VAT stands for V alue A dded T ax. It is a consumption or sales tax applied on the purchase of goods and services in the 28 countries of the European Union (EU). VAT rates vary across the EU states but they average around 20% of the value of the goods.
So, if you buy something in a store in Paris, where the VAT rate is 20%, for say € 1.200:
Travelers who are not resident of the European Union (EU) can reclaim the VAT paid on the goods they purchase in the EU. Travelers first pay the goods in full in store and can request a refund when leaving the EU with these goods.
Quite a lot!
ZAPPTAX helps you get the VAT amount you paid on the goods you purchased in the EU refunded. We will subtract from this amount a handling fee for taking care of everything for you (forms, refunds…).
Example:
(being 833,33 € excluding VAT + 20% VAT or 166,66 € = 1.000 € VAT included)
(being 16,66% of 1.000 €, the price VAT included)
So, in countries with VAT rates of 20%, the value of your refund (before handling fee) will be 16,66% of the retail price you paid. In countries with VAT rates of 21%, the value of your refund (before handling fee) will be 17,35% of the retail price you paid. Only in countries with VAT rates of about 23-24% - like Finland - can the value of your refund go up to 19% (always before handling fee).
Our handling fee varies in function of the VAT rate and the value of the goods you purchase. The higher the value, the lower the handling fee. On average, it hovers around 20%.
Our handling fees are the lowest on the market… which means we provide the highest refund percentages!
Yes, if you fulfill the following 3 conditions:
Example: a Chinese residing in China, a US citizen residing in the US… but also a French citizen residing in China or in the US, an Italian national living permanently in Mexico, etc.
The important criteria here is not nationality but residency.
Your country of permanent residence is the country where you have your permanent home or principal establishment and to where, whenever you are absent, you intend to return.
With ZAPPTAX, very simple.
Download the ZAPPTAX app and follow these 5 steps:
ZAPPTAX is currently available for purchases made in France, Spain, the UK and Belgium.
More countries will follow soon.
Although tax-free shopping is defined under EU VAT law, each country has implemented this overall framework in its own body of rules and regulations. This has led to small variations in the way the scheme operates across member states.
Select your tax-free shopping destination below, in the Country Specifics section, and find out what the specific rules are for the countries you will visit.
ZAPPTAX will provide you with one separate tax-free form for each country where you make purchases.
All these tax-free forms must be validated (stamp or barcode reading) at once at your final point of exit of the EU.
ZAPPTAX is a mobile app for iPhone and Android devices. You can download the iPhone app from the App Store and the Android app from Google Play .
The iPhone app is compatible with devices running versions 9 and above of iOS.
The Android app is compatible with version 4.1 of Android and above.
The ZAPPTAX app is free.
No.
ZAPPTAX can be downloaded for free and you don’t need to pay to register to the service.
Our business model is based on a handling fee that is being subtracted from your refund.
Download the app and create an account by providing a valid email address.
Later in the process we will ask you the following information:
We are serious about preserving the security of our data and your personal information. All information you provide is stored on our secure servers. These servers are hosted in Europe and ZAPPTAX operates under EU law.
ZAPPTAX has implemented appropriate physical, electronic and managerial resources to prevent unauthorized access or disclosure of such data.
For more information, check our privacy policy .
Our terms and conditions can be accessed here .
Because the tax-free process can at times be a bit confusing and complicated (there are small variations of the rules across EU countries, you are in a rush, out of your comfort zone…), we want to make sure we can assist you in a flexible way all along your shopping journey.
You have multiple options to contact us 24/7.
DURING MY TRIP
With ZAPPTAX, you can shop at any store , as long as they provide receipts with VAT (meaning where the VAT rate and amount are mentioned as a separate line on your receipt).
Most goods are eligible for tax-free shopping, as long as they are exported in your personal luggage.
However, there are some exceptions like firearms, endangered species, etc. Please check the Country Specifics section to see what categories of goods are not eligible for tax-free shopping in each country.
No. Services like hotel accommodation, meals at restaurants, car hire… are not eligible for tax refunds.
You should make sure the receipts you collect at the cash register hold the following information:
Follow the upload procedure on the app by taking a separate picture of each of your receipts.
Pictures must be of good quality. They should hold all the necessary info (see question 18) and not show any indistinct or blurred areas. Texts should be readable.
Yes, but under certain conditions!
The goods must be delivered to you in the relevant EU country (and not in your country of residence).
And you must ask an invoice addressed to ZAPPTAX (a delivery note or invoice addressed at your name will work!).
However, VAT refunds are not available for e-commerce purchases in the UK.
No, goods should remain unused and sealed until you get your tax-free form stamped by Customs.
Customs could refuse to stamp your tax-free form in case the goods have been used.
Yes, you can track the status of your purchases and refunds through the app.
The person exporting the goods must be the person who registered on ZAPPTAX.
But the goods can be paid by someone else.
You can shop tax-free with ZAPPTAX up to 18 hours before your departure from the EU.
At that time at the latest (18 hours before departure) you should press the button “Process your tax-free forms” in the app. This will leave us the necessary time to edit your tax-free form and deliver it to you.
DURING MY TRIP
At the end of your trip we will edit one tax-free form for each country where you made purchases. Each tax-free form will summarize all the tax-free purchases you made in each country.
Before departure, if possible, print your tax-free form(s). Alternatively, we can get them delivered to you, either at your hotel or at your point of exit (airport).
All tax-free forms must be validated by Customs (meaning stamped or barcode read) to qualify for a refund. In most cases, this validation takes the form of a stamp affixed by Customs on your tax-free form. The relevant Customs officials or airport agents will check that you are eligible and meet all the requirements to get your VAT refund. You will need to present your tax-free form, passport and travel documents. The customs agent may also ask you to present the goods. In some countries, customs authorities require that you attached your receipts to the tax-free form.
Please note that at French airports and points of exits, tax-free forms relating to purchases made in France will be validated at dedicated electronic kiosks or terminals by reading a unique barcode printed on your form (this is called the PABLO procedure). Be aware that this special procedure is only valid for purchases made in France. For tax-free forms relating to purchases made in other EU member states, you will need to obtain a stamp from a customs officer.
Make sure you show up at the airport well ahead of your departure time to complete the validation process.
You must get validation at your last point of exit from the European Union. Most of the time it will be an international airport.
If you are taking a direct flight back home (like for example London-Beijing), your last point of exit will be your airport of departure (i.e. London). That is where you should get your tax-free forms validated by Customs.
If you are taking a connecting or transit flight before heading home (for example London-Helsinki-Shanghai) and your last point of exit from the EU is through another EU country (i.e. Helsinki), it can get a bit trickier. In that case, a distinction should be made between hold luggage and hand luggage:
Besides airports, last exit points from the EU can also be train stations, land boarders or maritime ports.
Please note that all your tax-free forms should be validated at your last point of exit from the EU, even those relating to purchases made in countries other than the country of your last point of exit from the EU.
Customs desks are usually well signposted at all airports, land borders or ports.
At airports, Customs desks are most of the time located in the departure hall.
However, be aware that in some countries (for example Belgium), the location where you should get your tax-free forms validated will vary depending on how you intend to carry your purchased goods:
Check the Country Specifics section for more details.
Yes, your purchased goods (and in some countries the corresponding receipts) must be
available for inspection if required.
That’s why we advise you, when arriving at the airport, to first go to the Customs desk to get your tax-free form validated.
Please note that in some countries, you are required to present your boarding cards to the Customs officer. In this case you must check-in before going to the Customs desk. If so, ask the check-in staff to label your luggage and return it to you. Once Customs have validated your tax-free form(s), return your luggage to check-in so that your luggage can be transferred to the airplane.
Check the Country Specifics section for more details.
Most of the time not. You can carry your goods in hold luggage.
However, in some countries (like the UK), Customs require you to always carry high value items in your hand luggage. This includes jewelry, furs, cameras, expensive watches, silverware, laptop computers and small antiques.
Since arrangements in force vary from country to country and from airport to airport, ZAPPTAX will provide you with detailed instructions through app notifications and email in function of your point of exit of the EU.
Also check the Country Specifics section for more details.
Please check question 26 .
Getting your tax-free form stamped (or barcode validated) proves that the goods were exported outside of the EU.
No stamp = no refund.
Validation by anyone other than an EU Customs officer when you leave the EU is not an option. Long queues at the airport will not be accepted as a reason for not getting an EU Customs’ stamp on the form. Forms stamped outside the EU are not acceptable either.
You need to take a picture of your stamped tax-free form and upload it on ZAPPTAX.
Same rules apply as for uploading other documents on ZAPPTAX: use the camera of your smartphone, but pay attention to the quality of your picture. A low-quality copy may prevent you from getting your refund.
In some instance, ZAPPTAX may need to collect your stamped tax-free forms. We will provide you in due time with detailed instructions through app notifications or email.
Not yet… but we intend to soon release a refund calculator. This will allow you to calculate your refund in function of the value of the goods and the VAT rate applicable in the country where you purchased them.
In the meantime, the app allows you to track the status of your refund along the entire tax-free refund process.
The following refund options are currently available:
Yes, until you receive a message from ZAPPTAX stating that your refund has been processed and confirming that the transfer is underway.
The refund will be transferred in the currency where the refund is being made (RMB in China, € in Europe, $ in the US…).
We guarantee you that the exchange rate fee will not be higher than 1%.
You will receive a confirmation that your refund is underway within minutes of uploading your validated tax-free form.
The refund will then reach your account within 24 hours at the most depending on the chosen refund option.
COUNTRY SPECIFICS
FRANCE
Download the ZAPPTAX app and follow these 5 steps:
For purchases made in France, the tax-free form provided by ZAPPTAX must be signed by you.
PABLO is an interactive barcode system developed by French Customs. Tax-free forms issued for purchases made in France carry a unique barcode. When these tax-free forms are validated at a point of exit in France (for example Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris), you don’t need to get the form manually stamped by Customs. You only need to read the barcode at one of the dedicated PABLO kiosks located near the Customs office.
PABLO barcode readers are also available at other points of exit from the EU in France such as ports and border crossings.
Select one of the eight languages proposed on the touch screen. Then scan the barcode on your tax-free form using the reader.
A green screen will appear with the message « OK, form valid ».
This electronic validation has the same legal value as a stamp from a Customs officer. The approval process is then complete.
If a red screen appears, follow the instructions on the screen or contact a Customs officer.
Get your tax-free form validated manually (stamp) by a Customs officer at the nearby Customs desk.
No.
Tax-free forms for purchases made in other countries than France must be manually validated (stamp) by a Customs officer.
Standard rate: 20%.
Books and food: 5%
Euro (€)
175,01 € VAT included.
This amount must be reached by combining the total value of your purchases in France during your trip.
The goods you purchase must be for non-commercial use. You are entitled to purchase a maximum of 15 units of the same article.
Customs may at any time check that you meet the VAT refund conditions.
If you are subject to a Customs inspection, you must provide:
Failure to present the goods to Customs will result in your tax-free form being cancelled. You may even be fined!
Your tax-free form must be validated within 3 months of buying the goods.
See question 34 above.
At the airport, allow enough time for the Customs approval process before your flight departs.
Make sure the goods are sealed and unused.
If you are leaving from an airport in France, but will change flights in transit at another EU airport, get your tax-free form approved at a PABLO kiosk at your point of exit in France.
If your tax-free form doesn’t bear the PABLO logo (for example a tax-free form issued for purchases made outside of France), ask a Customs officer to stamp the document for approval.
BELGIUM
Download the ZAPPTAX app and follow these 5 steps:
Standard rate: 21%.
Books and food: 6%
Euro (€)
50,01 € VAT included.
This amount must be reached by combining the total value of your purchases in Belgium during your trip.
The goods you purchase must be for non-commercial use. However, there is no official maximum limit in terms of number of items of the same article.
Your tax-free form must be validated within 3 months of buying the goods.
See question 34 above.
At the airport, allow enough time for the Customs approval process before your flight departs.
Make sure the goods are sealed and unused.
SPAIN
Download the ZAPPTAX app and follow these 5 steps:
DIVA is an interactive barcode system developed by Spanish Customs. Tax-free forms issued for purchases made in Spain carry a unique barcode. When these tax-free forms are validated at a point of exit in Spain (for example Barajas airport in Madrid), you don’t need to get the form manually stamped by Customs. You only need to read the barcode at one of the dedicated DIVA kiosks located near the Customs office.
DIVA barcode readers are also available at most other points of exit from the EU in Spain such as ports and border crossings.
However, DIVA kiosks are not yet operational at all points of exit in Spain. In case there is no DIVA kiosk at your point of exit, you should get your tax-free form validated (stamped) at the Customs desk.
Select one of the ten languages proposed on the touch screen. Then scan the barcode on your tax-free form using the reader.
A green screen will appear with the message « OK, form valid ».
This electronic validation has the same legal value as a stamp from a Customs officer. The approval process is then complete.
If a red screen appears, you should get your tax-free form validated manually by a Customs officer at the nearby Customs desk.
Get your tax-free form validated manually (stamp) by a Customs officer at the nearby Customs desk.
No.
Tax-free forms for purchases made in other countries than Spain must be manually validated (stamp) by a Customs officer.
Standard rate: 20%.
Some food and optical goods: 10%
Medicines and pharmaceutical goods, books, magazines and some food: 4%
Euro (€)
90,16 € VAT included.
This amount must be reached by combining the total value of your purchases in Spain during your trip.
The goods you purchase must be for non-commercial use. However, there is no official maximum limit in terms of number of items of the same article.
If you use the DIVA barcode reader to validate your tax-free form, be aware that Customs may at any time check that you meet the VAT refund conditions.
If you are subject to a Customs inspection, you must provide:
Failure to present the goods to Customs will result in your tax-free form being cancelled. You may even be fined!
Your tax-free form must be validated within 3 months of buying the goods.
See question 34 above.
At the airport, allow enough time for the Customs approval process before your flight departs.
Make sure the goods are sealed and unused.
UNITED KINGDOM
Download the ZAPPTAX app and follow these 5 steps:
Standard rate: 20%.
Children’s car seats: 5%
GBP (£)
25 £ VAT included.
This amount must be reached by combining the total value of your purchases in the UK during your trip.
The goods you purchase must be for non-commercial use. However, there is no official maximum limit in terms of number of items of the same article.
Your tax-free form must be validated within 3 months of buying the goods.
See question 34 above.
For most items, you can choose to carry your items in hold luggage or hand luggage.
However, UK Customs require that you always carry high value items in your hand luggage. This includes jewelry, furs, cameras, expensive watches, silverware, laptop computers and small antiques.
Also, be aware that there are special rules on where to get your tax-free forms validated for goods being carried on through flights leaving via another EU airport (for example flight London-Helsinki-Beijing). See question 12 below for more details.
At the airport, allow enough time for the Customs approval process before your flight departs.
Make sure the goods are sealed and unused.