Tax-free shopping in United Kingdom
No. United Kingdom has no tourist tax refund scheme today.
Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales) ended the VAT Retail Export Scheme and airside VAT-free sales on 1 January 2021, so you cannot get VAT back on goods you carry home. A 2022 plan to bring it back was cancelled weeks later. On 21 September 2026 the Conservative Party (in opposition) pledged to restore VAT refunds for non-EU visitors if elected; this is not government policy and no date exists. Alternatives: have the retailer ship goods directly to an address outside the UK (VAT-free export), and buy alcohol and tobacco duty-free airside. Northern Ireland still runs a Retail Export Scheme for visitors who live outside both Northern Ireland and the EU, using form VAT 407 at participating retailers.
Worth knowing
- Ask the store to ship your purchase straight to your home address abroad; direct exports can be sold without UK VAT.
- Airport shops still sell duty-free alcohol and tobacco, but other goods at the airport include VAT.
- In Northern Ireland, ask the store if it uses the VAT Retail Export Scheme (form VAT 407).
Sources
- GOV.UK: Revenue and Customs Brief 21 (2020), withdrawal of the VAT Retail Export Scheme
- GOV.UK: Retail Export Scheme (Northern Ireland)
- House of Commons Library: Tax-free shopping for international visitors
- Retail Gazette (Sept 2026): Tories pledge to restore tax-free shopping for overseas visitors
- The National (21 Sept 2026): UK opposition seeks to axe VAT on shopping for overseas visitors
Rules last checked 24 September 2026. Refund operators and customs can change procedures at short notice; confirm at the store before you buy.
Before you go: check the entry rules for your passport.
Other refund rules: Australia, Austria, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam