11 articles
Tax & refunds.
How VAT, GST and sales tax sit inside a price, and how tourist refund schemes actually pay out after fees, minimums and export checks.
How to remove VAT from a price (and why subtracting 20% is wrong)
A 120 price with 20% VAT contains 20 of tax, not 24. The difference looks small until it is multiplied across a refund estimate or a price comparison.
How do tourist VAT refunds work, from the till to the payout
The tax is recovered only if each step lines up: you qualify, the store takes part, the papers are stamped as you leave, and the payout follows. A missed step can cost the whole refund.
Why your tax refund is smaller than the tax you paid
The headline rate is only the starting point. The refund is what remains after the operator’s percentage, the fixed fee and any currency conversion on the payout, and it can be zero.
VAT vs sales tax price tags abroad: what each price includes
A pre-tax US price of 1,000 and a UK price of 1,200 look 200 apart. Add US sales tax at an illustrative 8% and the real gap is 120.
US and Canadian prices before tax, and how to compare them
A US or Canadian tag is the price before tax. The checkout adds a combined rate that depends on where the item is delivered, so the tag alone cannot be compared with a price that already includes tax.
UK tax-free shopping since 2021: no VAT refund on goods in luggage
A Great Britain receipt generally does not bring back VAT on goods carried home in luggage. Once you pass the £390 allowance on arrival, tax applies to the whole value, not just the excess.
Germany VAT refund for non-EU visitors: each step and the customs stamp
The refund depends on steps taken in the shop and at the airport. The retailer can refuse, so ask before you pay, and keep the goods unused in your carry-on until customs has checked them.
Japan tax-free shopping 2026 refund: what changed on 1 November
For purchases from 1 November 2026, you pay the consumption tax at the till. An equivalent amount comes back only after customs confirms at departure that the goods are leaving Japan.
UAE tourist VAT refund fees: the 13% deduction and AED 3.60 charge
The VAT inside a UAE price is 5% of the amount before tax. The refund operator deducts 13% of that VAT and charges AED 3.60 per transaction, so the fixed fee takes the biggest bite from small receipts.
Singapore GST refund with eTRS: the SGD 100 minimum and three receipts
GST is 9% of the tax-inclusive price, and eTRS returns it only after a handling fee that the retailer or operator quotes. This page gives no fee amount, so get a quote before you assume any figure.
Australia tourist refund scheme: AUD 300 from one ABN, claimed in person
The refund is the GST inside a GST-inclusive price, 9.09% of the receipt. It is claimed in person as you leave, with the goods in your cabin bag and the invoices in English.