I know in most stores in France and England, I am given a 'VAT return' form for non-residents in a store where I've just purchased something...

I would presume it to be the same in Germany. But I was just given the receipt as the store has never heard of giving VAT returns in any forms...

So I have a couple of receipts stapled together!

Is this the proper way ? And do I just show these at the airport VAT return? Somehow it doesn't sound right....

Thx !

It is very easy to get VAT back for purchases made in shops which are connected to the 'GlobalRefund (http://www.globalrefund.com)' system. The logo is displayed in the shop or you can ask for 'GlobalRefund Check'.

The form must be completed and stamped by the shop with the receipt stapled. You'll have to go to customs for the stamps. Then go to the GlobalRefund office at the airport and you'll get the VAT back, minus a handling fee.

Another system in Germany are the green forms "Ausfuhr- und Abnehmerbescheinigung für Umsatzsteuerzwecke bei Ausfuhren im nichtkommerziellen Reiseverkehr". Problem is that you have to 'export' the purchases and document it with a stamp from customs, but to receive the VAT, you'll have to reenter the country (e.g. on your next trip) and go to exactly the same shop where you purchased the stuff.

Hope this helps!

This should do the trick.

The vendor must issue you a MWSt return form:
http://www.zoll.de/e0_downloads/b0_vordrucke/a0_vordruckgesamtliste/steuer_ausfuhrbescheinigung.pdf
which you need to get certified by German customs after you checked in for your flight outside the EU.

In MUC you need to checkin, tag your luggage to the final destination, show it to customs, get the required stamp on the required form, and then give your luggage to LH.
http://www.munich-airport.de/EN/Areas/Consumer/Service/new1/index.html
The german site is more detailed:
http://www.munich-airport.de/DE/Areas/Consumer/Reiseinfos/Zoll/Abflug/index.html

The stamped form then needs to be returned to the original vendor, who will give you the cash back and claim the money back on his next VAT tax return. Some vendors wire you the money to a german bank account if you send the papers to them by mail.

The above is the correct way to get the 16/19% VAT back. German shops also have the global refund tax free check system, where you only get 10% back as the agency handles all the paperwork afterwards.
http://www.globalrefund.com/

Is this the proper way ? And do I just show these at the airport VAT return? Somehow it doesn't sound right....
As I live inside the EU, I am not so familiar with the procedure, but I know that on german airports, the VAT refund is handled by Global Refund (http://www.globalrefund.de). But they only handle special cheques given out by shops that take part in the "Tax Free Shopping" - system. And I think only shops that have a lot of foreign tourists do take part in this system. So with the general receipts, things will get a little tricky. You might get a refund directly from the German customs, but I do not know how much paper work you need to fill out for that. Sorry that I can't help you more, but you might find some more information on the webpage mentioned above.

Cheers, Stefan

I would presume it to be the same in Germany.
It is - just ask for the "tax free" forms in the store, which will very likely be the standard Global Refund checks. Seems like you had a salesperson unfamiliar with the form/procedures.

In my experience most stores in Germany will issue you VAT refund forms in one way or another, and unlike in other countries they've even done it when I've spent less than 100EUR on something.

Welcome to LH :D :D :D

Need Expert Help with Mehrwertsteuerrückerstattung
Hi,

i thought as this is germany related it is the right place to post it here. if not, mods please move it to the accurate forum.

well i need the help of some experts here,

i bought a Mobilephone from someone in germany, and my friend is gonna take that out of germany , so we want to get the tax back at the airport.

does anybody knows a way, or the right procedure how we can handle this?

as the person who is carrying it out of germany , is not the person on the invoice how should we lable it ?

here is the scenario

The mobile phone was bought at a Eplus shop in germany.
it was bought bei Riegel Ruedi , invoice name is riegel ruedi
he did sell the phone to me
my friend peter pan will now take the phone to china for me

now how can we get back the tax , as normally the name on the invoice has to be matching the travellings persons name.

would it be sufficient if Riegel Ruedi wrote a PRIVATRECHNUNG to me with my chinese adress and peter pan would only be the transporter who claims the tax back in "meinem auftrag" ?

i think that , if riegel ruedi sells the thing to me, it shouldnt matter if the invoice name is not matching the person who is exporting it, if there is a eidesstattliche erklaerung /or a document which is proving that it will be exported and was sold to a citizien outside of the EU ?


folks we are talking about 19% here thats 300 Euro tax back. please help.

dp

dear dp,

rr can't write an invoice for you. He has to go back to the vendor and fill the form I mentioned above. Then when he/she leaves the country he has to show the phone and his passport (that has a non EU address in it) along with the same day BP to the customs officer and get a certification of export. This cert he then carries back to the vendor to get the refund.

If he doesn't have the required passport, you need to go to the german consulate in china and get a certification from them by showing your docs.

http://www.peking.diplo.de/Vertretung/peking/de/04/Konsularischer__Service/mwst__seite.html

Oh, BTW, you have to do this within 90days of the original purchase.

RR writing an invoice doesn't work, unless he has a USt number for his business.

dear dp,

rr can't write an invoice for you. He has to go back to the vendor and fill the form I mentioned above. Then when he/she leaves the country he has to show the phone and his passport (that has a non EU address in it) along with the same day BP to the customs officer and get a certification of export. This cert he then carries back to the vendor to get the refund.

If he doesn't have the required passport, you need to go to the german consulate in china and get a certification from them by showing your docs.

http://www.peking.diplo.de/Vertretung/peking/de/04/Konsularischer__Service/mwst__seite.html

Oh, BTW, you have to do this within 90days of the original purchase.

RR writing an invoice doesn't work, unless he has a USt number for his business.


the probem is that the person who bought is, it not exporting the item.
person A bougth it and got the invoice one month ago. it will be exported next month so within the 3 month time period.

the question is, how can this be done, i think that if person A who bought it in germany, is selling it to me, than it is a EXPORT .
if you export something than you get the tax back. person B who is bringing it to me to shanghai is just the transporter, so the question is if a tax refund is allowed even if someone else is bringing the goods out of germany.

from my other post

The mobile phone was bought at a Eplus shop in germany.
it was bought bei Riegel Ruedi , invoice name is riegel ruedi
he did sell the phone to me
my friend peter pan will now take the phone to china for me

thats the tricky part. a normal cash refund is not difficult.

hope you can help !

dp

VAT works on getting the refund from the government. The vendor who sold the phone sent the tax component to the government, so only he can ask it back and give you the money.

So get the MWSt form above filled out by the vendor, take it to the consulate in Shanghai and get it signed by them showing your details. There is no other way.

R Rudi would have to charge VAT to P pan when 'selling' the phone to him and get the original ePlus MWSt back from the government using his USt account. Then P pan exports and certifies it, and RR pays him the MWSt back, then submits the paperwork to the government to get the MWSt back he charged to PPan. Not possible, unless RR was already registered as GeBr/GmBh etc.

To bring this to some LH like thread. All german domestic flights contain a 16-19% MWSt component if purchased/issued in Germany. Is there any way to claim exemption?

VAT works on getting the refund from the government. The vendor who sold the phone sent the tax component to the government, so only he can ask it back and give you the money.

So get the MWSt form above filled out by the vendor, take it to the consulate in Shanghai and get it signed by them showing your details. There is no other way.

R Rudi would have to charge VAT to P pan when 'selling' the phone to him and get the original ePlus MWSt back from the government using his USt account. Then P pan exports and certifies it, and RR pays him the MWSt back, then submits the paperwork to the government to get the MWSt back he charged to PPan. Not possible, unless RR was already registered as GeBr/GmBh etc.

how to deal with the issue that RR is not exporting the goods?

he can get the MWSt form filled by the vendor no problem , can i really go to the consulate and get a stamp from there?

i mean the name on the MWSt form will still be RRs name, or can they fill it out with my name?

dp

To bring this to some LH like thread. All german domestic flights contain a 16-19% MWSt component if purchased/issued in Germany. Is there any way to claim exemption?
Er, no, there isn't. How exactly would you export a German domestic flight?

To bring this to some LH like thread. All german domestic flights contain a 16-19% MWSt component if purchased/issued in Germany. Is there any way to claim exemption?

What I think matters is that it is a consumed service and not a purchased good.

the probem is that the person who bought is, it not exporting the item.
person A bougth it and got the invoice one month ago. it will be exported next month so within the 3 month time period.

the question is, how can this be done, i think that if person A who bought it in germany, is selling it to me, than it is a EXPORT .
if you export something than you get the tax back. person B who is bringing it to me to shanghai is just the transporter, so the question is if a tax refund is allowed even if someone else is bringing the goods out of germany.

from my other post

The mobile phone was bought at a Eplus shop in germany.
it was bought bei Riegel Ruedi , invoice name is riegel ruedi
he did sell the phone to me
my friend peter pan will now take the phone to china for me

thats the tricky part. a normal cash refund is not difficult.

hope you can help !

dp

As I said in the other thread it will not work. The first buyer of the phone got a proper tax invoice. He/she is entitled to a tax refund, either domestically when buying the phone (simplified) for business purposes or internationally when exporting it. From what I understood he did neither of this but sold sold the phone to a third party without being entitled to show the VAT portion on any invoice. The phone was originally bought by a consumer and this consumer kept the phone domestically before he sold it to another consumer. No VAT portion included in the purchase price.

how to deal with the issue that RR is not exporting the goods?

he can get the MWSt form filled by the vendor no problem , can i really go to the consulate and get a stamp from there?

i mean the name on the MWSt form will still be RRs name, or can they fill it out with my name?

dp

OK, let get detailed (again).. This MWSt refund used to be a regular racket in the 80s till they bought in some controls. My turkish and indian friends used to keep receipts of all things and fill those MWSt form whenever they went to their home country to visit friends and family. The customs/consulates check if the name of the MWSt form and your passport is the same. The name on the invoice doesn't matter, as someone may have bought this on your behalf. Important is that you can show the goods in your possession to the officer.

When I was visited by friends in germany we always went on a shopping spree for my self and the friend, then keep all the stuff with us when checking in, get the certification, take the refund and the forms and he flies home and I cash the checks/forms. The form has to be filled in with the details of the person asking for certification and who is eligible for exporting it.

Since this isnt related to LH or Miles and More, moving to Europe forum.

Kiwi Flyer
LH moderator

Shoe shop in Benshiem has no idea what a Global Refund is... and neither does the Tourist office !

Well, at least it's only 25 euros that I can get back.. now if I am to buy a second pair of shoes, maybe I will get the tax refunded...

No surprise. Shoe shop in Bensheim:D . BTW: Do not use the pair of shoes while being in Gemany. You will only get VAT back on new items not on items already used in Germany.