VAT back on shopping in the UK: what still works
In Great Britain, shops can only sell tax-free if they deliver straight to an address outside the UK. Northern Ireland works differently for some visitors. Here's the official page, and when we last checked it.
Tax-free shopping in the UK (GOV.UK)
HM Revenue & Customs
What it does: In Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland), you can only buy tax-free goods from shops that deliver them straight to an address outside the UK. In Northern Ireland, visitors who live outside Northern Ireland and the EU can sometimes get a VAT refund on goods taken out of Northern Ireland and the EU within 3 months, using a VAT 407(NI) form from the retailer.
What you need: See the official page for what you need.
Limits: Not all retailers offer this. Some retailers charge a fee for handling the form, taken from the refund. No refund on services such as hotel bills.
Last verified 3 November 2026 · Source: GOV.UK (HMRC)
How far back you can ask
VAT on goods bought in Northern Ireland by visitors who live outside Northern Ireland and the EU.
The rule: Northern Ireland only: take the goods out of Northern Ireland and the EU within 3 months.
This limit runs from each purchase or departure, so there's no single date.
Source: GOV.UK (HMRC), checked 3 November 2026
Questions
Can visitors get VAT back in the UK?
In Great Britain, shops can only sell tax-free if they deliver straight to an address outside the UK. Northern Ireland only: take the goods out of Northern Ireland and the EU within 3 months.
Do you need a company to do this?
Shops often use a VAT refund company to handle tourist refunds. A handling fee may be taken from your refund. The official pages below explain how it works in each country.
We always point people to the free government tracing route first, and we take nothing from financial advisers.
Frank Marco and the Capital FM ★ Find Money team
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