Check for visitor tax refunds

The Baltimore Sun

I read about Canada discontinuing tax refunds for visitors. Are there other countries that have these refunds for people who make purchases while visiting?

While Canada may have eliminated tax refunds through its visitor rebate program, many other countries continue to offer VAT (value added tax) refunds for purchases made by foreign visitors.

Here's a partial list: Australia, Austria, Britain, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. In Australia, it's called a tourist refund scheme (TRS).

The tax you pay, and therefore the refund, varies from country to country and does not apply to services or food.

When making a purchase, ask about a VAT refund.

For information about VAT refunds in Europe, go to visiteurope.com, then click on "useful information," then "taxes."

We are traveling to Argentina to pick up our college-age daughter, who is studying in Rosario. Any ideas on finding reputable tour companies that could help us plan a visit to central and northern Argentina?

If you're starting your trip in Rosario, 185 miles northwest of Buenos Aires, we suggest you work with a tour company there that can help you plan your visit.

We found several that are registered with the country's official tourism office. If you're not fluent in Spanish, these companies' sites can be accessed in English: Turicentro Viajes (www.turicentro.com.ar) and Free Way (freeway.com.ar, click on "International Incoming Department").

To help in your planning, you should also check the Argentina tourism site, www. turismo.gov.ar, and the Rosario site, rosa rioturismo.com (click on the British flag on the homepage for English).

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