How do you claim back VAT for purchases made in Italy?

[Bav]

As per the title, anyone know how to achieve this?

Tried looking online and reading the the paperwork provided by the shops, but the stuff online is just contradictory (about the process and the limits) and the paperwork provided is vague to the point of uselessness.

We've made a couple of purchases and have the unused/unopened goods + the receipts + forms that needs stamping by Customs. We were given an address in Rome (where we are staying) to take these forms to, but the paperwork implies a Customs stamp is required first... but the Customs stamp is obtained at the airport, so how can we present stamped paperwork to the location in Rome???

Completely confused and, without help, I'll just get annoyed and say decide not to bother with it at all.

TIA for any knowledgeable input.

 

[oldiebut goodie]

Many years ago when I was in the job before the eec we used to stamp the tax forms on exit from the uk. This carried on for goods that went to sweden and other non-eec countries. I presume that the reverse will now apply and you either declare the goods to customs on leaving the eu or on arrival in the uk. Once you have the stamp you can then send back the form to claim back the tax.

 

[Bav]

Spoke to a very helpful lady on reception at the hotel and it turns out the process is fairly simple...ish.

Step 1
Had to visit a tax refund company in Rome (imaginatively call Tax Refund) and present them with the customs forms & receipts. They offered either to credit my credit card "within 30 days" for a small fee or to pay me in cash (Euros) with the proviso I authorise them to recoup the money (plus a fine!) from my credit card if I subsequently failed to perform Step 2 of the process.

Step 2
At airport, prior to checking-in, present the customs forms to their desk at the airport. There was the possibility the goods might need to examined, but that wasn't the case for us.

The only real drawback is that you don't get the full VAT back as the tax refund company take a fairly large chunk - standard rate VAT in Italy is 22%, but we only got back 10%.

 

[Drive Wayne]

Spoke to a very helpful lady on reception at the hotel and it turns out the process is fairly simple...ish.

Step 1
Had to visit a tax refund company in Rome (imaginatively call Tax Refund) and present them with the customs forms & receipts. They offered either to credit my credit card "within 30 days" for a small fee or to pay me in cash (Euros) with the proviso I authorise them to recoup the money (plus a fine!) from my credit card if I subsequently failed to perform Step 2 of the process.

Step 2
At airport, prior to checking-in, present the customs forms to their desk at the airport. There was the possibility the goods might need to examined, but that wasn't the case for us.

The only real drawback is that you don't get the full VAT back as the tax refund company take a fairly large chunk - standard rate VAT in Italy is 22%, but we only got back 10%.

More importantly, how was the Italian experience? Brownie points overflowing?!

 

[mmi]

So the above works when the purchases are within UK duty-free allowance (£370) ???

 

[oldiebut goodie]

You would have got it all back if you had returned the form yourself.

UK allowance doesn't come into it, you can claim for any amount - you are taking the risk of not declaring the goods at UK Customs. ie smuggling if not declared.
This is where UK charges are avoided by receiving refund at the export country instead of getting confirmation that the goods have entered the UK by having them declared and forms stamped on entry and the form returned by yourself. This is the way that it should work.

 

[Bav]

More importantly, how was the Italian experience? Brownie points overflowing?!

Well, despite their national instrument being a car horn and despite the fact they walk like they drive (i.e. at top speed with zero forward planning!) I remain an avid Italophile - on the whole they are a warm and generous people. We found the whole Vatican, Pantheon, Coliseum, Roman Forum circuit very tiring - lots of walking and standing - but they are "must do", so we did do.

As for brownie points - they're all in jeopardy if I don't get a birthday card tomorrow morning!!

 

[Drive Wayne]

In a life prior to VW on a European motorcycle tour I found the Italian city and town 2 wheel driving experience positively frightening!
My only time in Vatican City at Roland music Ltd's expense, was marred by the Vatican Plod (correct terminology?) forcibly removing me and a fellow Northern music retailer from said Vatican city for stupidly lending our shirts to two very attractive American lady tourists who with bare arms weren't allowed into the Catholic lair. Turns out they really don't appreciate bare chested Brits!
The Coliseum was amazing, the feeling of all that former death that happened there was strangely eerie.. Amazing place.
Get yer self up the shops in the morning!

 

[Bav]

In a life prior to VW on a European motorcycle tour I found the Italian city and town 2 wheel driving experience positively frightening!
My only time in Vatican City at Roland music Ltd's expense, was marred by the Vatican Plod (correct terminology?) forcibly removing me and a fellow Northern music retailer from said Vatican city for stupidly lending our shirts to two very attractive American lady tourists who with bare arms weren't allowed into the Catholic lair. Turns out they really don't appreciate bare chested Brits!
The Coliseum was amazing, the feeling of all that former death that happened there was strangely eerie.. Amazing place.
Get yer self up the shops in the morning!

Strangely, I found the drivers in Sorrento far scarier than in Rome - perhaps the sheer volume of traffic prevented the city folk from building up a head of steam? Anyway, using pedestrian crossings was still a death-defying activity! As an avowed atheist, I was non-plussed by all the Vatican trinkets, but, yeah, the Coliseum was fabulous and the Roman Forum took me right back to being 14 year-old struggling with Latin lessons.