MAKE YOUR TRAVEL PROFITABLE. GET YOUR TAX REFUND WITH DEPARTAX

Conditions for getting your VAT refund in Belgium & Luxembourg

  • Only non-EU residents can apply
  • Goods must be exported from the EU for your personal use
  • Only goods purchased at affiliated Retailers
  • Minimum purchase by invoice (ticket receipts from the same store): Belgium: 125,01 euros, Luxembourg: 75,00 euros
  • Completed and signed Tax Refund Cheque, attached to the invoice/ticket receipts
  • The Tax Refund Cheque must be presented to the last Customs desk, with your goods and the invoice/ticket receipt, before the end of the 3rd month following the month of the purchase, to have the Customs stamp
  • Your purchased goods must be available for Customs in their original package. Otherwise the Customs can refuse to stamp your Cheque.
  • You must send us the stamped Cheque.

Each country has its own rules for VAT reimbursement. Please consult these local rules.

How do I know which Retailer is an affiliate of Departax

  • The affiliated Retailer displays the Departax logo on its window.
  • Ask the Retailer whether it is working with Departax.
  • Visit regularly our website to find our affiliated Retailers.

How do I complete my Tax Refund Cheque

The Tax Refund Cheque must be correctly completed. It is an official export document.

  1. Request a Tax refund Cheque from the Retailer at the time of purchase.
  2. Complete the Cheque with all the required information.
  3. Enter properly your profile details (name, residence address, passport/ID card number, email address) and your preferred refund method (Western Union or another transfer agent; PayPal; or a bank transfer to your bank account in a SEPA* country).
  4. Sign and date the Cheque
  5. The Retailer must also complete and sign the Cheque
  6. Take the original Cheque with you, make a copy if possible. Leave the 2nd part of the Cheque to the Retailer
  7. Attach the ticket receipt/invoice at the back of the Cheque
  8. Ask the Retailer for our prepaid envelope (free postage from Belgium)

SEPA : European Union + Switzerland + Norway + Iceland + Liechtenstein

/!\ An email address is obligatory to complete the Cheque. If you don’t have any, enter the email address of a person who you trust.

Western Union (or another transfer agent) is not active in your country

No problem, do not select any refund method. Departax will contact you by email to find the best solution to refund you.

Getting the Customs stamp

The stamp from the Customs is obligatory to get the refund. It will prove that the purchased goods were exported from the country of purchase to your home country.

You must obtain the Customs stamp within 3 months following the month of the purchase of the goods.

When leaving the European Union, present your duly completed Tax Refund Cheque, original ticket receipts/invoices, boarding pass, passport and purchased goods (in original packages) to the Customs.

  • For goods in your hand luggage, you need the Customs stamp at your final point of departure from the European Union.
  • For goods in your checked-in luggage (stored in the cargo of the airplane), you will need the Customs stamp at the airport where you initially check in for your flight. Go to the Customs desk before giving your luggage.

Consult the local rules, the local airport website, and the local Customs website to learn about the refund rules, the opening hours and the location of the Customs office at the airport.

I didn’t manage to obtain the stamp of the Customs

You will need to go through the European Union Customs again (within 3 months following the month when your Tax Refund Cheque was issued). You must ‘reexport’ your goods and get the stamp of the Customs according to the local rules.

How to send the Tax Refund Cheque

a) Before sending your Cheque, make sure that :

  • It is duly completed and signed
  • All necessary documents are attached
  • The Customs stamp is obtained according to the local rules
  • Make and keep a copy of the Cheque if possible

b) Can I change my refund option

If your Cheque has not yet been processed by Departax, it is still possible to change the original refund option. Contact us by email (info@departax.com).

c) Send the Cheque to our address

ARIMAR srl, BP 61, 6700 ALON CENTRE, BELGIUM
It is free with our prepaid envelope posted from Belgium.

How much refund will I receive

Your refund will be equal to the amount of Value Added Tax that you paid at the affiliated Retailer, less the service fee of Departax, the money transfer and conversion fees.

  • You will get your cash refund in the currency of the country where the Western Union office (or another agent) is located.
  • Your PayPal account will be credited in euro.
  • Your bank account will be credited in its local currency.

Additional fees may be applied for currency conversion.

Departax will add all your submitted Cheques before refunding you, making your refund more profitable.

Departax will always try to find the best way to refund you, and it reserves the right to choose the appropriate refund method in exceptional cases.

When will I receive my refund

When Departax receives your duly completed and stamped Tax Refund Cheque, it will start the process of collecting the refund from the Retailer.

Because Departax wants to prevent fraud, payment of your refund will be made within 2 weeks of receipt of the refund from the Retailer, excluding the processing time of money transfer agents.

Departax is under no obligation to make a refund in case of:

  • missing documents
  • incomplete or incorrect details on the Cheque
  • no valid Customs stamp
  • no refund method chosen
  • incorrect email address
  • no answer to our emails for 10 days

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