Walking through the airport in Düsseldorf this week, I noticed some GPS units in an electronic store. I had been thinking about buying one, and the unit I wanted was on sale for a good price. The clerk then told me I would get a refund on the Value-Added Tax (VAT) because I had a U.S. passport.
This was a great deal so I bought it. Or rather I tried to. The first hurdle was to get the credit card company to accept the transaction – it triggered the security flag as an 'unusual transaction'.
The clerk then gave be the refund paperwork and said I must to go the customs office around the corner to get it stamped.
The customs office is staffed by people in drab olive-green uniforms, vaguely military-looking. In contrast the local police dress in a uniform that makes them appear more friendly and welcoming. Interesting that the bureaucrats dress in a manner more threatening than the police.
Whether it is the uniform or the job itself, the woman at the customs desk was not very nice. She was actually quite mean. She leafed through my passport and said sternly, in German, “This is meant for tourists. You are not a tourist”.
Apparently you must be in the country for less than 90 days to be able to take advantage of the VAT refund. She put a big stamp on the rebate form saying ‘denied’.
In coming to Germany to work, I was looking for the experience of not being a tourist. I wanted to get a sense for what it is like to actually live here. I’ve now been told without question that is the case. I get to pay the tax just like anyone else.
After being refused at the customs office, I wanted to return the GPS, and I still needed to get my luggage, but now I was now outside the security area. After some hassling with the airport security people, I went back to the store. The clerk, wanting to make the sale, discounted the price even more, to within a couple of Euros of the tax refund. So not everyone in Germany is completely inflexible.
In the end this was an even better deal. It only cost me an hour and a half and a bit of aggravation. And I can now say with certainty, I am not a tourist.
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3 comments:
Hi, new reader here from Heidelbergerin's blog.
The rule stipulates that you have to be leaving the EU within 90 days of purchase. As far as the not being a tourist thing goes, I've never had them look through my passport to see if I had a residency visa or not. I hand it to them with the first page open, they look at it and then give me the VAT refund.
well then ... if that is correct then she was wrong. I told her I would be leaving in 3 weeks but still she stamped the paper denied (with apparent satisfaction I might add).
I wonder if I can get the paperwork at the airport when I leave. I have my receipt. Any idea? Would be great if I could get the refund.
Did you use a US addy on the paperwork? I do when I do tax free shopping. That helps.
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