British Tourists Can Now Save up to 19% on Post-Brexit Purchases Made in The EU

• From 1^st January 2021, residents of England, Scotland and Wales who are shopping in the EU are eligible to shop Tax Free, which means they can enjoy savings by claiming back the VAT on their purchases
• To qualify, shoppers must live outside of the EU, meet the minimum spend criteria and export the goods out of the EU within three months
• A range of goods including fashion items, cosmetics, technology, jewellery, food and wine are eligible for a VAT refund¹
• There are three simple steps to follow: request a Tax Free Form after payment at the store check-out, get the form stamped by customs on leaving the EU and claim the refund
• Leading worldwide Tax Free Shopping provider, Global Blue, has a range of services to make the experience easy for British shoppers new to the Tax Free process

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As the Brexit transition period finished at the end of 2020, residents of England, Wales and Scotland are now eligible for Tax Free Shopping in the EU.

What is Tax Free Shopping and who can apply?

Tax Free Shopping enables international shoppers to save up to 19% by claiming back the VAT applied to their purchases when they shop abroad.

A variety of goods qualify for VAT refunds, including fashion, cosmetics, jewellery, technology and food and drink items, with many of the best high street retailers and global luxury brands offering Tax Free Shopping services.

Now that the UK has left the EU, British tourists are eligible to shop Tax Free in the EU, provided they:

• Reside in England, Scotland or Wales², with a proof of residency required
• Meet the minimum spend criteria of the country in which the purchase is made
• Export the unused goods outside of the EU within a three-month period

How does Tax Free Shopping work?

There are three easy steps shoppers need to take in order to claim a Tax Free refund:

What support can Brits, newly eligible for Tax Free Shopping, receive?

Leading worldwide Tax Free Shopping provider, Global Blue, has a number of free services to ensure shoppers have the smoothest, easiest and most rewarding Tax Free shopping experience.

These include Mobile Customer Care, a mobile tool that provides realtime, step-by-step support during the Tax Free shopping journey and the Shop Tax Free app, which helps shoppers to track and manage refunds from the palm of their hand.

Finally, the Shop Tax Free Card, makes the process easier by autofilling personal details into the Tax Free Form at participating merchants. Members also benefit from access to exclusive offers with affiliated retailers.

Download the Global Blue APP on iOS and Android through App Store and Google Play Store:

App Store: https://itunes.appple.com/gb/app/global-blue-shop-tax-free/id693120896?mt=8

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.buuuk.globalblue&hl=en_GB

For more information on how and where to shop Tax Free in the EU, as well as the different requirements of the country(ies) you are visiting, go to: https://www.globalblue.com/

ABOUT GLOBAL BLUE

Global Blue pioneered the concept of Tax Free Shopping 40 years ago. Through continuous innovation, it has become the leading strategic technology and payments partner, empowering merchants to capture the growth of international shoppers.

The Group connects all stakeholders involved in the international shopping ecosystem, helping:

• More than 29 million international shoppers receive a seamless and personalised shopping experience, enabling them to claim back the VAT on their eligible purchases when they shop abroad and to pay in their home currency at a guaranteed best rate,
• More than 300,000 points of sale, including leading department stores and luxury brands, identify growth opportunities through smart data and intelligence solutions, increase footfall through data-driven marketing solutions and convert traffic into merchant revenue through innovative in-store technologies,
• More than 50 acquirers, at around 130,000 points of interaction, benefit from additional revenue streams and offer merchants and travellers Dynamic Currency Conversion options and other Added-Value Payment Solutions,
• Customs & authorities in more than 40 countries increase country attractiveness and ensure a secure and compliant Tax Free Shopping scheme.

In the financial year ending 31 March 2020, Global Blue processed 35 million Tax Free Shopping transactions with a total value of €18.5 billion sales in store, and 31 million Added-Value Payment Solutions transactions with a total value of €4.4 billion sales in store.

Global Blue has over 2,000 employees in more than 50 countries.

For more information, visit http://www.globalblue.com/corporate/

¹ Provided the purchases meets the minimum required spend value of that country
² Residents of Northern Ireland or British nationals currently residing in an EU country are not eligible