VAT refund for an online order from Germany shipped to Spain?

Upvote:1

EU distance sellers are required to charge VAT at the rate of the country that they are selling to. This is why you have been charged VAT at Spanish rates. This is to prevent sellers in another EU country from being able to easily undercut local sellers due to a lower tax rate.

VAT refund schemes are not harmonised across the EU. Each country operates them separately and may have different requirements. In some countries, the scheme may be optional for the retailer, whereas in others it may be mandatory.

One of the requirements in Germany, and many other countries, is that you must prove to the merchant that you are not resident in the EU. This is going to prove extremely difficult with an online order: You can’t present your original passport, they can’t check your Schengen entry stamp and they can’t compare the photo to your face. This may be why they believe they are unable to complete the refund forms in compliance with German law.

More post

Search Posts

Related post