofl:



Amanda & Simon	17 Mar 2010, 09:55 PM Post #9
Braiiiiiinnnss Posts: 4,266 Group: Admin Member #1,707 Joined: 28 September 2007 Migration Status Citizen My Location Middle Park	Davyfella 17 Mar 2010, 09:41 PM No, we are bypassing Shithole Central (Heathrow the only building site with it's own airport) completely. Funny. I thought it was the only shopping mall in greater London with its own runways. :rofl: Liking the Canute reference.


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