Claiming UK VAT back

[Sideways Rich]

Wise international community of PH, have any of you claimed UK VAT back on purchases you made before you left the UK or on return visits?

I'm looking at treating myself to a watch and if I can reclaim the VAT it's a no-brainer.

Thanks,
Rich

[GlenMH]

Yup - although the process isn't reliable.

Get the relevant form filled in by the retailer, join humungous queue @ LHR to get the relevant ticks and signatures/stamps. Post form off and hope for the best.

I had about a 30% hit rate doing it. And don't get me started on the amount of commission that various bits of the process charge.

If this is a really big purchase, then go to Dubai....

[Sideways Rich]

GlenMH said:

Yup - although the process isn't reliable.

Get the relevant form filled in by the retailer, join humungous queue @ LHR to get the relevant ticks and signatures/stamps. Post form off and hope for the best.

I had about a 30% hit rate doing it. And don't get me started on the amount of commission that various bits of the process charge.

If this is a really big purchase, then go to Dubai....

Thanks Glen, it's a watch so I figure its worth doing even though the process is painful

[darreni]

GlenMH said:

Yup - although the process isn't reliable.

Get the relevant form filled in by the retailer, join humungous queue @ LHR to get the relevant ticks and signatures/stamps. Post form off and hope for the best.

I had about a 30% hit rate doing it. And don't get me started on the amount of commission that various bits of the process charge.

If this is a really big purchase, then go to Dubai....

Or, get retailer to complete forms (Selfridges is excellent), arrive at Customs office at Gatwick, where Customs lady will check watch & stamp forms & then direct you to Travelex desk who will then refund the VAT back onto your card there & then, less the fee.

Vat refund will be back on your card/in the bank by the time you arrive home, which in my case was an hour & a half later.

[Sideways Rich]

Excellent, that sounds ideal, do you have to buy the watch on a card to get the refund put back on via card?

[darreni]

Sideways Rich said:

Excellent, that sounds ideal, do you have to buy the watch on a card to get the refund put back on via card?

Not sure, I paid by debit card. How are you planning on paying?

[Sideways Rich]

darreni said:

Not sure, I paid by debit card. How are you planning on paying?

Buying through a friend so may just transfer her the money and she'll pay on my behalf hence the question.

Thanks
Rich

[anonymous-user]

You will need a work or residence permit outside the EU if you have an eu passport, I bought a load of stuff from demon tweaks last month no problem, you just fill in the form and present the form and the goods when you leave, works for any country in the EU, just filled in the forms to get the tax back on goods we bought in Italy.

[Sideways Rich]

Gents, Can anyone point me to a website that shows its all legal and above board to reclaim the VAT on the basis that I'm leaving the country (and EU) for more than 12 months?

Thanks,
Rich

[anonymous-user]

it is legal, you have to satisfy the officer at the point of embarkation that you are leaving, if he is happy he stamps the form, hence need for a work permit,

[Sideways Rich]

Thanks, just found the link on the HMRC website.

[Rich_AR]

I bought a watch in Selfridges last year. They provide a tax refund receipt and they stamp it. You fill it out with your details and then you get the tax paid back on your card. The trick is to use your foreign card (SG card for my case).

Refund took 6 weeks, but it arrived. Healthy 20% off. Must not grumble

[phumy]

Rich_AR said:

I bought a watch in Selfridges last year. They provide a tax refund receipt and they stamp it. You fill it out with your details and then you get the tax paid back on your card. The trick is to use your foreign card (SG card for my case).

Refund took 6 weeks, but it arrived. Healthy 20% off. Must not grumble

You can use any UK card too, there is no trick to it at all, no benefits either way, I do it on a regular basis.

[Rich_AR]

phumy said:

You can use any UK card too, there is no trick to it at all, no benefits either way, I do it on a regular basis.

Interesting. I was trying to work out how they can prove you're overseas outside the EU? Other than the address you write down (which could be anything).

[phumy]

Rich_AR said:

Interesting. I was trying to work out how they can prove you're overseas outside the EU? Other than the address you write down (which could be anything).

Due to the fact I have a work permit and a visa for the country that I work in, every time I have applied for a UK VAT return I have been asked on what grounds am I applying, otherwise anyone just going overseas would be applying for it....You have to have some kind of proof.

[Rich_AR]

phumy said:

Due to the fact I have a work permit and a visa for the country that I work in, every time I have applied for a UK VAT return I have been asked on what grounds am I applying, otherwise anyone just going overseas would be applying for it....You have to have some kind of proof.

I flew out of Manchester when I claimed for my watch. There was no customs person there, so I just posted it in VAT refund box. I even wrote my UK passport number on the receipt!

Maybe I was lucky then.

[anonymous-user]

You where lucky, l have done it no one there but if There us they want work permit

[Sideways Rich]

Rich_AR said:

I flew out of Manchester when I claimed for my watch. There was no customs person there, so I just posted it in VAT refund box. I even wrote my UK passport number on the receipt!

Maybe I was lucky then.

Has anyone managed to do it without the VAT 407 form from the retailer, ie just claim using the receipt at the airport? I've bought from a retailer who hasn't sent me a VAT reclaim form and there isn't sufficient time for him to get one to me.

[phumy]

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/vat/sectors/consumers/overs...


Just been looking on the HMRC website and it seems you must have this form 407 or equivalent as shown here;

"How to get your VAT refund
When you purchase the goods
First, you need to choose a shop that operates the VAT Retail Export Scheme. Look for a Tax Free Shopping sign. 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."

So it looks like you cannot do it without that form from the retailer....

[Sideways Rich]

phumy said:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/vat/sectors/consumers/overs...


Just been looking on the HMRC website and it seems you must have this form 407 or equivalent as shown here;

"How to get your VAT refund
When you purchase the goods
First, you need to choose a shop that operates the VAT Retail Export Scheme. Look for a Tax Free Shopping sign. 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."

So it looks like you cannot do it without that form from the retailer....

That's my conclusion as well, just wondered if there was any workaround.

Thanks for your input