Hi. I'm planning to buy a bike in Germany (in Freiburg) and bike down to Baden, crossing the border at Koblenz-Waldshut. Does anyone have experiences on claiming German VAT at the border? If the bike looks used (because I'd have biked 100 Km), would I have trouble getting the customs officer to stamp my green form? And I've heard that I'm supposed to go to the customs the same day of the purchase. Is this so?
Thanks for the help.
Vidya
Hi. I'm planning to buy a bike in Germany (in Freiburg) and bike down to Baden, crossing the border at Koblenz-Waldshut. Does anyone have experiences on claiming German VAT at the border? If the bike looks used (because I'd have biked 100 Km), would I have trouble getting the customs officer to stamp my green form? And I've heard that I'm supposed to go to the customs the same day of the purchase. Is this so?
Thanks for the help.
Vidya
Hi,
Old thread so you probably already fixed this. But officialy: NO.. bike can NOT be used before being exported so biking thru customs should make it impossible to reclaim VAT.
That is if everything is done by the book.
What it goes to the same day export - that is not true. Can be exported later (I think it's up to 3 months?) but can not be used in Germany during this time.
Hi,
Old thread so you probably already fixed this. But officialy: NO.. bike can NOT be used before being exported so biking thru customs should make it impossible to reclaim VAT.
That is if everything is done by the book.
What it goes to the same day export - that is not true. Can be exported later (I think it's up to 3 months?) but can not be used in Germany during this time.
