Refundable Foreign VAT Expense Chart for Europe and Asia
June 30, 2017
Did you know that you can recover the VAT you paid on business travel and activities abroad? There are countries in Europe and Asia that refund VAT (value added tax) paid on business travel and activities related expenses. There are several eligibility criteria for reclaims including tax treaties between countries.
Given below is a comprehensive list of countries, their normal % of taxation and the goods and the goods and services on which you can reclaim VAT.
Australia
Taxation: GST
VAT %: 10%
Submission Timeline: VAT can be reclaimed for 4 years back from the current quarter. Registration is a must.
Refundable: Hotel, restaurant meals, conferences, travel (taxi, public), transportation (goods), petrol, diesel, exhibitions trade fairs, marketing, consultants, car rental, lawyer’s fees, telecommunication and training courses.
Austria
Taxation: UST/MWST
VAT %: 20%.
Submission Timeline: VAT can be reclaimed from January 2016 with 30th June 2017 being the deadline.
Refundable reduced VAT applies for: Hotels, travel (taxi, public)
Refundable with Some Restrictions: Restaurant meals, conferences, diesel, exhibitions trade fairs
VAT exempt / zero rated (reverse charge rule applies): Marketing, consultants, lawyer’s fees, telecommunication, transportation (goods)
Refundable VAT on: Training courses, transportation (goods).
Belgium
Taxation: TVA/BTW
VAT %: 21%.
Submission Timeline: VAT can be reclaimed from January 2016 with 30th June 2017 being the deadline.
Refundable with Some Restrictions: Hotels, restaurant meals, conferences, travel (taxi, public), transportation (goods), petrol, diesel, car rental, training courses
VAT exempt / zero rated (reverse charge rule applies): Exhibitions trade fairs, marketing, consultants, lawyer’s fees, telecommunication.
Denmark
Taxation: MOMS
VAT %: 25%.
Submission Timeline:VAT can be reclaimed from January 2016 with 30th September 2016 being the deadline.
Refundable: Transportation (goods)
Refundable with Some Restrictions: Hotels, restaurant meals, conferences, petrol, diesel, exhibitions trade fairs, training courses.
VAT exempt / zero rated (reverse charge rule applies): Marketing, consultants, lawyer’s fees, telecommunication.
Finland
Taxation: ALV
VAT %: 24%.
Submission Timeline: VAT can be reclaimed from January 2016 with 30th June 2017 being the deadline.
Refundable, reduced VAT rate applies on: Hotels, travel (taxi, public)
Refundable with Some Restrictions: Conferences, exhibitions trade fairs, training courses
Refundable: Transportation (goods), petrol, diesel, car rental
VAT exempt / zero rated (reverse charge rule applies): Marketing, consultants, lawyer’s fees, telecommunication.
France
Taxation: TVA
VAT %: 20%.
Submission Timeline: VAT can be reclaimed from January 2016 with 30th June 2017 being the deadline.
Refundable with Some Restrictions: Hotels, business entertaining, conferences, diesel, exhibitions trade fairs, and training courses.
Refundable, reduced VAT rate applies: Restaurant meals
VAT exempt / zero rated (reverse charge rule applies): Transportation (goods), marketing, consultants, lawyer’s fees and telecommunication.
Germany
Taxation: UST/MSWT
VAT %: 19%.
Submission Timeline: VAT can be reclaimed from January 2016 with 30th June 2017 being the deadline.
Refundable, reduced VAT rate applies on: Hotels
Refundable: Restaurant meals, business entertaining, conferences, travel (taxi, public), car rental, training courses
VAT exempt / zero rated (reverse charge rule applies): Transportation, marketing, consultants, lawyer’s fees, telecommunication
Refundable with Some Restrictions: Petrol, diesel, exhibitions trade fairs.
United Kingdom
Taxation: VAT
VAT %: 20%.
Submission Timeline: VAT can be reclaimed from January 2016 with 31st December 2016 being the deadline.
Refundable with Some Restrictions: Travel (taxi, public), exhibitions trade fairs, training courses
Refundable on: Hotels, restaurant meals, conferences, transportation (goods), petrol, diesel, car rental
VAT exempt / zero rated (reverse charge rule applies): Marketing, consultants, lawyer’s fees and telecommunication.
Iceland
Taxation: VSK
VAT %: 24%.
Submission Timeline: VAT can be reclaimed from January 2016 with 30th June 2017 being the deadline.
Refundable, reduced VAT rate applies on: Hotels
Refundable on: Conferences, transportation (goods), petrol, diesel, exhibitions trade fairs, marketing and training courses.
VAT exempt / zero rated (reverse charge rule applies): Consultants, lawyer’s fees and telecommunication.
Ireland
Taxation: VAT
VAT %: 23%.
Submission Timeline: VAT can be reclaimed from January 2016 with 30th June 2017 being the deadline.
Restrictions apply on: Hotels, conferences, petrol, diesel, exhibitions trade fairs, training courses
Refundable on: Transportation (goods)
VAT exempt / zero rated (reverse charge rule applies): Marketing, consultants, lawyer’s fees and telecommunication.
Luxembourg
Taxation: TVA
VAT %: 17%.
Submission Timeline: VAT can be reclaimed from January 2016 with 30th June 2017 being the deadline.
Refundable: Hotels, restaurant meals, business entertaining, conferences, travel (taxi, public), transportation (goods), petrol, diesel, exhibitions trade fairs, training courses
VAT exempt / zero rated (reverse charge rule applies): Marketing, consultants, lawyer’s fees, telecommunication
Refundable with Some Restrictions: Car rental
Malta
Taxation: VAT
VAT %: 18%.
Submission Timeline: VAT can be reclaimed from January 2016 with 30th June 2017 being the deadline.
Refundable, reduced VAT rate applies: Hotels
Refundable with Some Restrictions: Restaurant meals, conferences, travel (taxi, public), petrol, diesel, exhibitions trade fairs, car rental, training courses
VAT exempt / zero rated (reverse charge rule applies): Marketing, consultants, lawyer’s fees and telecommunication.
Monaco
Taxation: TVA
VAT %: 20%.
Submission Timeline: VAT can be reclaimed from January 2016 with 30th June 2017 being the deadline.
Refundable with Some Restrictions: Hotels, business entertaining, conferences, diesel, exhibition trade fairs, training courses
Refundable, reduced VAT rate applies: Restaurant meals
VAT exempt / zero rated (reverse charge rule applies): Transportation (goods), marketing, consultants, lawyer’s fees and telecommunication.
Montenegro
Taxation: PDV
VAT %: 19%.
Submission Timeline: VAT can be reclaimed from January 2016 with 30th June 2017 being the deadline.
Refundable: Hotels, restaurant meals, business entertaining, conferences, travel (taxi, public), transportation (goods), petrol, diesel, exhibition trade fairs, marketing, consultants, car rentals, lawyer’s fees, telecommunication and training courses.
Netherlands
Taxation: BTW
VAT %: 21%.
Submission Timeline: VAT can be reclaimed from January 2016 with 30th June 2017 being the deadline.
Refundable, reduced VAT rate applies: Hotels
Refundable with Some Restrictions: Exhibition trade fairs, training courses
VAT exempt / zero rated (reverse charge rule applies): Marketing, consultants and lawyer’s fees.
New Zealand
Taxation: GST
VAT %: 15%.
Submission Timeline: VAT can be reclaimed from April 2015. Registration is a must.
Refundable: Hotels, restaurant meals, business entertaining, conferences, travel (taxi, public), transportation (goods), petrol, diesel, exhibition trade fairs, marketing, consultants, car rentals, lawyer’s fees, telecommunication and training courses.
Norway
Taxation: MVA
VAT %: 25%.
Submission Timeline: VAT can be reclaimed from January 2016with 30th June 2017 being the deadline.
Refundable, reduced VAT rate applies on: Hotels
Refundable with Some Restrictions: Conferences, petrol, diesel, car rentals
Refundable: Transportation (goods), exhibitions trade fairs, training courses
VAT exempt / zero rated (reverse charge rule applies): Marketing, consultants, lawyer’s fees and telecommunication.
South Korea
Taxation: VAT
VAT %: 10%.
Submission Timeline: VAT can be reclaimed from January 2016 with 30th June 2017 being the deadline.
Refundable with Some Restrictions: Hotels, restaurant meals, marketing and telecommunication.
Spain
Taxation: IVA
VAT %: 21%.
Submission Timeline: VAT can be reclaimed from January 2016 with 30th June 2017 being the deadline.
Refundable, reduced VAT rate applies on: Hotels, restaurant meals, travel (taxi, public)
Refundable: Business entertaining, transportation (goods), petrol, diesel, telecommunication
VAT exempt / zero rated (reverse charge rule applies): Conferences, exhibitions trade fairs, marketing, consultants, lawyer’s fees, training courses
Refundable with Some Restrictions: Car rentals.
Sweden
Taxation: MOMS
VAT %: 25%.
Submission Timeline: VAT can be reclaimed from January 2016 with 30th June 2017 being the deadline.
Refundable, reduced VAT rate applies on: Hotels, travel (taxi, public)
Refundable with Some Restrictions: Restaurant meals, business entertaining, conferences, exhibitions trade fairs, car rental, training courses
Refundable: Transportation (goods), petrol, diesel, telecommunication
VAT exempt / zero rated (reverse charge rule applies): Marketing, consultants and lawyer’s fees.
VAT recovery is a complex and time consuming process, requiring legal knowledge of the local laws and regulations. At CB VAT, we take away this worry by making it simple to reclaim your VAT spend. To know more about us and how we can help you, fill out Free VAT Assessment Form.
