Tax Free system started working in Russia in test mode

UFA, 13 April 2018. /Bashinform News Agency, Rozaliya Valeeva/. The Tax-Free system started working in Russia in a test mode. Currently, the project is launched in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Krasnogorsk and Sochi. Until the end of the year, the system will work all over the country, according to the official website of the tax department.

Tax-Free is a system for the value-added tax (VAT) return, which is valid for non-residents of the country when they export goods purchased in Russia. Citizens of countries that are not members of the Eurasian Economic Union (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan) will be able to return part of the VAT paid during the purchase. The purchase amount must be at least 10 thousand rubles including tax.

A foreigner will need to get a Tax Free check while his purchase. Subsequently, the check, the goods themselves, as well as the passport will need to be submitted to customs officials at the airport. Based on the results of the inspection, customs officers will put an appropriate mark. Money can be received in cash at once or within a year on a settlement account or bank card through a Tax-Free operator or directly from a store. The data will be provided to the Tax Service by the operator and the store without participation of a tourist.

To help tourists, the project participants should prepare information leaflets about the Tax-Free system for customers in three languages - Russian, English and Chinese.

Stores should be included in the list approved by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia to participate in the Tax-Free system. The Ministry has already received applications from stores to participate in the project since the end of March.

At the same time, the law defines a list of goods for which Tax-Free does not apply, for the time being, it includes only excisable goods.