Hello everyone,
I am a little confused at how the process of VAT works. I have a flight leaving Rome(FCO) at 8:00 am from terminal 3 to US, and was wondering is the customs office and tax refund open 24/7 here? Or is there anyway to do it the night before?
Posted by
Portland
3644 posts
To answer the 2nd part of your question, no. The point of the refund is to free people from paying local taxes on items being taken out of the country. To prevent the use of such items after securing the refund, the office is located beyond security. In some airports it is done by mail, a credit to the cc you used. I don’t remember about FCO.
Unless you are planning some really expensive purchases, it may not be worth the bother. The company that handles the transactions takes a cut, and you may wait 6 weeks or longer for your refund. We discovered that in Italy, if we mentioned vat refund in a shop, some vendors would offer a discount on the spot in lieu. Worked for me. 😉
Posted by
Utah via SF Bay Area
368 posts
Check the airport website. They may have electronic VAT terminals. Usually the VAT offices open early from what I have found.