What do foreigners bring from Russia and what do they return money for?
Residents of other countries often returned VAT when buying watches and sturgeon caviar. Information is reported by the press service of Domodedovo airport.
Moscow airport customs summed up the results of the tax free system in the summer. Since the beginning of June, more than 2,200 applications from foreign citizens have been received by customs officers of Domodedovo Airport for the return of part of the funds spent on purchases in Russia. The average check provided by guests is 80,000 rubles.
Passengers from other countries often bought watches in Russia. This was the most expensive purchase from which VAT was refunded. One of the foreigners was able to buy a men’s watch 4.2 million rubles.
The top tax free goods demanded by foreign guests included jewelry, clothes, perfumes, sturgeon caviar. The tax refund system in Domodedovo was used most often by guests from the UAE, Israel, Germany, Switzerland and the UK.
The tax free system was launched in Russia in January 2018. From April 10, the system was introduced in cities that hosted the World Cup games. Tax free allows residents of foreign countries, except members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), to refund VAT paid when purchasing goods in Russia. To compensate, you need to buy goods worth at least 10 thousand rubles in one day, taking into account the tax, and issue a check on them.
The head of the Department of tax and customs policy of the Ministry of Finance Alexey Sazanov said that the tax free system should be extended to the entire territory of our country. In his opinion, the tax should be returned on any product. Currently, alcohol and tobacco products, cars and petroleum products are not subject to VAT refund.