Deadline for reclaiming VAT from other EU countries is approaching – deadline 30 September 2026

Deadline for reclaiming VAT from other EU countries is approaching – deadline 30 September 2026

When businesses incur expenses in other EU countries, local VAT is often charged on, for example, hotel accommodation, transport, restaurant visits and admission to trade fairs and conferences. In many cases, this VAT can be reclaimed, thereby avoiding an unnecessary cost for the business.

If your business incurred such expenses in 2025, the application for a VAT refund must be submitted no later than 30 September 2026. If the deadline is missed, the right to a VAT refund for expenses incurred in 2025 will lapse.

Which expenses qualify for a VAT refund

VAT refunds may, among other things, be claimed for expenses relating to:

• Hotel stays and other accommodation
• Passenger transport (taxi, bus, etc.)
• Restaurant visits
• Admission to trade fairs, exhibitions and conferences

There may also be other types of expenses subject to local VAT that are covered by the VAT refund scheme. The possibility of obtaining a VAT refund depends on the rules in the individual EU country, which vary from country to country.

Conditions for obtaining a VAT refund

In order to obtain a VAT refund, the following conditions must be met:

• The business must not carry out activities in the EU country concerned that require VAT registration.
• The expenses must relate to the business’s VAT-taxable activities.

An application may cover no more than one calendar year.

For applications submitted during the year, the VAT amount must be at least EUR 400 and cover a period of at least three months. If the application covers a full calendar year, the VAT amount must be at least EUR 50.

Documentation

Certain EU countries require invoices to be attached as documentation for the purchases. If this is the case for the EU country concerned, this will be indicated in TastSelv when applying for a VAT refund.

However, we always recommend attaching invoices for the purchases, as this reduces the risk of the EU country concerned finding that the necessary information required to process the VAT refund application has not been provided.

No tax deduction

Please note that the business is not entitled to a tax deduction for foreign VAT expenses that could have been reclaimed.

Do you need assistance?

If you need advice or assistance in applying for a VAT refund, you are very welcome to contact us. We would be pleased to help assess the possibilities for obtaining a VAT refund and to prepare the application.