VAT refunds: Customer satisfaction on the rise

The Federal Tax Authority's Tax Refunds for Tourists Scheme is being well-received, and those who have availed it have lauded its speed, efficiency and convenience.

The inspection tours conducted by the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) have disclosed that customer satisfaction with the Tax Refunds for Tourists Scheme's electronic system is on the rise.
The authority had launched the scheme in two consecutive phases beginning on November 18, in collaboration with global systems operator Planet, so far covering 12 ports of entry to the UAE, comprising six airports, two sea ports and four land ports. GCC nationals, Asians and Europeans made up the bulk of beneficiaries from the scheme.
Mehjabeen Begum Rais from the UK said the electronic system is both accurate and easy to use. "I was able to complete all of my procedures and reclaim the tax seamlessly and within minutes."
Meanwhile, Pradyuma Jadhu, an Indian tourist, noted that dealing with the system was very easy and the procedures are excellent. "The way participating retailers are clearly labelled made it very easy to know which stores are implementing the Scheme by simply looking for the 'tax-free' logo."
Sanya Sohanz from the US was very impressed with the system. "I was able to recover the tax I had paid for my purchases in about 30 seconds. The procedures are excellent, transparent and very accurate."
"I was very impressed with the system; I think is excellent," said Nadezhda Gorkavtseva from Russia. "The tax recovery procedure is easy, and all participating stores that I visited provided thorough yet simple explanations and instructions."
Xi Daiyan, from China, asserted that the system is brilliant and the procedures were quick and easy. "It took me about one minute to recover my taxes and most participating shops provided detailed explanations about the procedures."
"The system is outstanding and relies on cutting-edge technology, which made the whole tax recovery process very comfortable and quick - it only took me two minutes," said Ahmed Abdalkhaliq Singe from Egypt.
Aneela Chaudri from Ireland noted: "The procedures for the UAE's Tax Refunds for Tourists Scheme are very fast compared to most countries I visited. It only took a few minutes to recover the tax I paid for my purchases."
"I was very happy with my experience with the electronic system here," said Ahmed Obaly from Switzerland. "I was able to recover taxes on my purchases within one minute at the airport refund desk, especially after I received very clear instructions about the procedures from the store where I had made my purchase."
FTA director-general Ali Al Bustani announced that the number of refund requests processed totalled 5,000 applications per day, submitted by tourists leaving the UAE from one of 12 air, land, and sea ports.
In a Press statement issued by the authority on Saturday, Al Bustani disclosed that the number of retail outlets connected to the scheme's electronic system reached 7,181 stores all around the UAE.
"During its tour, the FTA team made sure to verify that the scheme's electronic system is working according to the criteria and conditions set by the Federal Tax Authority following in-depth studies to ensure high efficiency and accuracy, in accordance with international best practices," he pointed out.
Tourists can recover taxes upon their departure from the UAE and at tax refund offices located at exit ports around the country. They can submit tax invoices for their purchases - bearing the tax refund sticker from outlets registered in the Tax Refunds for Tourists Scheme - along with their passports and credit cards.
No maximum amount was set for transferring refundable tax to a tourist's credit card account. If the refund is requested in cash, however, the maximum amount that can be transferred in a single day is Dh10,000.
- business@khaleejtimes.com