Brochures and VAT

Yes, VAT refunds still work. Search for "VAT refund" in this forum, it is much discussed. But, the basic rules are:

• The goods must be exported intact from the EU.
• You claim the refund when you leave the EU not when you leave the country you bought the goods in.
• You need to get a VAT refund form from the shop when you make the purchase. So it only works with shops that are set up to do the paperwork.
• When you leave the EU you show the form to customs, they stamp the form to certify that the goods were exported. They have the right to inspect the goods, so you must have them on you.
• You then return the stamped form to the shop. They can then submit this with their tax returns to avoid paying tax on the exported item(s), and credit you with the tax.
• As you are probably not going back to the shop, it is better to pay by credit card, the shop can then pay the money back onto your credit card account.

Thanks for the reply Chris. I'd scanned the topic headings but forgot about a search. Good info.

Rick's article in the Money section: http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/money/vat-refunds

Tourist office brochures to download as PDFs: http://www.germany.travel/en/ebrochures.html

and http://www.muenchen.de/rathaus/home_en/Tourist-Office/Salesguide/Brochures

Thanks Laura. I've been to both of those sites. I was hoping for a place that still sent hardcopies. I've brochures from our previuos trip and to be honest they were much better than the ebrochures.

Any brochures they offer now would surely match the print-at-home versions but would be already printed in color. Before the days of online brochure request forms, which now seem to be gone, the traditional method was by phone or snail mail to the office in New York at (212) 661-7200, German National Tourist Board, Chanin Building, 122 E 42nd St #2000, New York, NY 10168.

Just a small addendum to Chris's information. In every airport where we've claimed the VAT refund, there was an option to get a cash refund on the spot. Of course a commission was charged for that convenience. I adhere to the bird in hand philosophy, since the time a cc credit failed to appear ever, so I always go for that.