A person who does not have a residence permit or German citizenship has the right, upon returning to his homeland, for tax-free registration - a refund of part of the cost of goods purchased in the country. Thus, the visitor is exempted from paying the tax equivalent to the Russian VAT. But in order to get this money back, you need to know where and how to apply.
Instructions
Step 1
Check if you are eligible for a VAT refund. You must stay in Germany for no more than three months, and the amount of your purchase in one store must be at least 25 euros. For groceries, the amount increases to 50 euros.
Step 2
When buying, contact the seller and tell him that you want to issue a VAT refund using the tax-free system. Show your passport with a visa to confirm that you do not live in Germany permanently. After that, along with the receipt, you will receive from the seller a special form containing information about the product.
Step 3
Find the Tax-free counter at the airport or train station. There will be employees who will help you fill out the necessary documents if you did not do it right in the store. But you will need to show them not only the receipts, but the goods themselves. This will be proof that you are indeed exporting the goods. There you can also find out how to get your money back. If you paid for the goods in cash and the amount does not exceed EUR 3,000, you may be compensated for VAT on the spot. If not, the money will be transferred to you by bank transfer. In this case, you will need to contact one of the Russian banks working with the tax-free system. These include, for example, VTB Bank. Expect this return to take a significant amount of time.
Step 4
When going through customs, present your receipts, forms filled in by the seller, and the purchased goods again. This service will confirm that you are indeed picking up the purchased goods. Therefore, do not check your suitcases in your luggage before going through customs.
