VAT Refund

VAT Refund

The VAT you paid on business expenses in the EU — Spain can get it back for you, but only until September 30

September 23, 2026

Say you went to a trade fair in Germany last year. You paid for the hotel, the food, the fuel on the way there, and the entry fee — all with invoices you kept. Hidden inside those invoices is German VAT (Mehrwertsteuer, their equivalent of IVA) that you are legally entitled to claim back. But there is a deadline to do it, and it falls on September 30.

The same applies to the conference in Paris, the client visit in Lisbon, the accommodation in Milan, or the Italian motorway tolls. If you are self-employed and you had business expenses in EU countries last year, there is a refund you may be owed — and most people who qualify never ask for it.

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