Is VAT worth claiming?

We applied for a VAT refund in Spain. We never did get it. At Heathrow,we got the refund on the spot but there was a lineup and frankly,not worth the wait.

It really depends on how much you spend - would I mess with it to get $20 back, no. $100 - sure

Depends on how you value your time. To collect at the airport, you need to hunt down the VAT kiosk. You need to be able to produce the still secured packages. If you plan on transporting the purchases in your checked luggage, you need to find a VAT refund office outside the secured area.

With a Sunday morning flight from Helsinki the curb side VAT kiosk was not open and we had to shuffle the VAT purchases from checked to carry-on. The other complication was that the airside VAT kiosk was in the other terminal, a 5 or 10 minute walk each way. (I was fortunate that the VAT person allowed me to execute the refund. Apparently the person, i.e. my wife, making the purchase need to show their passport.)

I have not found getting a VAT refund to be a hassle but that said I only do it if I have purchased over 200 euros worth of items in a single location so I have never claimed the refund in Ireland. The retailer fills out the form so you should have your passport or a copy of it at the point of sale. The item should be unused until you leave the EU and then you have to get the customs stamp at point of departure from the EU and in some cases the customs agent may want to inspect the item so you need to plan ahead and either pack it in carry-on luggage or do the customs step before checking luggage. I have not found those steps to be a hassle but I would not do them to collect $20 but others may disagree. Once a rather significant refund from a luxury bag purchase in France was not ever credited to me but the bag was so much cheaper than it was here in the US that I reconciled myself to losing the extra added discount. To my mind, the VAT should not be the deciding point in making a purchase -- that way if you never receive the refund for whatever reason (late arriving at the airport, or problem with the refund agency, etc) you are still happy with and able to afford your purchase.

"To my mind, the VAT should not be the deciding point in making a purchase -- that way if you never receive the refund for whatever reason (late arriving at the airport, or problem with the refund agency, etc) you are still happy with and able to afford your purchase."

My sentiments exactly! I've read various reports (just like the ones already on this thread) of how it can hard or easy, and how it's unpredictable. Some people who did a lot of advance research and did "everything right" still weren't able to get the refund.

So, if you end up buying enough in one store to meet the requirements, and if you have the time and can figure out the procedures, and if you don't mind some hassle if it turns out there's going to be some, go for it. Otherwise, just let it go, and count the price you paid at the store as the full price.

That 20 euros is worth it to me. I go to the kiosk before checking in and opt for the refund on my credit card. I've been lucky enough to have always received it.

I'm with Bets on this one. I've never found the process to be too much hassle. Once, we failed to receive our refund. After that I've always opted to get the cash on the spot. You do lose a little; but, hey, a bird in hand . . .

When we were in Ireland two years ago, we used the Horizon cards that the retailers load the info on. When we got to the Dublin airport, we just had to put it in the machine (like an ATM), plug in all of the info requested, then we got the refund on our debit cards. See here: https://www.shoptaxfree.com/cms/the-horizon-card/

I have never been asked to actually produce the merchandise when turning in the paperwork at the airport. I realize that they could ask to see it, but in my experience it usually doesn't happen.

Here's Rick Steves' FAQ answer on collecting VAT refunds: https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/money/vat-refunds

Consider a VAT refund a bonus and not the reason for making the purchase.

Thanks! I had read what Rick's article said before, but I wanted to see if in people's personal experience it seemed to be worth jumping through all the hoops. Thanks for the input!