Retailer Frequently Asked Questions

General

Value Added Tax (VAT) is a general consumption tax on goods and services.

VAT rates and refund regulations are set individually by each country.

In the EU, VAT is included in the final price of nearly all goods and services which are bought and sold for use or consumption inside the EU. Most goods which are sold and taken out of the EU are eligible for a VAT refund.

All visitors that live outside the EU are entitled to a VAT refund on the goods they buy during their stay, which are taken out of the EU within 3 months of their purchase. Note that Czech nationals currently residing outside the EU are also eligible for a VAT refund, as the criteria is based on place of residency and not nationality.

Clothing, electronics, jewelry, toys, cosmetics, etc. Almost any goods that are purchased in the CZ and can be carried in the customer’s personal luggage.

According to Czech law, food and services, alcohol and tobacco products are not eligible for a refund.

Refundit is a small travel-tech company with big plans. Our aim is to revolutionize the process of VAT Refunds via a fully digital app-based solution, creating real value for tourists, retailers and authorities. 

Several operators provide a service to assist the tourist to claim their VAT refund. These generally involve filling in forms, waiting in line at customs and losing a large portion of the refund amount to high administration fees and charges.With Refundit there are no forms to fill in, no envelopes, no waiting in line at customs, lower and transparent handling charges and faster refunds.

Winner of the 1st UNWTO travel-tech startup competition, Refundit was founded by Uri Levine (Waze, Moovit, Fairfly) and Ziv Tirosh (Stockton) and is funded by Amadeus IT, Portugal Ventures and additional investment funds.

Shopping tourism plays an important role in boosting retail and the economy. But over 84% of retailers in Europe are unable to offer VAT refunds to attract high-spending tourists. Refundit proposes to revolutionize this by digitalizing Tax-Free Shopping and making it available to all retailers.

With Refundit, VAT refunds are quick and easy, and available at every store, from small local businesses to global brands. There are no fees to the retailer, no implementation is needed in store, no forms involved – and your customers receive bigger refunds so they are more likely to spend more in store.

No. The European VAT refund scheme is only for individuals, and only for items that are taken out of the EU.

Refund Process

To begin offering Refundit’s VAT refund services to your customers, simply tell them about our app. It’s free to download on Android (Google Play) and iPhones (App Store).
  • The customer must not be a resident of the European Union
  • The customer must leave the European Union from any airport in the Czech Republic (directly to a non-EU destination)
  • Only goods purchased in the Czech Republic are eligible for refunds via the Refundit app
  • The customer must take the goods outside the EU within 3 calendar months of purchase.

There are no fees or charges to the retailer. Refundit charges the tourist 9% of the value of the refund – which is the lowest handling fee when compared to other VAT refund operators – which can charge up to 60%!

With Refundit your customer receives 91% of the value of their refund.

See how we compare with other VAT refund operators and the difference is clear!

After downloading the app, the customer takes a photo of the regular store receipt.

We create a unique barcode which can then be scanned at the electronic customs kiosk at the airport.

After Customs approval, the customer chooses their preferred refund method (Credit Card, Bank Transfer, PayPal)

The whole process is digital with no need to fill out or print any forms.

How your customer pays in the store has no impact on the refund process.

Both our app and the Refundit website feature a VAT refund calculator which clearly shows the amount your customer can expect to receive if customs approve their refund request.

Currently Refundit’s service is only available to travellers leaving the Czech Republic directly to a non-EU destination.

A regular store receipt is all you will need to give the customer. You don’t need any stamps or tax-free forms.

Refundit works with standard receipts – no need for Tax-Free forms or stamps!

The receipt must be comprehensive, and contain the following information: Store name, Store VAT number, Date of Purchase, Quantity and Description of items, Total unit price, Any discounts or price reductions.

Yes – if your business is registered in the Czech Republic and the goods are delivered to the tourist before he leaves the country, then these purchases are eligible for a VAT refund.

Please make sure you provide the customer with a receipt that contains your store’s VAT number and address in the Czech Republic.

In most cases, there will be no need to go to the customs counter at the airport as approval is given at the electronic kiosks.

However, the Czech Customs authority reserves the right to call to inspection any VAT refund request that it sees fit.

Refundit is not responsible and in no way influences the decision of the Czech customs to call tourists for inspection.

Contact

Your questions and comments are always welcome. You can either email us at support@refundit.tax or contact us via chat on our website.

If you’d like to become a selected partner and actively promote the use of Refundit to tourists in the Czech Republic, please get in touch with us via email to: marketing@refundit.tax