Foreign VAT Reclaim
Foreign VAT can be reclaimed throughout Europe and in a growing number of other countries. Additionally more and more countries are adopting VAT.
Companies operating across borders will usually incur foreign VAT on their business expenses which are presently under the
8th and 13th EU VAT Directives.
The common services for which VAT can be recovered are:
Conferences, exhibitions, training courses as well as regular travel expenses such as hotel, car rental and meals. However, the list of services, the VAT rates and regulations, and the required documentation vary from country to country and change.
VAT applications must be submitted at the tax authorities in the countries where the expenses are incurred and within specific deadlines. Listing the invoices and meeting the authorities’ application requirements is a time-consuming and complex task aggravated by language differences.
As a result, many companies end up not claiming all the VAT that they are entitled to. Our VAT experts can assist you apply and recover your 8th and 13th VAT claims in an efficient, effective and timely manner. We manage the application process from submission to refund. In addition we offer a full range of
related services to maximise your VAT return.
More details of the VAT refund procedure can be found here.
From 1 January 2010 the new Council Directive 2008/9 applies with regard to foreign VAT reclaim procedures. The main changes are as follows:
For EU based companies:
- Electronic filing of VAT refund claim via portal
- Differing upload requirements re invoice copies
- New deadline
- Invoice listing based on service codes which vary in the Member States
- Standardised regulation re interest payments for delayed claims
For Non-EU based companies:
- Change of deadline in some EU countries
Please contact your local
Cash Back office for assistance with the new VAT reclaim process.
For more information regarding the new Council Directive 2008/9; see
VAT news.