VAT Refund Calculator
Shopping abroad? Enter a purchase price and country to see the VAT hidden in the price and roughly how much you’ll actually get back as a tourist refund — after the operator’s fees, not just the headline VAT.
- Free, no sign-up
- Works worldwide
- Instant results
Refund operators keep part of the VAT as commission, so you receive a portion of the figure on the left — larger purchases land nearer the full amount. The exact refund depends on the operator, the shop and how you claim.
Before you count on it
- • You generally must be a non-resident (e.g. a non-EU resident when shopping in the EU) and take the goods home unused.
- • A minimum purchase usually applies, and it varies by country and shop — ask the retailer for their threshold and a tax-free form.
- • You must get the form validated by customs (a stamp or digital scan) when you leave, then claim at the refund desk or by post.
Standard VAT rates for European countries are from the Tax Foundation’s January 2026 table (EU Commission data); other countries use their standard VAT/GST rate. Rates change — this is a starting estimate, not tax advice.
Related tools
How much VAT can a tourist get back?
The price already includes VAT — for example 20% in France or 22% in Italy — and as a qualifying non-resident you can reclaim part of it when you export the goods. You won’t get the whole VAT: refund operators keep a commission, so travellers typically pocket around 60–85% of the VAT, more on larger purchases. Enter a price and country above for the exact VAT and a realistic range.
Methodology: VAT in a price is exact arithmetic: gross × rate ÷ (100 + rate). Standard VAT rates for European countries come from the Tax Foundation's January 2026 table (sourced from the European Commission's Taxes in Europe Database); other countries use their standard VAT/GST rate. The refund range applies a commonly-cited 60–85% net band to the VAT to reflect operator commission, shown as a range rather than a false-precision figure. Everything runs in your browser. Rates change and this isn't tax advice. How we test & calculate.
The VAT you can’t see — and might get back
Almost every price you pay abroad already has value-added tax baked into it — often a fifth or more of the total. As a visiting non-resident you can usually reclaim part of that VAT on goods you take home, which is what “tax-free shopping” means. But the headline VAT and the money you actually pocket are two different numbers, and the gap surprises people at the refund desk. This tool shows both: the exact VAT in the price, and a realistic estimate of what lands back in your account.
How the maths works
Because VAT is already inside the price, you don’t multiply the price by the rate. A €120 item in a 20% country contains €20 of VAT, not €24 — the VAT is the price times the rate divided by one-hundred-plus-the-rate. That €20 is the most you could ever reclaim. From it, the refund operator takes a commission, which is why the realistic figure is shown as a range. To see what the net refund is worth back home, run it through the currency converter.
Why you don’t get the full VAT
Reclaiming VAT is handled by commercial operators (Global Blue, Planet and others), and they charge for the service. Because the fee is broadly fixed per transaction, it takes a bigger bite out of small purchases and a smaller one out of large purchases — so a modest souvenir might return only half its VAT, while a high-value buy returns most of it. As a rule of thumb travellers receive somewhere around 60–85% of the VAT, and this calculator reflects that band rather than promising the full amount.
Eligibility and claiming
The refund is for new goods you export unused, bought by a non-resident — services like hotels and restaurants don’t count. A minimum purchase normally applies, varies by country and shop, and changes over time, so ask the retailer for their current threshold and a tax-free form when you pay. Crucially, you must get the form validated by customs when you leave — increasingly a digital scan at an airport kiosk — before you check the goods in, then claim at the refund desk or by post. Build in extra airport time for it.
Where it applies — and where it doesn’t
Tax-free shopping is most established across the EU and a handful of other countries such as Switzerland, Norway, Turkey, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, the UAE and Australia. One notable exception is the United Kingdom, which scrapped its visitor refund scheme in 2021 — the price still includes 20% VAT, but tourists can no longer reclaim it. The calculator flags that when you choose the UK, so you’re not counting on a refund that no longer exists. For the wider money picture, the trip budget calculator helps you plan the whole spend.
Frequently Asked Questions
Less than the full VAT in the price. The amount shown in the price is the theoretical maximum, but refund operators (such as Global Blue or Planet) keep part of it as commission, so travellers typically receive roughly 60–85% of the VAT — with larger purchases landing nearer the full amount and small ones losing a bigger share to fixed fees. The calculator shows both the exact VAT and that realistic range.