VAT forms

In Germany there is a 19% tax on everything. With a VAT form you can have that % removed from some items you purchase. VAT forms are given to military service members or any DOD (department of defense) employees. You can have 10 VAT forms at one time. You have to go to the tax office and buy them. If you use 5 of your 10 VAT forms you can go back in a buy 5 more. VAT forms are great for buying expensive items such as furniture, grandfather clocks, Cookoo clocks, dirndl, lederhosen and can even be used on cell phone plans. Not all businesses will accept them but be sure to ask before you purchase something. Buying VAT forms is better in bulk. The more you buy (up to 10) the better deal you are getting. VAT forms can be used for purchases up to 2,500 Euro. If you have something to purchase that cost more than that then you have to get a different VAT form. Go to your tax office and ask them what you'll need to do. We have not used one yet but I'm pretty sure you'll need a per-purchase agreement. 

These VAT forms can only be used in Germany. So if you go off to Poland and want to purchase a bunch of Polish pottery then you'll have to pay their tax. But here is something you could try! While in Amsterdam this weekend, we had to go to the customs office in the airport and it listed that you could get VAT forms. So if you knew you were going to purchase something very expensive you could try to find a customs office in the country you are going to see if you can get one.

VAT forms also have about a billion different pages attached together. The yellow copy goes to the business, the pink copy you keep and the white copy needs to be returned to the VAT/tax office. If you never turn in those white sheets then you can't purchase more VAT forms. There are also other pages that are filled out by the business. Most of them have done it before and know exactly what to do. If they've never done it before, don't worry, it's also written in German. 

Hubs and I always have VAT forms in the car and one in my purse! You never know when you could use one. And when you do purchase them, the VAT office will explain them for you!