Hi Tom, are you talking about VAT refund for groceries? I know this is possible if you shop in Germany, but as far as I know not if you shop in France

Here is official French documentation for VAT refunds

http://www.douane.gouv.fr/Portals/0/fichiers/particulier/voyage/detaxe-pablo-%28en%29-vat-refund-process-in-france.pdf

called 'detaxe

yeah, the boarders are not always manned, and best chance is at the boarder between Ferney Voltaire to Geneva (airport)

CERN boarder is like 90% never manned.

Groceries, i dont think are covered by VAT, as they are consumable iteams. So if you cross and exceed the limits, get caught, you pay a Swiss Penalty. But the limits are strange, like EUR 100- per person with no VAT, meat limits are like 1kilo per person, and alcohol is 1litre per person. Penalties are significant.

http://www.ezv.admin.ch/zollinfo_privat/04425/04427/04428/index.html?lang=en

food stuff, tobacco, alcohol

http://www.ezv.admin.ch/zollinfo_privat/04342/04343/05769/05770/index.html?lang=en

REFUND of FOREIGN VAT:

http://www.ezv.admin.ch/zollinfo_privat/04342/04343/04345/index.html?lang=en

If you dont delare, you will not get a cent back in refund.

Hi Paxxie, yes I mean in a grocery, like Carrefour for example. Is not possible?

It isnt possible to receive a vat refund on food or drinks in france.  For a start, even at the normal vat rate of 20% the shops only typically start offering vat refunds at about Euro 175 - the vat rate on food is only 5.5% so you would have to be racking up Euro 700 in food to even scratch the minimum to make it worthwhile to pay admin fees.  So basically they have just made a blanket rule no vat reclaim on food and drink.