GST refunds (Goods & Service Tax)
GST refunds (Goods & Service Tax)
If you are backpacking or travelling around a country you are going to spend money on goods and services. Wouldn’t it be great if you could get the GST or VAT refunded on some of the items you buy?
Guess what….you CAN!
The first time i discovered this I was travelling through Canada.
I spend around 2 months there, saw all sorts of amazing sites, met some great people and obviously I spent a few quid along the way.
When it came to leaving I discovered something you could find very useful in deed and it is not only restricted to Canada. Sadly it was too late for me…
Did you know that if you keep your receipts for everything you paid out on while you are visiting you can potentially claim back a percentage of the country equivalent of GST / VAT?
There is usually a minimum amount you would need to spend before you are entitled to make a claim and you usually need to organis
In Canada I think you can even claim for things like hotel costs and car hire.
If you are not a British resident and you visit the UK you can even claim back VAT for some of the goods you have purchased. When VAT in the UK is 20% you are looking at quite a decent discount when you think about it.
Imagine all the people who have no idea about this and make sure you aren’t one of them.
The extra money you could have to spend as a result of GST refunds could help pay for some little extras along your journey you may have missed out on otherwise.
Here are some of the GST rates charged around the world
| Country | Rate of GST |
| Australia | 10% |
| France | 19.6% |
| Germany | 19% |
| Canada | 5% |
| Japan | 5% |
| Singapore | 7% |
| Sweden | 25% |
| India | 20% |
| New Zealand | 15% – No refund available |
| Pakistan | 1% |
| UK | 20% |
Want to know more?
If you want to know more why not have a play with some of my links at the bottom and see what you could save.
Various including US, Canada, Japan, Europe and others
I will be looking into this in a little more detail for the other countries covered by this website so watch this space but for now certainly worth a look before you go….
The usual processes vary; some will allow you to claim your refund at the customs office of the airport, some you must register first so make sure you leave a bit of extra time to get the job done! Happy days (wish I had done it! Ha ha!)
