Foreign visitors and overseas Vietnamese get Value Added Tax (VAT) refunds on purchases they made in Viet Nam from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2014 under a pilot program, when exiting the country through Noi Bai or Tan Son Nhat International Airports.
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Question:
(A foreigner) What are the procedures for attaining VAT refunds in Viet Nam?
Answer:
Foreign visitors and overseas Vietnamese can claim back 85% of the Value Added Tax (VAT) charged on goods purchased in the country.
Goods subjected to a VAT refund must not be among those prohibited for export. Neither must they be listed for export under Ministry of Industry and Trade permits nor subject to special management.
To get any refund, a tax refund declaration form must be issued within 30 days from the departure date and purchases with valid invoices have at least VND2 million (nearly US$100).
The tax refund will be paid in dong or a foreign currency in line with bank exchange rates.
Applicants must submit bills, VAT refund declaration forms and receipts, along with the goods in question at the customs counter to claim refunds. They must also show passports or identification papers.
If the purchases are not to take on board as carry-on luggage, the visitor must present the goods and a relevant tax invoice at a VAT refund desk or to a customs official prior to check-in.
At Noi Bai International Airport, the Bank for Foreign Trade of Viet Nam (Vietcombank) and the Vietnam Maritime Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Maritime Bank) are in charge of coordinating with the Hanoi customs department’s sub-departments to provide VAT refund services.
The Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) and the Bank for Industry and Trade of Viet Nam (Vietinbank) work with the Ho Chi Minh City customs department’s sub-departments to process the work./.
Source VGP
