Europe and Worldwide

Global VAT Solutions (GVS) assists our clients in reclaiming VAT refunds from Europe and worldwide. GVS works closely with our global partners in order to offer comprehensive and reliable services to our clients.

Our VAT recovery services include:

Free initial consultation

If you have any questions about your company's eligibility to recover VAT, GVS' qualified staff is prepared to help you. You may contact us either by phone (8:30 AM - 5:00 PM Central Time USA), or by email. An initial consultation is free of charge. For additional information, you may also request our brochure.

On site invoice retrieval (Data collection)

On site invoice retrieval may be useful if your company has accumulated a large quantity of invoices. At your request, GVS will send our staff members to your company site to process the invoices eligible for VAT refunds.

Claim processing and submission

VAT refund forms are written in various foreign languages, and thus completing those forms is often a difficult and painstaking task. GVS will complete all the required forms and submit the claims to foreign tax authorities on behalf of your company.

Invoice replacement service

To be refundable, invoices must meet EU guidelines. For example, invoices usually must be issued under your company's name. In most countries, invoices issued under an employee's name will not be accepted for refund.

GVS will review your invoices and verify that they comply with the guidelines. If necessary, we will request that the invoice issuer correct errors and reissue corrected invoices.

Rejected claim appeals

If your refund claim is rejected by the foreign tax authorities, GVS will review the cause of the rejection. If necessary, we will appeal the tax authorities decision.

Qualified business expenses include:

Click here to view a detailed chart of refundable items in PDF format

Exhibitions and tradeshows:
Booth rental, construction costs, equipment, furniture, utilities, accommodations, admission tickets, catering service, support personnel

Branch office / sales office expenses:
Office rent, communication costs, company car leasing, utilities

Professional services and support services:
Legal consulting, accounting, advertisement, market research, research & development

Warehousing costs

Employee travel:
Transportation, accommodations, meals, communication,
business related entertainment

Conferences and employee training

Fuel:
Gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, avionics fuel

Submission Deadlines :

United Kingdom:
Claim period – July 1 through June 30
Submission Deadline – Dec.31 of the same year

Italy:

Claim Period-January 1 through December 31
Submission deadline – February of the following year

Europe (excluding United Kingdom & Italy):
Claim period – January 1 through December 31
Submission deadline – June 30 of the following year

Canada:
Submission deadline - within one year of invoice date

Retrospective claims:

The Netherlands: Up to five years

Belgium: Up to three years

Australia: Up to four years

Documents Required for Reclaiming VAT:

The required documents vary from country to country. We provide you with all the required forms and instructions to complete the refund process. The required documents may include:

Original invoices – Most countries require original invoices to reclaim VAT. Your original invoices will be returned to you with your refunds.

If your invoices are damaged or not issued under your company name, we offer an invoice replacement service.

Tax payer certificate (Certificate of Residency) - You need to obtain a certificate from your resident tax authority, providing proof that your company is registered in its own country. The document should include your company's name and address, the taxpayer tax ID number or VAT registration number, and the nature of its business activities in the country where VAT is recovered.

Power of attorney / letter of authorization – If you are claiming VAT in a country where fiscal representation is required, a power of attorney / letter of authorization is needed to allow a fiscal representative to claim VAT on your behalf. Those countries include Japan, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Poland and
the Czech Republic. 

Japan

GVS has expertise in reclaiming VAT from Japan. In 1989 the VAT system was introduced in Japan. VAT is known as Consumption Tax, and is charged on virtually all goods and services. In reclaiming VAT, foreign companies are at a disadvantage due to the lack of assistance from Japanese tax authorities and unfamiliarity with the Japanese language.

GVS is keenly aware of our client's needs, and is committed to providing a wide range of services to your company. We work with your company step by step: from VAT registration to claim submission to the Japanese tax authorities.

Fiscal Representation in Japan

A non-Japanese resident company is required to have a Japanese fiscal representative, who acts on its behalf in VAT reclamation. GVS fiscal representatives are knowledgeable about the latest Japanese VAT regulations, enabling GVS to maximize your company's refund.

VAT registration in Japan

In Japan, expenses incurred before VAT registration cannot be claimed. Thus, the registration has to be completed before reclaiming VAT. This is true even if your company does not have direct sales in Japan. The only purpose of registering your company with the Japanese tax authorities is to establish your company's non-resident status in Japan. Therefore, registration does not create any tax consequences for your company.

The registration remains in effect until your registration is cancelled.

Since a company is not eligible to incur claimable VAT expenses until VAT registration is completed, it is important that your company become registered for VAT purposes as soon as possible. We assist clients with the entire VAT registration process.