Non-European citizens looking to purchase gold, carpets, furs and other big ticket items in Greece can have the sales tax (a pan-European VAT, or value added tax) rebated. This amounts to a 18% discount off the purchase price, or 13% on many Aegean islands that maintain a separate tax status. Make sure the shop where you make your purchases has a “TAX FREE FOR TOURISTS” sticker in the window and be sure to ask the shop employees to confirm that they still offer this perk. You must have the shop fill out a tax-free shopping form with your purchases listed on it. At your point of departure, upon leaving Greece (for non-EU destinations only), you must present receipts and duty-free forms and be sure to have your purchased items readily available to produce to the officials who may want to verify that your are in fact taking them out of the country. This could be a lengthy process therefore apply for the refund before checking your luggage, if that's where you keep your purchases. Then have the customs officials stamp your forms (allow an extra hour for this, especially at the airport). You can have the VAT credited back to your credit card or get cash (in euros) at the refund point as you leave. If you are going on to another EU country before ultimately departing from the EU, hold on to the forms, get them stamped by the EU country’s customs officials (again, be ready to produce them) and use their refund point. You can also mail your tax free forms back to Greece for the refund (Address: VAT Refund, 10 Nikis Street, 105 63 Athens, Greece, Tel: 210 325 4995) A note: some duty-free agencies/refund centers will take a commission of as much as 20% on your refund, including the mail-in center in Athens. |
