{"id":2116,"date":"2025-04-02T17:59:58","date_gmt":"2025-04-02T17:59:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leyton.majjane.agency\/ca\/post\/vat-refunds-for-non-registered-businesses\/"},"modified":"2026-07-26T17:03:01","modified_gmt":"2026-07-26T15:03:01","slug":"vat-refunds-for-non-registered-businesses","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/leyton.com\/ca\/en\/insights\/articles\/vat-refunds-for-non-registered-businesses\/","title":{"rendered":"VAT Refunds for Non-Registered Businesses"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever come back from a vacation in Europe and found a booth at the airport that refunds the VAT tax you paid? You quickly gather your receipts to file for the refund before catching your flight home.<\/p>\n

Many popular destinations in Europe have a VAT rate between 15% and 25%. Canadian visitors try to get the most out of their VAT refunds, but many Canadian businesses miss out on these refund options.<\/p>\n

The EU has a VAT system similar to Canada\u2019s GST\/HST<\/a>. While the EU sets the VAT rules, each member country can decide its own VAT rates and rules, which can make getting VAT refunds tricky for businesses.<\/p>\n

Eligibility for VAT Refunds<\/h2>\n

The process for requesting VAT refunds varies across the European Union. Deadlines for refunds can be different, usually by June 30 or September 30. To be eligible for a refund, there may need to be an agreement between Canada and the country where the refund is requested. Sometimes, a fiscal representative is also needed.<\/p>\n

To get a VAT refund in the EU, a business must not be VAT-registered in the country where they are claiming the refund <\/a>and must not have done any taxable business there. Generally, only businesses based outside the refunding country can claim a VAT refund. Rules can vary, as each country has its own list of what expenses are eligible or not.<\/p>\n

Eligible business expenses for VAT refunds can include:<\/h3>\n