Duty-Free-Shopping

DUTY FREE SHOPPING

If you are a traveller whose usually leave outside the European Union (UE), in a third country, you may deduct valued added tax (VAT) from the price of goods bought in France. Warning: Not all retailers offer duty free tax shopping, FINESTWINE.COM does it!

Who is entitled to a VAT refund?
You must be:
A resident in a third country at the date of purchase, and visiting France for less than siw months.
You must be able to provide proof of both these requirements at the time of purchase (ID) if you are a foreigner. A consulate registration card or any other official document proof if you are French and resident outside the European Union.

The following are not entitled to VAT refunds:
Residents of a European Union Member state
Residents of French overseas department s(Guyana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Reunion Island).
Persons who have been posted to a third country or territory treated as such.
Members of diplomatic or consular missions and international organisation who are stationed in France.
Students and trainees residing over six months of the year in France.
Immigrant workers (even if returning permanently to their origin country.
Residents of Monaco.
Minors aged fifteen or under.

Which goods are eligible for a VAT refund?
The goods that you buy must be retail purchases made as a visitor and must not be for business purpose.
How to obtain a VAT refund?
The total value of your purchases (including VAT) at a single shop on the same day must be over 175 euros. When you make your purchase the retailer will give you a VAT refund form. Each pages must be signed by the retailer and yourself.
Before checking your luggage, you must present the goods and the form to be stamped by Customs, before departure from the European Union.
This formality must be completed 3 months maximum after the date of your purchase.

If you are travelling on an international train:
You must have the VAT refund form stamped by Customs either during the journey or at the border station (on leaving the European Union).

If you are leaving the European Union from France:
After inspecting and stamping the document, the French customs will give you back the documents. You must post to the company you have bought the goods and keep a copy of the document in the event of any dispute.

If you are leaving the European Union through Orly or Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport:
Ask the customs service located in the airport’s public are how to get the refund forms stamped, this will depend o which terminal you are leaving from.
The goods must be available for Customs inspection when the forms will be stamped. If you are not able to present the products on duty, the customs will not accept to stamp the document and a give you a fine.

If you are leaving the European Union via a Member State other than France:
After inspecting the goods the customs authorities of this European state will give you back documents stamped. You must send the sheet back to the company where you have bought the goods. The retailer must receive his customs document stamped within six months of the sale before refunding the French VAT.
If your form has not been stamped by Customs upon your departure from the European Union because of the organisation of the service, in exceptional circumstances, you may request the retroactive stamp on document.

However, you must send a request for regularisation six months before starting on the date of purchase products.
Send request to:
General Directorate of Customs and Excise
Direction General des douanes et droits indirects
Bureau F/1
23 bis rue de l’université
75700 PARIS SP
France
In your request, please don’t forget:
Any official document spring that you a leave outside the European Union and that you visited France for a period of under six months (passport copy, ID, consular card, residence permit,…).
Proof of export of the goods, stamped by customs in your country of residence or a customs receipt, or by having an accredited authority in the French embassy or consulate issue a certificate or stamps.
Copy of your flight ticket.

With courtesy of Direction Generale des Douanes et droits indirects. June 2007

douane.gouv.fr

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