Understanding the Tax Refund Service in France and Galeries Lafayette new Self Service Tax Back Refund Machines

ByDiane Marz
114 Comments

One thing I love about shopping in France is taking advantage of the tax refund service at Galeries Lafayette. Galeries Lafayette's tax refund service is extremely simple. Discover what VAT tax is, how to qualify for the tax refund, and how the new Galeries Lafayette self-service tax back refund machines work / how to file the tax refund paperwork.

tax back refund service in Paris
gossip girl shopping in paris

What is VAT tax and tax Back Refund Services?

VAT tax is very similar to Sales tax. The main difference between VAT tax and Sales tax is VAT tax is already included into the goods and services on the price tag. VAT tax can range anywhere from 2% to 33%. At Galeries Lafayette, It's common to receive a 12% tax refund.

Tax Back Refund is the refund you receive from the government on the tax you paid for your item. Click more detailed information on the tax refund process in France.

How do you qualify for the tax refund service in France?

There are a few requirements for Galeries Lafayette Tax Refund that you must follow in order to claim your refund:

  1. Spend more than 100.01 Euros in the same store, the same day
  2. Cannot be a member of the EU (European Union)
  3. Must be older than 15
  4. Can't be in France longer than 6 months
  5. The refund must be processed the same day as your purchases, or by the end of the third consecutive day of shopping
  6. Must have your passport with you

How do you submit and File the Tax Refund Paperwork

tax back refund machine in France

Once you purchase something for more than 100.01 Euros ask for the VAT “Detaxe” Form. (Ask the sales associate for this if they do not automatically give it to you)

Galeries Lafayette now self-service tax back refund machines that take you step by step through the process of filling your tax back refunds. When you are processing the paperwork at the self-service kiosk you have the ability to get the VAT tax back immediately in cash or you can have it added back to your credit card which can take 3 months to 6 months.

If you want cash back immediately, you receive 10.8% of your purchases back as long as you depart from the EU within 21 days. If you decide to wait and have it refunded on your credit card, you will receive 12% cash back.

When you are using the self-service tax back refund machine at Galeries Lafayette, it will prompt you step by step what documents you need to scan and will tell you the amount you will receive back.

Once you finish with the tax refund machine, it will provide you will some paperwork. Make sure you take the paperwork and the envelope to drop it off at the airport. When you arrive to the airport, there will be boxes at these locations: Make sure you drop it in the Pablo box, and have your items you purchased available to show the customs officer!

At Paris-Orly
South Terminal: Departures level, gate G
West Terminal: Arrivals level, gate E

At Paris-Charles de Gaulle
Terminal 1: CDGVAL level, hall 6
Terminal 2A: Departures level, gate 5
Terminal 2C: Departures level, gate 12
Terminal 2D: Departures level, gate 6
Terminal 2E: Departures level, gate 4
Terminal 2F: Arrivals level
Terminal 3: Departures level, airside

tax back in Paris steps

Please leave any comments you may have regarding the tax refund process in Paris, and I will do my best to answer them

Sincerely Petite in Paris,

Diane 

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114 Comments

  1. Dear Diane,

    I would like to ask your advice what I should do if i already got the stamped on the form at milan departure airport and put into red mail box on 7 January 2023 and until now the status is still pending that Galleries Lafayette hasnt receives my stamped form. We went to GF as a group tour and shopped at same date and submitted the form and same date but the other member already got it on 15 february 2023. While mine still pending and its already 3 months. I am really frustrated as i have follow all procedures but still cant get the refund cos the problem of mail delivery which is beyond my control and GF doesnt want to understand this as firmly said they have to get the original stamped form in order to give me the refund totalling 932 euro. Its so frustrating. I even have shown my picture of the stamped form before I inserted into mail box as evidence. But they still dont care. It seems the refund process really depends on mail delivery which is I cant control and track. Thank you.

    Reply
    1. Diane Marz says:

      Hello Jen,

      Thank you for your message!

      Galeries Lafayette processes the paperwork at different times so even though you were in the same group sometimes it can take longer for one person compared to another person. I know it’s frustrating, but try to be patient.

      Have you tried their VAT tracker? https://haussmann.galerieslafayette.com/en/tax-refund-tracker/ ? I recommend after a full 3 months I would use their contact systems to figure out what’s going on. Keep in mind the French don’t have the same sort of customer service as the US, but if you keep emailing them and pressing on the situation they will look into it.

      Hope that helps.

      Kind Regards,
      Diane

      Reply

  2. Hello, the tax free tracker is showing that all three steps are now completed for my refund. But I have not seen my refund back on my Credit Card account. It’s been two days since step 3 was marked completed.

    Does anyone know how long it takes to get the money back after step 3 is completed and the “order of payment of your tax free is created?”

    Thank you for your help!

    Reply
    1. Diane Marz says:

      Hello Manasi,

      Thank you for your message – I’ve seen anywhere up to a few days to a few weeks for the refund to reflect on your credit card.

      Hope that helps

      Best,
      Diane

      Reply

  3. Hi Diane,
    I bought bag and 2 more things from Paris/Galeria Lafayette store. Store prepared my documents and give me with envelope. Then i passed Amsterdam and back to my country Turkey.
    Amsterdam airport officers stamped on my document and tell me show my buyings to officers after security control. But their office was already closed when i passed security. So i couldnt show them and not sure about to put in the mailbox. (this was my first time tax free shopping). so i back to my country with documents. i emailed GL store support but they dont answer me yet. when i track my tax refund at GL web site; it stays at second step (Customs validation pending)
    Do you know what should i do? Should i mailed my documents to “Direction Générale des Douanes et Droits Indirects”?
    thank you

    Reply

    1. Hello,

      Thank you for your message regarding the tax refund process. I’m sorry to hear that it was closed when you passed by their office. It’s no problem to submit the paperwork manually.

      I’ve outlined the entire process here https://petiteinparis.com/vat-tax-refund-process-in-paris-france/ under the title WHAT IF I FORGOT TO SUBMIT THE VAT TAX REFUND FORM OR DID THE STEPS WRONG?

      I hope that helps!

      Kind Regards,
      Diane

      Diane Coletta
      Petite in Paris

      Reply

  4. I have shoppied n galleries Lafayette. And I have the refund form which I got validated at the airport and couldn’t get it stamped due to some reasons.now I would like to know the procedure of the tax refund.. I should get a refund of 58 euros .

    Reply

    1. Dear Roopa,

      Thank you for your message regarding the tax refund process at Galeries Lafayette.

      Do you still have the paperwork with you? If so no worries you can mail it and get the refund. Please follow the following steps

      Within 6 months after the date of purchase of your goods, you must address a tax refund request to:

      Direction Générale des Douanes et Droits Indirects
      Fiscalité, transports et politiques fiscales communautaires (bureau F1)
      11, rue des Deux Communes
      93558 Montreuil
      France

      This request MUST be supported by the following documents:

      A copy of your passport;
      A copy of your travel ticket or your boarding pass;
      An “attestation de présentation des marchandises” issued by a French Consulate. In order to get this document you must go to the Consulate with the goods you bought, your passport and your plane ticket – OR –
      The Declaration you made for those goods when entering your country;
      A letter with exhaustive explanations of the reasons why you were not able to get your form stamped when leaving France;
      The Retail Export Form.

      Please let me know if you have any additional questions regarding the tax refund process!

      Kind Regards,
      Diane

      Diane Coletta
      Petite in Paris

      Reply

  5. HI there,

    I was just in paris and purchased some coats at Gallery Lafayette. However, i made the mistake of forgetting to get my papers scanned at the airport. Now what do I do? Am I supposed to mail them in or submit them online somehow? If you could please guide me, that would be great.

    Thank you so much!
    Shikha

    Reply

    1. Dear Shikha,

      Thank you for your message about the tax refund process in Europe.

      Oh no, sorry to hear that you forgot to scan the paperwork. Unfortunately, you aren’t able to process it online. You’d have to physically mail it back to this address below

      You must mail it to :
      Galleries Lafayette Haussmann
      Detaxe Haussmann
      TSA 44 100
      75 446 Paris Cedex 09
      FRANCE

      I hope that helps answers your question on the tax refund process in Paris!

      Kind Regards,
      Diane

      Diane Coletta
      Petite in Paris

      Reply

  6. Dear all, at beginning if june 2109, I bought staff at the Gallery Lafayette, I’ve got my tax refund in cash at the Gallery, then I’ve stamped my tax free papers at the aeroport custom. Somehow you took back from my credit card my tax refund. I would like to understand, why it’s happened and to receive my tax refund back. Thank you for your prompt answer.
    Sincerely Anna

    Reply

    1. Dear Anna,

      Thank you for your message in regards to the tax refund process in Paris.

      The reason Galeries Lafayette took your tax refund back on the credit card is because you somewhere in the process something went wrong and it wasn’t completed correctly.

      After you got your paperwork stamped at the airport customs, did you drop it in that big box to be mailed?

      I hope that helps in better understanding what happened during the tax refund (VAT) process in Paris

      Kind Regards,
      Diane

      Diane Coletta
      Petite in Paris

      Reply

  7. Hello,
    I just bought a Chanel purse at GL and this is what o learned. I just want to let you know GL is running a scam that they don’t want the tourist/shoppers to know. The vat is 20% but GL is only returning less than 10% +\- . They are keeping the rest as their service of refunding your money back the same day or refunding back to your CC. So if you shop at Chanel at GL, you won’t get your full VAT. If you however shopped at the independent Chanel Btqs, you should get more VAT , close to 20%. This is what I learned and was really upset. Also, be aware, if you get cashback. You get less back compared to returning it back to your Credit card. Also, be aware, that you still need to get the stamp on the form AND when you return the envelope, You have to mail it and not drop it off on the global blue mailbox.
    You must mail it to :
    Galleries Lafayette Haussmann
    Detaxe Haussmann
    TSA 44 100
    75 446 Paris Cedex 09
    FRANCE

    Make sure you have a STAMP on the envelope! It is not like Global Blue or Premier where they don’t require stamps.

    I suspect that most of your readers have dropped it off
    And/or sent it to the wrong taxfree companies. They may have forgotten to put a stamp on the envelope as well. So they may never receive their refund.

    My advice; don’t shop at GL. If you plan on buying LV or Chanel, or other designers, go to the Independent boutique so you don’t have them take a certain percentage from your VAT. Scam I tell you!!! They must be making millions off of these innocent tourists.

    Reply
  8. Diane Coletta says:

    Dear Besma,

    Thank you for your message regarding the tax refund policy at Galeries Lafayette.

    Unfortunately, if it’s been more than 6 months you are no longer eligible to receive the tax money back

    Please let me know if you have any additional questions regarding the tax refund policy in France

    Kind Regards,
    Diane

    Diane Coletta
    Petite in Paris

    Reply

  9. Hi Diane,
    I bought a bag at Galeries Lafayette and I processed my tax form at the pablo kiosk at CDG and i was sure green check mark appeared when i scanned the document but I didn’t send the paper in the mailbox at the airport. It’s been more than a year and i didn’t receive my tax money back .Is there any way to get my money back ?

    Reply

  10. Dear Neha,

    Thank you for your question regarding the tax refund process in Paris!

    You will have to mail it back to Paris ASAP. If it’s not mailed back with a written reason why you didn’t drop it off at the mailbox you’ll be charged.

    Here is the information on where to mail it to:

    Direction Générale des Douanes et Droits Indirects
    Fiscalité, transports et politiques fiscales communautaires (bureau F1)
    11, rue des Deux Communes
    93558 Montreuil
    France

    This request MUST be supported by the following documents:

    A copy of your passport;
    A copy of your travel ticket or your boarding pass;
    An “attestation de présentation des marchandises” issued by a French Consulate. In order to get this document you must go to the Consulate with the goods you bought, your passport and your plane ticket – OR –
    The Declaration you made for those goods when entering your country;
    A letter with exhaustive explanations of the reasons why you were not able to get your form stamped when leaving France;
    The Retail Export Form.

    I hope that helps, and answers your question regarding the tax refund process!

    Kind Regards,
    Diane

    Diane Coletta
    petite in paris

    Reply
  11. Neha Kumar says:

    Hello,

    Thank you for all the information. One question:

    I purchased a bag at Galeries Lafayette, Paris and received the full cash refund at the store. However, while leaving Paris, I was unable to scan the form at the Pablo terminal as I was getting late for my flight.

    I am back in my home country (India). How can I ensure my card doesn’t get charged for the refund I had received at the store?

    Thank you.

    Reply