If your VAT refund claim was not processed or paid by the store, we encourage you to bring this matter to the attention of the European Commission by filing a complaint regarding non-compliance with EU VAT refund regulations. Below, we will guide you through each step of the process. Your action could help drive changes in EU VAT refund policies. Let’s work together to resolve this!
You can submit your complaint in any official EU language; however, this guide will be in English.
Please see below the boxes to tick to initiate your complaint submission:
Click the orange button to access the complaint form:
Submit your personal information
Select the EU country where the store that did not process your VAT refund is located. Then, choose “Central administration.”
3. Select the following two options regarding the nature of your claim:
4. Describe the problem and your complaint. Below is a template you can use as a basis for your submission:
As a non-EU resident, I purchased goods in [Country] on [Date] from [Store Name], expecting to receive a VAT refund in accordance with EU law. I followed all the required procedures and used vatfree.com to request the refund on my behalf.
Despite meeting all the conditions, the store has refused to process my VAT refund. This refusal directly violates Articles 146 and 147 of Council Directive 2006/112/EC, which grant non-EU residents the right to a VAT refund when exporting goods outside the EU. The purpose of this directive is to prevent double taxation—once at the point of purchase within the EU and again upon import into my home country.
As a result, I am being unfairly charged VAT twice, in direct contradiction to EU law.
I urge the European Commission to take action to ensure compliance with EU VAT refund regulations and prevent such violations in the future.
5. Attach the following documents to support your complaint:
Your stamped purchase receipt
The tax-free form (which you can find next to the receipt image you uploaded)
or:
Your boarding pass (if available)
