Kanoo Foreign Exchange Services and Premier Tax Free, Europe’s major tax free shopping provider, have opened their latest VAT refund office in Paris.

Located within the prestigious Printemps department store, the new refund bureau allows international tourists to receive their VAT refunds in cash with greater efficiency and ease.

“With heightened security screenings in place worldwide, cash refunds at the airport add even more to the time spent there. Kanoo and Premier Tax Free aim to make Tax Free Shopping all that more enjoyable and easy, by offering refunds in cash at city centre locations. Our aim is that customers will spend more of their time enjoying shopping and visiting Paris, saving both time and money,” explained Abdulla Abu Khamseen, executive general manager of Kanoo Travel.

Kanoo also offers a full foreign exchange service enabling tourists to receive their refund in the currency of their choice, at the new VAT refund office.

Kanoo also operates a downtown VAT refund office in the heart of Paris’ 9th shopping district. Located at 11 Rue Scribe, the Kanoo bureau makes VAT refunds hassle free for all those shopping in Premier Tax Free affiliated stores in Place Vendôme, Boulevard des Capucines and the popular shopping streets of the Opéra National de Paris area.

The Tax Free Shopping concept allows non-European residents to pay less for purchases made within the European Union. In France, tourists must spend more than €175,01 in one store on the same day in order to become eligible for a VAT refund. They then receive a VAT refund voucher at the point of sale and are required to present their goods to customs upon leaving the EU. With VAT at 19.6 per cent in France today, this equates to significant savings for visitors from the GCC, Middle East, North Africa and beyond.

Premier Tax Free offers tax free shopping in partnership with over 16,000 luxury retail outlets in France.

Kanoo and Premier Tax Free plan to extend this service to customers visiting the United Kingdom later this summer.-TradeArabia News Service