Duty | Tax | Customs for International shopping {VAT refund}
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Hey girl! Sounds like a great trip! I would recommend getting your bag in Paris because typically they have the best prices and also the most inventory. If you can't find your bag at one boutique, they have several others in the city and then the boutique in Rome can be your backup just in case. I find that the hardest thing is not necessarily getting the refund but finding the item you want amongst the tourist crowds and busy boutiques.
I think the VAT in France is 20% and in Italy it's 22%. Remember not to use the bag until you have submitted your tax refund paperwork, ie when you get home. The big department stores (like Galleries de Laffayette) make the refund process really easy by doing all the paperwork for you at their VAT office and then you just need to scan a piece of paper when you leave the airport in Rome.
Let me know if I can be of any more help!
Both countries are still on the Euro, so pricing will be very similar. More importantly I highly recommend buying the bag where you see it, because inventory in high tourist areas changes rapidly- in other words just buy the bag you want wherever you are. It has taken me several trips to Europe to learn this. I always try to wait to my last country to purchase mainly because I don’t want to schlep purchases around from country to country . Well let me tell you, I missed out on a few bags because of the inventory changes. Oh and inventory changes by the day. My last trip , about 6 months ago ( Paris) I had to visit 3 LV stores several times a day to finally get the bag... that I could have easily purchased in Nice just because I didn’t want to schlep. Now if you don’t know what you want yet - go ahead and take your time, but know that while they have a great selection it changes by the minute.
And the refund is between 12-14 percent- I always take the credit card option and have never had a problem - takes about 6 weeks.
Lastly, the department store refund process is a nightmare with lines as long as 2 hours. The simple way is to shop is at a boutique, they give you all the paper work and airport drop off instruction . The airport process use to be a nightmare too , however it is mostly automated and is a true walk in the park comparably speaking. You should not use the bag before you leave the country for home. Also if you are a US citizen there are additional taxes upon re entry, unless you want to risk a fine for not declaring. It’s a whole process, but you will still save some $$.
I second @South Beach advice to buy the bag where you see it due to unpredictable stock. Prices in both France and Italy are the same. There is a slight variation in the amount of VAT Refund depending on the country, as @Sofakimou stated, but the difference is negligible. Since the VAT Refund providers take a percentage, your net refund will be somewhere between 12-14% as @South Beach noted. Also, big department stores take a convenience fee (1%, I believe) of your refund for starting the VAT Refund process for you there (but since you still need to present the forms at the airport upon your departure, etc., I am not sure how much of a convenience they are actually providing LOL), so you net a bit more by shopping at the boutiques. CDG airport in Paris has Pablo machines for easy processing of VAT Refund forms (scan and if you get a green check, go without needing to see an agent), but I don't believe Rome airports have those machines (please correct me if I am wrong), so you will need to get your forms stamped by an agent and either drop your stamped forms in the boxes or, if there is a desk for the VAT Refund provider there, you can process your forms there. If you elect to get a cash refund, your net VAT Refund will be slightly less due to fees charged by the provider. Also, if you have a connection within Europe on your return flight from Rome, you may be required to process your VAT Refund forms at the connecting airport (the last airport you depart from before entering the US). I always take clear photos of the stamped forms before submitting them and elect to have the refund credited to my card and have never had any issues, though it can take several weeks. If you read through this thread, you will find a lot of useful information about the process, etc. Enjoy your trip and happy shopping!
I would definitely recommend purchasing your items from Paris. As others have stated, there are many stores in Paris and have more inventory. I went to Rome almost a month ago and the items I wanted were always out of stock. There are three LV stores in Rome, one is in a department store and the other two were free standing. Everything I purchased in Rome had to be ordered in from Milan. That took at least 2 days. Another thing I noticed was that in Rome, they will sell you items off the sales floor. I wasn't happy about that. I was about to purchase an item, but when the SA failed to go to the back, I asked if i was getting a new one, she said it was the last item. I refused to buy it because i was not about to spend over 1k on an item that already had markings on it and was already starting to sag. If you are in Rome, I would highly recommend that you look at the bag's condition and ask if they have a new one in the back! Also, there are no Pablo machines, you will need to show your receipts and items at the counter. I did, however, receive my refund back after a week or so. It was really fast.
Thanks for all your inputs! I forgot to mention that I will be flying out from CDG also to go to our next destination which is Spain. Is it possible to purchase the bag in Paris, do the refund in CDG, then use the bag while we are still Europe? By the way, I'm from Australia and I still have to research and how to bring the bag inside the country without having it taxed.
I purchased an LV in Milan, the SA provided me the paperwork but to get it stamped, to get a refund. There are tax refund kiosks everywhere but limited places that will provide stamps. For example, the global blue kiosk to get a refund was in the duomo galleria, right above LV. But the stamping kiosk was at Malpensa airport. I mean, you can go back and forth if you have time... But it's tricky to avoid tax if you keep the box and shopping bag. For the US, we're allowed a certain amount of valued goods before we're taxed. Because I was traveling with my partner, we are able to double the amount of valued goods. But when checking in for my flight, the airline rep did ask what I bought, how much, and where it was. That scared me into being more honest about the goods declaration. In the end, I was not taxed or checked in customs.
If you are traveling from CDG to Spain, you will not be able to process your forms at CDG. You will need to process them when you depart from Spain. As a matter of fact, since that flight is within the EU, it’s not likely your gate will even be in the international terminals that have the kiosks/customs desks. The purpose for this is to confirm you are taking the items out of the EU, which is a requirement for the VAT Refund. So you must process your forms at the last airport you fly out of the EU from. So say your trip involves Rome, Paris and Spain in that order. You can shop in all theee cities and will be provided with the VAT Refund forms for your purchases. When you depart from the airport in Spain (assuming you have no connecting flight somewhere else within the EU), you will process all your forms there (and present the merchandise if they ask to see it as evidence you did in fact make the purchases and the items are being taken out of the EU). If your departing flight home out of Spain involves a connection within the EU, you may be told that you must process your forms at that airport during your layover. The VAT Refunds for each purchase comes from the country where you purchased them and you will get the refund rate offered by that county (less the percentage taken by the refund companies). HTH!
Thank you!
We will be travelling from Paris -> Spain -> Munich -> Venice, Florence, Rome -> Sydney. In this case, I can purchase in Paris and process the refund in Rome. And I won't be able to use my item while in Europe. Is that correct? That's sad! And I'll have to carry all my purchases all throughout our trip.
I wonder why the airline rep would ask you those questions. Isn't it when you go through customs (landing back into the U.S) that they ask? But you are correct, it's always good to be honest.
Thank you!
In this case, I can purchase in Paris and process the refund in Rome. And I won't be able to use my item while in Europe. Is that correct? That's sad! And I'll have to carry all my purchases all throughout our trip.
Correct. The items must be presented to the customs officers “new and unused” if they ask to see them. I have used some purchases during my trips (bags and watches)
...I just wrapped them neatly back in their dust bags or watch boxes and presented them to customs and had no issue. Obviously I wouldn’t try that with clothes or shoes, but with bags, watches and jewelry it shouldn’t be a problem. Enjoy your trip!Correct. The items must be presented to the customs officers “new and unused” if they ask to see them. I have used some purchases during my trips (bags and watches)
I hope I'll be able to do all of your tips with no issues. Thanks!