Domestic VAT recovery
What is domestic VAT?
Domestic VAT is recoverable, if you know where to look. Businesses pay VAT on local expenses like travel, accommodation and other day-to-day operational costs. They can reclaim this tax through local vat returns and domestic VAT recovery.
Who can reclaim VAT?
If you sell taxable goods and services or are engaged in qualifying activities, you can reclaim VAT. You may be eligible to reclaim domestic VAT if your business is:
- Established and VAT registered in the country, or
- Not established, but VAT registered locally
Many countries also allow businesses to claim retroactive refunds, with some permitting claims up to 6 years after the expense was incurred.
*Subject to local deduction rules and restrictions.
Recover: Maximise every reclaim opportunity
Recover is your all-in-one solution for reclaiming both domestic and foreign VAT. It identifies every eligible transaction and seamlessly channels it into your reclaim process.
By integrating directly with your Expense Management Systems, Recover automatically pinpoints reclaimable VAT, eliminates submission errors and ensures full compliance with local tax authority rules.
The result? More reclaimed VAT, less manual work and total confidence in your process.
Eligible business travel and entertainment expenses
- Accommodation
- Parking
- Meals and hospitality
- Professional services
- Fuel
- Car rental and taxis
- Public transport
- Conferences and events
- Training courses and seminars
- Local purchases of goods
Eligible MICE-related expenses
- Meetings
- Incentives
- Conferencing
- Exhibitions
Non-travel related invoices
- Office supplies and stationery
- Canteen and staff hospitality costs
- Other local supplier invoices tied to business operations
The challenge of domestic VAT Recovery
Most businesses aren’t reclaiming domestic VAT correctly. Our health checks show that 60% of companies either miss eligible VAT or reclaim ineligible amounts.
Why? 4 common issues stand out:
- VAT was deducted but not valid – breaching compliance rules
- VAT was deducted incorrectly – leading to ineligible claims
- Eligible VAT was missed entirely – reducing reclaim value
- Smaller expenses were ignored – seen as too complex or resource-heavy
Fintua helps you fix the gaps, stay compliant and reclaim what you’re owed – down to the last receipt.
Work with Fintua
Most businesses miss out on domestic VAT refunds – we help you claim them back. Getting professional guidance when navigating VAT regulations and maximising VAT reclaims is essential.
Start with a free sample analysis – we’ll show you exactly where VAT is being left behind in your current process.
- No IT implementation required
- We integrate with all major Expense Management Systems
- We handle the analysis, prep and reporting
- You get fully compliant reports ready for submission to your local tax office.
Countries with a backdated domestic VAT mechanism
- European
- North and South America
- Middle Eastern
- Asian and Oceania
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Austria
2 years and 6 months -
Belgium3 years
-
Bulgaria1 year
-
Croatia3 years
-
Cyprus3 years
-
Czech Republic3 years
-
Denmark3 years
-
Estonia3 years
-
Finland3 years
-
France2 years
-
Germany4 years
-
Greece5 years
-
Hungary5 years
-
Ireland4 years
-
Italy4 months from tax year end
-
Latvia3 years
-
Liechtenstein5 years
-
Lithuania3 years
-
Luxembourg3 years
-
Malta5 years
-
Netherlands5 years
-
Norway3 years
-
Poland5 years
-
Portugal2 years
-
Romania5 years
-
Serbia5 years
-
Slovakia5 years
-
Slovenia1 year
-
Spain4 years
-
Sweden5 years
-
Switzerland5 years
-
United Kingdom4 years
-
Argentina4 years
-
Bolivia8 years
-
Canada4 years
-
Chile3 years
-
Columbia2 years
-
Costa Rica4 years
-
Ecuador5 years
-
Guatemala3 months
-
Mexico5 years
-
Peru12 months
-
Uruguay4 years
-
India9 months
-
Kingdom Saudi Arabia5 years
-
TurkeyCurrent year
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United Arab Emirates5 years
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Australia4 years
-
ChinaNo time limit
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Indonesia2 years
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Japan4 months from year end
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New Zealand2 years
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Philippines1 year
-
Russia3 years
-
Singapore5 years
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South Korea5 years
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Taiwan10 years
-
Thailand3 years
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