VAT Refunds?

We have never been successful but we have quit trying. Historically the problem was a lot of very precise paperwork needed. But some have posted recently that they have been successful. We just don't buy that many large items that qualify for the refund.

I have had zero trouble getting refunds at both Rome and Florence's airports (2 separate trips).

It's really quite simple. At the shop, ask for the form if you are spending more than the limit. They should fill it out for you. When you're back at your hotel that night, go through it and enter the rest of the info, like your passport #, etc. Then at the airport just find the desk (in the big cities you can also do it in town), and decide how you want your refund.

honestly, it can't be simpler. on my last trip, my big purchase was in Volterra at this tiny shop of handmade jewelry. The only person there was the person who made all of the items and he spoke nearly no english and didn't seem to have ever filled out one of the forms, even though he had them there. But he did his best and even then, I still had no problem getting my refund.

Do rental car's count toward getting the VAT back? What is the % that makes up the VAT that you get back?

You cannot get a refund on the VAT paid for services of any kind....hotels, meals, car rental....only for goods being taken out of the EU.

And, it is my understanding is that the goods have to be above a certain Euro value. After our first few trips we stopped buying expensive things.

I have gotten the refund many times. Most of the ins and outs have been covered by the previous posters; except that while it's true that there is a limit below which the stores won't bother with the paper work, I think that's just a convenience thing for them. The limit is somewhere over $100. In Italy, a couple of times I asked about the VAT refund, and the shopkeeper (small, independent enterprise) offered me a 10% discount instead. That was good, too.

only been eligible once, and getting it back was easy. Bought a briefcase in Florence, seller deducted the VAT from the sale price on the spot. I got some paperwork I needed to get signed off when I left the EU, otherwise I would get the VAT charged to my credit card in a few months. At the Rome airport showed the bag to the people in the customs office, they stamped the paperwork, I dropped it (postage already paid) in the nearest mailbox. End of story. Its been 3 years, and since they never charged me for the VAT I figure they got the form :-)

The current VAT minimum purchase per store is about E155. That can be 10 items, but they have to come to E155 or more. We do the VAT refunds whenever we head to the States. Techinically the goods have to be "new" so don't wear those shoes and point to them!!! This link may give more info on VAT refunds in Italy.

We went for the first time last year to Europe and had no problem with VAT refunds. Just filled out the info at the airport and kept our receipts. Think we got the refund about 6 weeks later.

As long as you spend 155 Euro or more at one time in any one store you can qualify for the VAT refund. Make certain that the paperwork is fully filled out by the merchant and that you complete your portion as well. I kept all my purchases in one carry-on bag and went to the customs office at the Rome airport before leaving for the shuttle bus. It has been my experience that they will want you to "unpack" your purchases for inspection. Once in the terminal, there are (hard to find) booths set up to accept your paperwork and make the process easier. I did receive my refunds...eventually. Some merchants, in order to avoid having to mess with the bureaucracy of the paperwork, will discount your items for the amount of the VAT, especially if you are paying cash.