France's VAT refund (detaxe), and what you get back.

The detaxe is for non-EU residents aged 16 or over taking goods home unused. Since 2021 the minimum has been over 100 euros spent in the same store on the same day. Only goods qualify, for personal use and carried out of the EU; services you use in France, hotels, restaurants, transport, do not, and the goods must be new and unused when you leave.

Ask for the tax-free form (bordereau de detaxe) at the register, with your passport. If your individual receipts fall under 100 euros, apps like ZappTax or Wevat can combine purchases across shops onto one invoice to clear the threshold, which is the one legitimate way around the single-store rule.

France validates through PABLO, its self-service customs kiosks at the airports and other exit points, including Paris Charles de Gaulle and Orly. You scan the barcode on your form: a green checkmark means it is validated and you head to your gate, while a red cross sends you to the customs desk (Bureau de douane) for a manual check, which is routine, not a problem.

Do this before you check bags, since customs may want to see the goods, and before security. Look for the blue Detaxe or Tax Refund signs. Give yourself time at busy Paris airports, and note the goods must leave the EU by the end of the third month after purchase.

The 20% VAT is the headline, but the refund operators (Global Blue, Planet and others) take a cut, so you typically net closer to 10 to 15% of the price. A cash refund at the airport is the quickest and pays the least; a refund to your card nets more but can take a few weeks.

So the detaxe is worth the effort on a real purchase, but marginal on a small one once you weigh the queue and fees. If PABLO or customs is closed or out of order when you leave, France has a limited after-the-fact process you must follow within six months, but do not rely on it.

As across the EU, you validate at your last EU departure point, not necessarily in France. If you connect through another EU country on the way home, you scan PABLO or get the stamp there, then send the form back if needed.

The detaxe is the shopping side of money in France. For the tax on your hotel bill, see France's tourist tax, and for paying day to day, cash or card in France. The wider picture is in the France money guide.

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