TAX FREE
- What is TAX FREE and how does it work?
- What to do to get a tax refund?
- How does TAX FREE work in practice?
- How and when will you receive your refund?
- Does TAX FREE cover all goods?
- How can I obtain a confirmation of export of goods at the border with only an electronic TAX FREE document?
- If I am to receive a VAT refund via transfer, e.g. a tax refund to a bank account or payment card, do I have to personally deliver the TAX FREE document confirming the export of goods from the territory of the European Union?
- Will you receive a paper TAX FREE document from the retailer after January 1, 2022?
What is TAX FREE and how does it work?
TAX FREE is a VAT refund system for people who do not have permanent residence in the EU. A permanent residence of a person is established on the basis of a passport or other identification document.
Applies only to online orders (including orders with free pickup in the stationary store) for a minimum gross amount of 200 PLN.
For iOS and Android users, the mTAX FREE PL app is available, which allows to manage TAX FREE documents issued in Poland. Thanks to it, you can easily check the status of your documents online!
What to do to get a tax refund?
- Place your order at our store.
- After purchase, contact us by email zapytania@militaria.pl or kontaktua@militaria.pl (you can write in Ukrainian) and state in the body of the email:
- order number to which TAX FREE is to apply;
- Your passport data, if you will be crossing the border with the purchased goods:
- first and last name written in Latin alphabet,
- date of birth,
- passport number and series and country of issue;
- information on how you want your tax refund:
- Cash - you pick up the money in person at one of our retail stores,
- Non-cash - provide the account number to which we will transfer your refund to you.
A person using the TAX FREE system receives a refund in Polish currency (PLN).
How does TAX FREE work in practice?
- You make a purchase in our online store;
- You send us a message with the data;
- You receive a TAX FREE document from us in electronic form within 1-2 days;
- Your TAX FREE application goes to the electronic database at the border.
- Before you cross the border:
- the goods cannot be unpacked - they must be in their original packaging;
- prepare the TAX FREE document in electronic form (on a mobile device) or its printout;
- if you do not have all the goods included in the TAX FREE document - report it at the border!
- When taking goods out of the country, you are obliged to:
- show the official of the Polish Customs and Tax Service TAX FREE documents (on the device or printed to obtain confirmation of export);
- on request, show the exported goods.
- An electronic confirmation of export will be generated from the TAX FREE system, on request you will receive the POLSKA-CŁO stamp on your printed copy of the document.
IMPORTANT!
The export of the purchased goods must be made no later than the last day of the third month following the month in which the sale took place. Example: goods bought on July 20th can be exported on October 31st at the latest.
How and when will you receive your refund?
- Transfer: You will receive a tax refund on your account after confirming in the TAX FREE system that the goods have left the territory of the Republic of Poland.
- Cash: You will receive it in person at a stationary store after confirming the export of goods in the TAX FREE system from the Border Guard.
Please note that you can't change the form of tax refund you selected earlier! The refund is possible in the case of completing the TAX FREE form no later than 10 months after the delivery of the goods.
Important Bringing with you the following document signed/stamped by the customs authority will expedite verification and payment.
You may find more information about TAX FREE at official government brochure TAX_FREE_ulotka_internet.pdf (granica.gov.pl) available in several languages (including Ukrainian and Russian).
Does TAX FREE cover all goods?
IMPORTANT! If you purchase goods that are somehow rationed on the territory of Ukraine, such as thermal imagers, optical sights or military knives, we recommend not using the TAX FREE procedure.
Link to dual-purpose goods in Ukrainian:
- https://poland.mfa.gov.ua/news/26464-uvaga-rozjasnennya-ta-rekomendaciji-shhodo-vezennya-tovariv-vojennogopodvijnogo-priznachennya-v-ukrajinu
- https://www.kmu.gov.ua/npas/95215884
- http://www.ntc.kiev.ua/download/ediniy_spisok/spisok_verstka_19_11_2015.pdf
NOTE: This also applies to the UK. If you are purchasing goods that are rationed in some way within the UK, then we do not recommend using the TAX FREE system.
The link below directs you to information on the regulations governing the import of knives, swords and all other offensive weapons to the UK:
How can I obtain a confirmation of export of goods at the border with only an electronic TAX FREE document?
If you export goods purchased in Poland from the territory of the European Union through a Polish border crossing point, the seller will receive an electronic TAX FREE export confirmation of these goods, which will be forwarded by the Polish customs services.
The confirmation of export on the printout of the electronic TAX FREE document will be made by the customs and tax office at the request of the traveller, by placing a ‘Poland-Customs Duties’ stamp. However, please note that just the confirmation on the printout of the TAX FREE electronic document, without prior electronic confirmation in the TAX FREE system, does not entitle the traveller to a tax refund.
Note: If you are leaving the territory of the European Union from a member country other than Poland, you must have paper TAX FREE documents. They will serve as a confirmation of exportation of goods in accordance with the regulations in force in a given country.
If I am to receive a VAT refund via transfer, e.g. a tax refund to a bank account or payment card, do I have to personally deliver the TAX FREE document confirming the export of goods from the territory of the European Union?
If you take the purchased goods from the territory of the European Union through the Polish border crossing, we will receive an electronic confirmation that the goods have been exported, and on this basis we will refund you the tax in the form you chose at the time of purchasing the goods and issuing the TAX FREE document, i.e. to your number bank account that you provided to the seller or to your payment card, the number of which you provided to the seller. In this case, you do not have to personally deliver the TAX FREE document confirming the export of goods. Everything is done electronically, and the choice of a non-cash form of VAT refund additionally shortens the time in which you will receive a tax refund.
Will you receive a paper TAX FREE document from the retailer after January 1, 2022?
After January 1, 2022, retailers are not obliged to issue a paper TAX FREE document. However, if you let them know that you wish to receive this document in paper form, you will receive a printed electronic TAX FREE document. It is important to remember that you will need the paper printout if you plan to export goods purchased under the TAX FREE system in Poland from the European Union across the border of another member country.