France VAT Refund Calculator

French prices include 20% VAT, which equals 16.67% of the price you paid. In practice, refund operators (Global Blue, Planet and others) deduct processing fees, so most tourists receive roughly 10–13% of the purchase price back. On a €1,000 purchase, expect €100–€130 rather than the theoretical €166.

More than €100 including tax (so €100.01), spent in the same store or same-brand group — and since the rules were relaxed, the purchases may be accumulated over up to 3 days, not just one. Italy's minimum is €70.01, Germany's is €50.01, and Spain has no minimum at all.

You must be a resident of a non-EU country, be at least 16 years old, be visiting France for less than six months, and personally carry the goods out of the EU within three months of the end of the purchase month. EU residents never qualify, and neither do French overseas residents shopping in mainland France for personal use rules — check your specific case.

The retailer issues an electronic tax-free form (bordereau) linked to your passport. Before checking luggage at your final EU departure airport, scan the form's barcode at a PABLO kiosk (or a customs desk where no kiosk exists). A green screen means the export is validated and the refund is triggered; without validation, no refund is paid.

Services (hotels, restaurants, tours, transport), anything consumed in France (food, drinks), tobacco, weapons, cultural goods, cars and car parts, and goods for commercial rather than personal use. The scheme covers personal-use goods you export unused.

Card refunds pay more (lower fees) but take days to weeks. Immediate cash refunds at the airport carry the highest fees and sometimes currency spreads. If the operator offers 'instant' in-city refunds, note they pre-authorise your credit card and will charge it back in full if you fail to validate at departure.

Yes — you validate at your LAST point of departure from the EU. Buy in Paris and fly home via Frankfurt: your French form is validated in Frankfurt, but note PABLO kiosks only exist in France — abroad it's a manual stamp from that country's customs, and the stamped form usually has to be sent back to the operator before the refund is paid.

The EU rules are shared but each country sets its minimum and system: Italy requires €70.01 and validates via OTELLO; Spain has no minimum and uses DIVA kiosks; Germany requires €50.01. Refund percentages are similar (roughly 10–15%) because the mechanics and operator fees are similar.

Direct 'détaxe' with the retailer is possible when the shop runs its own scheme, and it can pay closer to the full VAT — but most shops work through operators because of the paperwork. Either way, the tax-free form and PABLO validation are mandatory.

The refund is simply a return of French tax — France doesn't tax it. But your HOME country's customs allowance still applies to what you import: exceed your duty-free allowance (e.g. US$800 for US residents) and you may owe import duty at home on the goods.