1, tax refund conditions Swiss commodity prices generally contain 8% value-added tax. Customers who live outside Switzerland can apply for tax refund service if they buy goods with value-added tax of more than 300 Swiss francs at a time in the store, and they must take the goods out of Switzerland within 30 days.
2. Tax Refund Process (1) Tax Refund Form
When buying goods, ask the store whether it can refund the tax and ask for the tax refund form.
(2) Customs seal
Show the goods, invoices, passports and tax refund forms to the Swiss customs when leaving the country, and ask the Swiss customs to check and stamp them.
(3) Go to the tax refund window
You can get the tax refund amount by presenting the tax refund form, passport and credit card stamped by the customs. For example, some large watch chain stores such as Bucherer will directly sell goods at duty-free prices for the convenience of tourists, and then ask customers to take credit cards as collateral. When you leave Switzerland, please ask the staff for the tax refund form, fill it out and give it to the customs staff for seal. After that, the customs will send the tax refund form back to the store and refund the value-added tax paid by the store for the guests. However, if you forget to stamp at the customs and fail to go through the formalities of tax refund, the store will charge VAT from the credit card you mortgaged to make up for the loss of the store.
3. Influence of departure mode on tax refund mode (1) Departure by air
Before going through the boarding and consignment procedures and entering the duty-free shopping area of the airport, you will see "ZOLL", "CUSTOMERS" or marked booths or counters, and ask the customs officers to handle them. If it is an automatic counter, you need to stand in the counter, then choose the language you want to use and follow the instructions on the screen easily.
You may be asked to show what you bought in kind, so if you buy something expensive and need a tax refund, it is best not to put it in the checked baggage for tax refund inspection. If the item is a saber or a large item that must be checked, please inform the counter when you check in. After the luggage is weighed, you need to give it to the customs officials for safekeeping. They will check your luggage and send it to your plane. After the customs officials check the form, they will stamp your tax refund form.
(2) Leave by car
If you will take a bus to a neighboring country to continue your journey, please remind the driver to stop at the customs office on the Swiss border so that passengers can stamp at the customs. In some border cities, there are also tax refund collection offices to facilitate tourists to refund taxes.
4. Tips for Swiss Tax Refund For tax refund documents purchased in EU member states, you can stamp the documents at the customs of any member state. However, since Switzerland is not a member of the European Union, this principle does not apply to Switzerland, so you must remember to stamp the documents you hold before entering or leaving Switzerland.