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No matter what kind of holiday you’re taking in France, don’t forget to download the ZappTax app before you go so you can get the VAT refunded on all your purchases.

Whatever you buy, the savings can add up fast...better than the sales, these are all-year savings. Take advantage: it’s never been this easy to shop tax-free.

Don’t forget about customs validation, which is essential to get back your VAT.

How do I get customs validation?

To claim a VAT refund, you must prove to the competent authorities (customs) that you purchased the goods within the European Union but will use them in your country of residence (which must be outside the EU). How is that done? By validating your tax refund form at a customs post before leaving EU territory.

How do I validate my tax refund forms in France?

For tax -refund forms issued for purchases made in France, the most common (and easiest) way to validate your document is to scan the barcode at a PABLO self-service electronic kiosk.

PABLO terminals are located in the majority of French EU exit-points: airports, stations, ports, and other border-control points. If you want to see where the terminals are, click here

If there are no PABLO terminals at your point of exit from the EU or if the terminals are out of order, you must go to the nearest customs office.
A customs agent will validate your form by use of an electronic gun or by manually entering the barcode numbers on his terminal.

NB: In France, it is no longer mandatory to present a paper version of the printed tax-refund form to customs. You can present the barcode directly from your phone screen.

There are no PABLO terminals outside France, so if you need to validate your French tax-refund form but your point of exit from the EU is not France (for example Madrid or Brussels airport), you will have to have your form validated manually by a customs officer (by way of a traditional ink stamp). In this case, you will need to print your form in order to have it validated. Don’t forget to uploaded a stamped version of your form on the app after validation

It's easy. You can hear just how easy from a ZappTax user who shares her
experience.(Kelly Podcast).

If you want to know more, do not hesitate to consult our website or
our FAQ.

Bon voyage!