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Tax refund Issue

Hi everyone,

I'm in a bit of a situation with my tax refund and could use some advice.

I recently traveled to Spain and Italy, where I made most of my purchases. When I left the EU, I did so from Zurich, Switzerland. However, when I tried to get my tax refund forms stamped at customs in Zurich, they informed me that Switzerland is not eligible for EU tax refund processing, so they couldn’t stamp my forms.

The lady at the customs table mentioned that I have a 3-month period to get the customs stamp. I'm planning to return to the EU to get this done, but I’m not sure if this is possible or what the best approach would be.

Has anyone experienced something similar? Is it possible to return to an EU country within this period just to get the customs stamp and process the tax refund? Any advice on how to handle this would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

Posted by
11946 posts

This may provide some useful ( hopefully) info.

https://thepointsguy.com/guide/vat-refund-how-it-works/
https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/money/vat-refunds

Switzerland is not an EU member, which probably explains why they couldn't process your refund claim

Is it possible to return to an EU country within this period just to get the customs stamp and process the tax refund

I suspect the answer is 'no', but happily defer to those who may be better informed on the subject

.

Posted by
3644 posts

I’m wondering how much money is involved, keeping in mind that the processing agency will skim some off the top. Also, even if a return to the EU is easy for you, is the refund worth the time and expense?