Sunday, March 27, 2005

Tax-free shopping in Helsinki

INTRODUCTION
There are some questions, which always pop up in conversations with visiting foreign friends. Mostly they come from Asia and they are always keen to know, how to do tax free shopping. Here I explain tax free shopping very briefly so that you have a solid starting point for tax free shopping frenzy the very moment you arrive Finland.


IS TAX-FREE SHOPPING FOR YOU?
First of all, tax-free shopping applies only for those items, which are sent outside EU or which you take outside EU by yourself. Ok, we got that straighten out, right? As you can see, traveling inside EU is dull task and can’t compare to the joys of outside traveling.


HOW DOES TAX-FREE SHOPPING WORK?
There are three basic ways, in which to benefit from tax-free shopping:

  • Do what we usually do, and shop around at airport tax-free shops. Convenient by time-pressed, plane won’t wait.
  • Shop at distinguished retail store like Stockmann (can’t really think of any other) that has tax-free export service, which will deliver the goods to your desired address outside EU. You get the tax back at the point of purchase and avoid carrying around a troublesome load of gifts. Two final words – handling fees.
  • Shop at tax-free store that uses Global Refund’s “Tax-free shopping” –sign. You carry the goods around while in EU area and don’t use them e.g. don’t drink that liquor. The moment you leave EU, customs official will stamp your Global Refund Cheque and whole fleet of different refund options opens up to you. Take the money and run, wait it to be transferred to your account or home etc.


MORE INFORMATION
To get detailed information about the practicalities involved in tax-free shopping in Helsinki, you can look out stands in major specialty stores, airport, harbor and Stockmann. I would suggest a combination of airport and Stockmann because of the added convenience. Moreover, any handling and shipping fees that come from using export services are easy to deal with by shopping even more! Hah, just kidding, take care of you account balance.

posted by Jarkko @ Sunday, March 27, 2005

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