In the European Union, it means that you can only claim a tax refund when you're actually leaving the EU zone - you won't be able to claim a refund of the VAT if you're only traveling between two EU countries.
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If you leave the European Union from FranceIf you opt for the manual procedure, French Customs will stamp and return the two sheets of your VAT refund form to you. You then send the stamped form to the retailer.
You can try to get your VAT refund through the mail but the process takes much longer and can be unreliable. Most people submit their requests at the airport on their way home. You'll have to present your documents to a customs agent, whose stamp is required as “proof of export.”
Spending on food and hotels often isn't eligible for VAT refunds. You usually have to be a visitor to get a VAT refund. The address on your passport matters here. You might qualify as a visitor if you're living in the country temporarily but have a permanent home somewhere else.
You must show the invoice, the refund form, the goods and any other necessary documents to the customs officers of the last EU country you leave. The customs officers must stamp the form as proof of export. Without the stamp, you will not obtain the refund.
In Italy, the standard VAT rate is 22%. After deducting the administrative fee and the fee of the tax refund company, you'll expect to receive an 11%-15.5% refund rate of your purchase amount, depending on how much you spent. And Italy also has one of the highest minimum spending requirements (€154.95).