Rwanda — Getting a Value-added tax (VAT) Refund
| General VAT Rate | Min. Refund Threshold | Local Currency |
|---|---|---|
| 18% | € | Franc (RWF) |
Rwanda VAT Refund How-To
Fully Digital VAT Refund
The VAT refund process in Rwanda isn't digital, and requires paperwork.
Refund Kiosk Availability
There are no VAT refund kiosks currently available in Rwanda.
Cash VAT Refund
In Rwanda, VAT refunds cannot be provided in cash.
Credit Card VAT Refund
In Rwanda, VAT refunds cannot be processed as a credit card refund.
Rwanda's main VAT rate is 18%, with other rates including 0% that can apply to certain transactions. The Value-added tax (VAT) is administered by the Rwanda Revenue Authority (www.rra.gov.rw) in Kigali, and applies to most purchases of goods within Rwanda. A VAT refund may be available to visitors who qualify for VAT-free purchases in Rwanda.
Who qualifies for a Rwanda VAT Refund?
The VAT tax is meant to tax consumption of good within Rwanda, not goods exported to a foreign country. Therefore, Rwanda allows tourists and others who purchase goods within Rwanda for export to receive a refund of any VAT taxes paid.
In order to qualify to request a VAT refund in Rwanda, you must make at least € Euros worth of qualifying purchases.
How is my Rwanda VAT Refund Calculated?
Your total gross purchase amounts will be summed and rounded to the nearest Franc. From this total, the total amount of VAT refund will be calculated, based on the 18% standard VAT rate in Rwanda. For example:
€100 euros spent (incl. 18% VAT) = €85.00 base price + €15.00 VAT paid
In this example, you would receive an approximate tax refund amount of €15 on a total of €100 in purchases. As you can see, VAT refunds can be quite significant in Rwanda, especially if you're doing alot of shopping!
Rwanda VAT Refund Application Process
1.) Make Tax-Free Qualifying Purchases
When you make a qualifying purchase in Rwanda, you will receive a Tax Free Form from the vendor that records the purchases you made and the amount you paid. You will receive a separate Tax Free Form for each purchase.
The Tax Free Form may be a government form, or it may be associated with a particular sales tax refund processing company (like Global Blue or Premier Tax Free, shown here). Note that processing companies will collect a percentage of your VAT refund as a fee!
Rwanda does not require you to save the original purchase receipt, so the Tax Free Form is sufficient for applying for a VAT refund.
2.) Validate Your Tax-Free Forms
Your Tax-Free Forms must be export validated in order to be accepted for a tax refund. Validation confirms that the products have been exported from Rwanda, and will often be done in the airport as you leave the country.
You may be required to show your foreign passport, a plane ticket, and/or other proof that the goods you are buying VAT-free will be exported to a qualifying country. In Rwanda, export validation for VAT-free purchases is not carried out by customs, but may be managed by Rwanda's tax department or private companies.
3.) Receive Your VAT Tax Refund
Once you have validated your Tax Free Forms, you're ready to receive your VAT refund. If you used a refund processing company, you will be able to receive your refund by submitting the validated forms to a company refund desk at the airport, or via mail (most companies make pre-paid envelopes available for this purpose). If you did not use a processing company, follow the instructions on your tax free form to receive your refund.
- EN: Rwanda VAT Refund
- RU: Возврат НДС
- CN: 增值税退税
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