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Q: Is it true that Chinese can claim tax back on everything they buy in Europe?
I heard that Chinese are extempt from paying taxes on goods bought in the EU. Is this true? How do they go about getting the money back? Anyone have any knowledge on this?
11 years 5 weeks ago in Visa & Legalities - China
The different EU countries have different requirements so it depends a little bit on where you are.
1. The typical requirement is that each purchase, that is a single receipt (can be multiple items) must be for a certain amount (and the amount differs hugely)
2. The shop you shop in, must be able to actually handle the paperwork. They need to issue a specific receipt that states the amount of tax paid on the goods. if the shop is not capable of doing so, you can still get a refund, but it gets more complicated.
3. When you leave EU you must hand in your receipts at the airport, it can be a collection from different countries. You need to be patient for this, as most airports in the European capitals these days are filled with Chinese people at the tax refund counter.
Your departure airport will have information about this. It's a bit of a scam because you don't actually get all the tax back, the shop has a "handling fee" that eats some of it. Not worth doing if you've just bought a new pair of flip flops, but likely more relevant if you've bought an LV Bag or some such overpriced garbage.
I have to point out the Chinese superiority complex in your post. It is not Chinese that are exempt from tax. It is any non-EU citizen, and e.g. I am too because I have canceled my subscription to the tax authorities in my home country.
angelina8:
"Not worth doing if you've just bought a new pair of flip flops, but likely more relevant if you've bought an LV Bag or some such overpriced garbage. " The reason why I've never done it, and yes, the rule applies to all people who are not EU citizens.
Scandinavian:
Oh, that reminds me. The tax refund offices at the airports is sometimes after check-in. And sometimes the people doing the tax refund will ask "Can I see the item"
not only Chinese, I am German and I can get tax back when buying things in Germany as my registered address in my passport is Chonging. So basically anyone who does not reside in the EU can do this.
But yes you need to purchase in shops which support this kind of tax payback system.
A lot of info here:
