11459 Tax Refund For Purchases Made In Italy By Non-resident Visitors

Taken from the Italian Tourist Board website

Tax refund for purchases made in Italy by non-resident visitors
According to the Italian law, based on the European Community provisions, as a non-resident visitor, you can claim a refund for goods and services tax paid for goods intended for personal or familiar use purchased in Italy. For more information see:

Agenzia delle Dogane [Italian Customs Agency] official web site
[url=http://www.agenziadogane.it/wps/wcm/connect/ee/HomePageEn/VTA+Refund/]VAT refund for purchases made in Italy by EU non-resident subjects[/url]

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Category
General chat about Italy

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 01/17/2009 - 16:10

Before any British (French, Spanish, Danish etc) readers get excited about this concession, please note that it applies only to Non EU visitors.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 01/17/2009 - 16:42

I can confirm what Charles said. Last September, my daughter, who resides in London ,purchased some very expensive boots and a handbag from a boutique in Lucca. The girl at the boutique insisted that she should get the tax refunded at Pisa Airport and gave her all the necessary paperwork. I had serious doubts about it which were confirmed when my daughter contacted Customs at the airport. It does not apply to EU residents.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 01/17/2009 - 16:47

Therefore the information on the Italian Tourist website is wrong Gala or is that the rules have changed or that I misread the information???

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 01/17/2009 - 16:52

[quote=Sally Donaldson;108516]Therefore the information on the Italian Tourist website is wrong Gala or is that the rules have changed or that I misread the information???[/quote]

You have misread the information.

"Agenzia delle Dogane [Italian Customs Agency] official web site
[URL="http://www.agenziadogane.it/wps/wcm/connect/ee/HomePageEn/VTA+Refund/"][COLOR=#00002e]VAT refund for purchases made in Italy by EU non-resident subjects[/COLOR][/URL]"

EU non resident. It is pretty clear.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 01/17/2009 - 16:53

Mos of us are EU residents, Sally. So it does not apply to us.
My daughter has an Australian passport, but she has a resident's visa for the UK, so she is an EU resident, although she is a foreigner. For this reason, she could not get a tax refund.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 01/17/2009 - 17:15

This is even clearer - [url=http://www.fiscooggi.it/reader/?MIval=cw_usr_view_articoloIng&articolo=5811&giornale=5826]Notiziario Fiscale dell'Agenzia delle Entrate[/url]

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 01/17/2009 - 17:58

I notice that apart from the 'deletion' facility (unfortunately unavailable to the originator of the thread), plus the studied use of the 'edit' facility; the armoury has been extended by the new wheeze of the 'transient grazie'. I'm availing myself of the 'Ignore' function in case I become over-educated.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 01/17/2009 - 18:32

Charles, nothing harmful or underhand was said. The way I read the original information, it actually said to me that so long as any EU member was not resident in Italy they could claim back Italian VAT that they had paid.

I deleted the thread yes because the answer was too quick and not thought out properly.

I then removed my thanks, having found more information which subsequently I posted.. It seemed to me to reinnforce that indeed I was right to believe the first piece of information I posted.

I accept having had a couple of glasses of wine and being tired, I could still be wrong. However there was nothing sinister as I said initially.

Someone please quote this in their reply so Charles can read it. Cheers

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 01/17/2009 - 20:31

[quote=Charles Phillips;108521]I notice that apart from the 'deletion' facility (unfortunately unavailable to the originator of the thread), plus the studied use of the 'edit' facility; the armoury has been extended by the new wheeze of the 'transient grazie'. I'm availing myself of the 'Ignore' function in case I become over-educated.[/quote]

Hello Charles, fancy meeting you here! What took you so long?:laughs: