Claiming VAT back on a bicycle - Non EU resident

seasider007

I am a non EU resident, living in Saudi Arabia and have just spent a decent sum of money on a bike. I have previously claimed VAT back on small goods which have been taken in hand luggage, but a bike is obviously not hand luggage!! I am flying to Riyadh from Manchester via Heathrow and I'm hoping for advice off anybody who may have recent experience of claiming VAT back on larger/expensive goods, from Manchester T3, as a non-EU resident. :A

00ec25

if you ship it as hold luggage on your own flight then it is "accompanied goods" and may, if you have done things correctly, fall within the VAT retail export scheme, and will make you an "entitled customer" so read this:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-notice-704-vat-retail-exports/vat-notice-704-vat-retail-exports

if you ship the goods separately (eg by courier) and do not personally accompany them then you are not entitled to use the scheme and must do it differently. If that is the case read this:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-notice-703-export-of-goods-from-the-uk