Any foreign tourist from outside the EU is entitled to shop at Tax Free shops in London and UK. Generally the shops display the logos ‘Tax free’ and it is at these places that you are entitled for a refund of the value added tax that you have paid on the purchases. To be entitled to the tax refund in the European Union, the visitor should not be a resident of any of the EU countries. And that is the basic reason why people are crazy about shopping in the London and UK.

The minimum amount that you have to spend to qualify for the tax varies from shop to shop and country to country. When the purchase is complete you will have to bring proof of the purchase to the Customs office when leaving the country and get it stamped. Once your tax-free cheque is approved and stamped there are many ways in which you can claim your refund. Many people choose to have their tax refund credited to their credit card or sent straight to their bank account.

Shopping in the UK has never been so opportunistic for people from outside the EU, so if you are from outside the EU and are planning a trip to the UK, you should be sure to allow space in your luggage to keep items that you have bought in tax free shops separate from your other goods.

Claiming your tax back is very simple, when in the tax free shop in the UK, you should ask the shop assistant for a tax free cheque (after having spent the minimum amount of course) and then when you go through customs before leaving the UK, you should get the cheque stamped by the customs officer for approval, and then upon arriving at your destination airport, you should show your stamped refund cheque along with your passport and credit card to get the full amount of tax you paid credited back to your card or to your bank account.

The tax free shopping scheme is a facility available to tourists from various countries outside the EU when they visit either the UK or one of the other participating countries.

For more information on tax free shopping London UK visit gbtaxfree.com by clicking on travelex VAT refund