Tourists to get VAT refunds easier

Slovakia and its capital Bratislava will be the first places to develop and implement a pilot digital platform called 'Refundit', which will enable visitors to easily apply for a VAT refund on purchases and exports of goods from the country. The Slovak Financial Administration and the Israeli start-up Refundit which have been working on this application expect to launch it in the first quarter of next year. "Simply no forms, no visits to offices. The process of refunding VAT is quite complicated for tourists at the moment, so we want to make it easier for them. Extending the application to other countries would also make life easier for Slovak tourists," said Financial Administration President František Imrecze. Last year, tourists coming to Slovakia were reimbursed €2.8 million in VAT refunds. Financial Administration assumes that the amount paid will increase when the application is launched.