Let’s talk about Brexit - it’s been a while right? Back in 2016, we were promised a lot of great things to come from leaving the European Union (no comment there), but to the average person, there hasn’t been too many obvious benefits. That’s about to change!

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For those of you who like to travel, there’s a little known benefit that Brexit introduced for us Brits to get you a discount on your holiday purchases. 

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What are we talking about exactly? Well, as we are no longer part of the EU, that means that we are entitled to get VAT (Value added tax) refunded on certain purchases we make from countries within the EU. Although there are certain criteria you have to meet in order to qualify, for the most part it means you get money off of goods you buy while you’re on holiday.

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We’re going to take France as an example and run through an example of how to get tax back on purchases you make:

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If you are 16 and older and are visiting France for less than 6 months, then you qualify to get up to 20% tax back on purchases.

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But, what purchases actually qualify for a tax refund?

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Here’s where a few more rules come in, but don’t worry, we’ll make it simple: 

1. The purchases must be made over a maximum of 3 days. So, if you’re off for a week, try to do a bit of planning around when you’re going to venture out on a shopping trip because you can only claim for those 3 days of your trip. 
2. The purchase must be over €100 (this will vary in different countries). It can be one item or multiple, as long as the total is over that amount including tax. 
3. This rule only applies in certain stores so check before you buy. There’s a long list of stores offering the discount, including large department stores, that can be found online, or you can ask in-store. Some examples include Aeroports de Paris shops, Val d’Europe, Louis Vuitton, Chanel and many more. 

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How Do You Claim? 

The process can vary slightly in different shops, but it’s generally quite an easy thing to get your head around. Upon purchase of your goods, you tell the retailer that you would like a tax refund. You will need to show your passport to prove that you are not a resident and then the retailer will then give you a form - a ‘sales slip’ which is signed by both you and the retailer.

Make sure to keep hold of these because you will need them when you get back to the airport (or Eurotunnel or whatever your means of transport home will be!). 

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At customs, you will need to present your forms and purchases to verify them. There are kiosks available to do this whereby your forms are sent off by post and you will receive your refund later on by the means you choose. And boom, money off!