THE KNOWLEDGE
CAN I SHOP TAX-FREE IN FRANCE?
A
friend told me that I can claim the VAT back on purchases made in the EU, is
this true? It would help us out when visiting our second home in Brittany.
JEAN-MARIE WODON of Zapp Tax replies (
zapptax.com): Western countries are facing an unprecedented change in their economy which has led to the rise of infl ation. Everything has increased in price: food, energy, leisure activities, the list goes on. However, despite the hardships, life must carry on, and with that all the little pleasures it bears, such as shopping and travelling.
Jean-Marie Wodon If you’re not able to travel but
you still want to buy products from the EU, you may still be eligible for tax-free shopping online. In fact, you can get your articles delivered to an address of your choice (family, friends, or whatever) as long as it is in France, Belgium, or Spain. To be clear, the shipping and invoice address doesn’t have to be the same. These are the steps you take: 1) When making your
Second-home concierge
services can also make life more comfortable for homeowners, so they can enjoy their holiday from day one. This can involve the recruitment of cleaning and gardening staff , delivery of wood, gas or furniture, preparation and delivery of home-cooked meals, advice on good
restaurants or things to see and do in the area, help with administrative paperwork… To sum up, second home
management companies are the ears and eyes of the owners when they are not there. They work as a team, always respecting the owner’s wishes. Working with you, working for you.
Indeed, if you happen to
be a non-EU resident and a proud Europhile, you can take advantage of tax-free shopping in France with the help of ZappTax. What is that? Putting it simply, ZappTax is a digital tax-free operator that supports you to easily recover (up to 90% of) the VAT of your purchases made in France, through a mobile application. Who is eligible for tax-free
moving companies have a full range of diff erent sized boxes, diff erent materials for packing inside boxes, boxes for hanging clothes, pictures and so on. It is specialist material and it is unlikely
that your local grocery store
boxes will be suitable for the task.
Customs offi cials will
require a list of the box contents so this is another task if you decide to do your own packing.
Sometimes customers
suggest that they will do their own packing because they need to have a sort out. Experience shows that these are actually two separate tasks. Have the sort out, get rid of the items you
ha em
have decided to dispose of, get
them out of the way and
then get on with the packing as a separate task. You will fi nd that a whole lot easier.
shopping? Everyone, as long as they are a non-EU resident. You may be a Brit who regularly visits France, an expat coming back to see family and friends, or a future landlord; you can benefi t from the service. ZappTax can lighten your fi nancial burden by enabling you to recover the VAT for items bought in France and brought back to your country.
Get in touch!
Ask your questions about French property or life in France... Email:
karen.tait@francemedia.com Alternatively, you can post your question on our Facebook page
FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: March/April 2023 91
purchases, request for the invoices to be in the name of ZappTax. For handwritten invoices, the stamp of the establishment must be added. 2) When you have time,
ideally well before your departure, take good-quality pictures of the invoices, and upload them onto the ZappTax app. 3) Before your departure (or
sooner if you request it), you will only be one click away from generating your tax-free form. Once generated – it may take a few minutes – you could access it on the app and by email. You can then get it validated at a PABLO kiosk or at the customs on your departure day at your fi nal point of exit from the EU. Then, all you have to do is wait for your refund to be processed. The good news is that
based on the current average purchase basket size, ZappTax refunds on average 85% (and up to 90%) of the VAT.
© SHUTTERSTIOCK
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