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How Do You Claim The Vat Back?

django_2
Posts: 34 Forumite
in Cutting tax
Hi, I recently bought a Macbook Pro and i got a ticket booked to my country next month, How/Where can i claim the VAT back which is 300 quid worth? Any tip is much appreciated. Cheers
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django wrote:Hi, I recently bought a Macbook Pro and i got a ticket booked to my country next month, How/Where can i claim the VAT back which is 300 quid worth? Any tip is much appreciated. Cheers
Where are you flying from? I know heathrow has a desk at the airport where you can produce your receipt and flight booking and they sort it out for you.
I would guess that Gatwick and Stanstead at least also have this service.0 -
Reclaiming VAT in these circumstances can be done at airports, but I think only for goods bought at the airport. There is a series of forms for this, you can probably get them at https://www.hmrc.co.uk in the vat section.
Though the provisions for reclaiming vat are only available to non EU resident tourists, AFAIK. If you are a non UK national but reside primarily in the UK then you wont qualify. Not an area of vat I tend to come across as not business related really0 -
Unless you are either not an EU resident or a VAT registered trader you can't reclaim VAT.0
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Is there any site i can read about that? I know some peaple do the same thing they book a cheap flight then go to dixons in heathrow and get expensive things like digital camcorder or laptop tax free. Can any one second on this ? Many thanks0
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Sorry to make this plain.
You are saying that people you knowof /heard of/bumped into down pub are..
Buying a cheap flight to somewhere outside EU (them being non EU citizens), then purchasing expensive consumer goods at airport, reclaiming vat, the returning to UK with their now cheap goods.
2 issues, 1; this is vat evasion and is illegal and could carry a prison sentence.
2; once you added on the price of a flight and the additional mark up the all airport vendors make then it doesnt seem particularly worth it.0 -
Ok i'll try again correct me if i'm wrong. You can be EU citizen and buy VAT FREE goods at airport. You don't need to reclaim the VAT as its already VAT FREE at airports(after the check in). so you can book a cheap flight to france for instance for lets say £50 then go to dixons and buy an expensive things VAT free and then cancel your flight? Does it make sense? is it practical?0
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OK - you buy things free of duty at an airport claiming that you are leaving the EU - you then have to decide whether or not you have something to declare. If it is more than the tax-free limit of £145 you have an obligation to re-enter through the red channel & pay the customs duty, VAT and VAT on the duty. I do not see how this is money saving?0
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I admit I am not 100% sure but arent goods in airports still subject to vat, they are duty (import duty) free, as in technically they are not being sold in the UK. Hence why airports have the desks to assist NON - EU travellers to reclaim vat on their purchases.
So your flight would have to be to outside EU (Jersey maybe) by a non EU citizen.
Once they have the goods if they simply didnt fly, well try leaving the flight side of an airport without causing some questions especially with a brand new boxed £3k laptop under your arm. And if you checked in some baggage be prepared for large gentlemen with guns wanting to speak to you.
Or you fly, return have the item in your case and hope you dont get rumbled.
But as you will have cost of flight, hassle of travelling, suffer the extra margin on the goods (though still cheaper than high street) and risk being fined or jailed for vat and duty evasion and to cap it all you have to a non EU national to start.
Doesnt strike me as worth it.0 -
If you live permanently outside of the EU (which you can prove), you are visiting the UK (or any other EU country), and you make a purchase, which you take back to your home country (for good) then, and only then, can you ask the retailer to fill out a tax exemption form. You present this form, as well as the goods, at customs at the airport of embarkation, they confirm that the goods have left the EU and the retailer refunds you the applicable tax (usually by crediting to your credit card).
You have to present the goods in your home country to customs and they will charge the taxes due in your country. The goods can never be brought back into the EU.
Is that what you want to do?
If you live within the EU, the scheme is not applicable to you. If you want to defraud Customs and Excise, then you better do not ask for advise here in this forum. It’s like asking for the best method to rob a bank.0
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