Best way to 'detax' after H in Europe

[ice75]

You will be able to get all of your Paris receipts stamped and mailed off since you have a ticket leaving the EU to Switzerland.

I had a similar scenario. Finished a cruise out of Rome and did some shopping. I had a flight to Paris but with a short layover in Zurich so the customs agent just stamped all of my receipts even though I said I would do more shopping in Paris.

Not sure - good question. I suggest asking the sales person when making the purchase. And the sales person will fill out the form for you regardless. You just need to sign where they show you at the time of purchase.

One last point to emphasize - YOU MUST MAIL the validated forms before leaving the EU at the airport. If not, I have read it is a real hassle to do it from home.

You have to do your detaxe/VAT before you fly back to your home country including the customs stamp and drop form in mailbox.

If you're flying to Switzerland (probably ZRH which is a great airport for shopping by the way) from CDG, so a CDG/ZRH/MXP routing, you can detaxe all of your Paris purchases at CDG before you depart to ZRH. CDG has kiosks and it is very easy. If you also shop in Milan you would do your Milan purchases at MXP before going home.

If you take the train from Paris to Lucerne and then Milan then you'll do everything at MXP before you go back to your home country from MXP. Technically you can stop on the train somewhere and detaxe between France and Switzerland but it sounds like a pain.

If you do the reverse, MXP/ZRH/CDG, then you can detaxe any of the Milan purchases at MXP. What you buy in Paris you will detaxe at CDG before you return to your home country.

Thank you Everlong, pacificagal and HavLab! These information are really useful for my planning.

HavLab, you mentioned that I can do the detaxe everything at MXP.Thus, can I confirm that there is no need for me to do the detaxe in between France and Switzerland if I'm travelling by train from Paris to Lucerne? So I will get the customs stamps for all my purchases in these 3 places and drop the forms in MXP?

 

[pretty99]

Thank you Everlong, pacificagal and HavLab! These information are really useful for my planning.

HavLab, you mentioned that I can do the detaxe everything at MXP.Thus, can I confirm that there is no need for me to do the detaxe in between France and Switzerland if I'm travelling by train from Paris to Lucerne? So I will get the customs stamps for all my purchases in these 3 places and drop the forms in MXP?

milan will only do stamped for paris and milan purchase, if you buy anything and wish for detax from Switzerland u need to do it before leaving switzerland

 

[HavLab]

milan will only do stamped for paris and milan purchase, if you buy anything and wish for detax from Switzerland u need to do it before leaving switzerland

Thank you for noting that about purchases in CH!

 

[ice75]

milan will only do stamped for paris and milan purchase, if you buy anything and wish for detax from Switzerland u need to do it before leaving switzerland

Thank you pretty99 for highlighting this! Appreciates much

 

[QuelleFromage]

Thank you pretty99 for highlighting this! Appreciates much

Yes...just remember Switzerland, while in Europe, is not in the EU. This will affect a few aspects of your travel and tax refund is certainly one of them. Have a fabulous trip.

 

[ice75]

Yes...just remember Switzerland, while in Europe, is not in the EU. This will affect a few aspects of your travel and tax refund is certainly one of them. Have a fabulous trip.

Thanks QuelleFromage!

 

[cavalla]

Thank you pacificagal for the detailed explanation. Really appreciates.Can I ask if I’m using 2 different credit cards to make a purchase,which credit card will I need to fill in the VAT form?Any idea?

You mean which cc you want the tax refund to go to? You can choose any cc you want, not necessary to be the same one you used to pay. I've done this. What you use to purchase does not have to be the one you receive the tax refund with.

 

[cavalla]

Thank you HavLab! According to DH, it should be by train. We are thinking whether is it better to go Milan, Lucerne and then last stop Paris. DH mentioned that if we are going Milan first, we may have to take a flight from Milan to Lucerne.

Do you mean that if we are flying to Lucerne either from Milan or Paris, we can drop the form at the airport? The confusing part for me is that do I claim my VAT for all my purchases bought in these 3 countries before I leave Europe or I can do my VAT return when I leave a country?

One last point to emphasize - YOU MUST MAIL the validated forms before leaving the EU at the airport. If not, I have read it is a real hassle to do it from home.

You have to do your detaxe/VAT before you fly back to your home country including the customs stamp and drop form in mailbox.

If you're flying to Switzerland (probably ZRH which is a great airport for shopping by the way) from CDG, so a CDG/ZRH/MXP routing, you can detaxe all of your Paris purchases at CDG before you depart to ZRH. CDG has kiosks and it is very easy. If you also shop in Milan you would do your Milan purchases at MXP before going home.

If you take the train from Paris to Lucerne and then Milan then you'll do everything at MXP before you go back to your home country from MXP. Technically you can stop on the train somewhere and detaxe between France and Switzerland but it sounds like a pain.

If you do the reverse, MXP/ZRH/CDG, then you can detaxe any of the Milan purchases at MXP. What you buy in Paris you will detaxe at CDG before you return to your home country.

It's not mandatory to mail the form before you leave EU. You can mail it from your home country. It's just more expensive because you can't use the envelope that global blue provides and will have to pay postage yourself. If you're getting cash refund, which will not be the case if you purchase from H in France, you can also bring your stamped form with you on your next EU trip and claim your refund. But it has to be within the time limit. Each country in EU has their own regulations for how much time you have to claim your VAT refund. If the goods are purchased in France, you need to follow the time limit in France.

 

[ice75]

It's not mandatory to mail the form before you leave EU. You can mail it from your home country. It's just more expensive because you can't use the envelope that global blue provides and will have to pay postage yourself. If you're getting cash refund, which will not be the case if you purchase from H in France, you can also bring your stamped form with you on your next EU trip and claim your refund. But it has to be within the time limit. Each country in EU has their own regulations for how much time you have to claim your VAT refund. If the goods are purchased in France, you need to follow the time limit in France.

Thanks Cavalla! Does that mean if my purchases (not necessary H) from Paris are small purchases and I will like to claim back cash in Italy, it is not allowed?

 

[cavalla]

Thanks Cavalla! Does that mean if my purchases (not necessary H) from Paris are small purchases and I will like to claim back cash in Italy, it is not allowed?

No. You can only claim tax refund in cash from the country you made the purchase in. For example if you bought something from H Rome, you can only claim that tax refund in cash in Italy. It's basically the reimbursement from the country government to the merchant, then the merchant (through agents like global blue) to you. A foreign government has nothing to do with this process.

 

[Kkho]

One last point to emphasize - YOU MUST MAIL the validated forms before leaving the EU at the airport. If not, I have read it is a real hassle to do it from home.

It's not mandatory to mail the form before you leave EU. You can mail it from your home country. It's just more expensive because you can't use the envelope that global blue provides and will have to pay postage yourself. If you're getting cash refund, which will not be the case if you purchase from H in France, you can also bring your stamped form with you on your next EU trip and claim your refund. But it has to be within the time limit. Each country in EU has their own regulations for how much time you have to claim your VAT refund. If the goods are purchased in France, you need to follow the time limit in France.

Cavalla is right pacificgal, as I always do registered mail to hermes or global blue from my home country when I get back as I have forms that have gotten lost before. My refund is also always faster. I don’t mind paying as the amounts I usually claim are quite significant. Smaller amounts I will just mail at the airport.

 

[ice75]

No. You can only claim tax refund in cash from the country you made the purchase in. For example if you bought something from H Rome, you can only claim that tax refund in cash in Italy. It's basically the reimbursement from the country government to the merchant, then the merchant (through agents like global blue) to you. A foreign government has nothing to do with this process.

Now I understand.Thanks cavalla!

Cavalla is right pacificgal, as I always do registered mail to hermes or global blue from my home country when I get back as I have forms that have gotten lost before. My refund is also always faster. I don’t mind paying as the amounts I usually claim are quite significant. Smaller amounts I will just mail at the airport.

Thanks Kkho! It’s a good point to note

 

[allyrae]

Just want to share some good news as you ladies have been very helpful.

Some of you may remember that last Oct, I shopped at FSH and left Paris via train to Lausanne. Customs agents on board train collected my tax refund forms but didn’t stamp the forms. So I didn’t get the tax refund from my H shopping and in fact Galeries clawed back the cash refund they had given me.

Long story short. Went to the embassy in Singapore. After waiting and more waiting and almost giving up, I finally got my tax refund. After 7 months! But thankful all the same

 

[ice75]

Just want to share some good news as you ladies have been very helpful.

Some of you may remember that last Oct, I shopped at FSH and left Paris via train to Lausanne. Customs agents on board train collected my tax refund forms but didn’t stamp the forms. So I didn’t get the tax refund from my H shopping and in fact Galeries clawed back the cash refund they had given me.

Long story short. Went to the embassy in Singapore. After waiting and more waiting and almost giving up, I finally got my tax refund. After 7 months! But thankful all the same

So happy for you! In other words,is it safer to get the forms stamped in Italy if it is my last stop? I can understand how stressful you have been gone through during that time.

 

[allyrae]

So happy for you! In other words,is it safer to get the forms stamped in Italy if it is my last stop? I can understand how stressful you have been gone through during that time.

Thanks!

If you shop and travel within EU, you’ll need to do the detax at your last EU stop. So if Italy’s your last stop, then you’ll need to do the customs clearance and get your forms stamped there. HTH!