A VAT Refund Guide to
Australia
How to get VAT Refunds from Australia for your business
Businesses registered in countries outside of Australia can claim VAT refunds on any costs incurred in Australia.
The below information details the requirements needed to be eligible for a VAT refund. This includes claimable expense types, Australia VAT rates, deadlines and claiming periods.
Where is your company based?
EU
based businesses
VAT-registered businesses in an EU member state are eligible to recover VAT on business costs from Australia under the EU VAT Refund Directive.
NON-EU
based businesses
VAT-registered businesses outside of the European Union are eligible to recover VAT on business costs from Australia under the 13th Directive.
Which countries have reciprocity with Australia?
All countries can claim but registration is needed.
For a more detailed explanation on what reciprocity means within the scope of VAT, click here:
What expenses are claimable in Australia?
ENTERTAINMENT & HOSPITALITY
Entertainment
0%
Hotels & Accommodation
10%
Restaurants
10%
EVENTS
Conferences, Trade Shows & Exhibitions
10%
Training Courses & Seminars
10%
GENERAL EXPENSES
Goods
10%
Inter-company charges
10%
Office Expenses
10%
Marketing Costs
10%
Professional Fees & AP invoices
10%
TRAVEL RELATED
Car Rental
10%
Fuel
10%
Public Transport
10%
Taxis
10%
Additional Information
How far back can your business claim VAT from Australia?
4 years back.
What’s the foreign VAT deadline in Australia?
There is no deadline as a domestic/local registration is required, therefore clients are serviced depending on the due date of their individual VAT returns.
How long does it take to receive a VAT refund from Australia?
There is no fixed duration, the returns are case dependent.
Need help with your VAT refund from Australia?
You don’t have to do this alone. We’ve been helping companies reclaim foreign VAT refunds for over 20 years. We have the knowledge and technology to process your refunds quicker as well as attend to any unforeseen VAT authority queries that may arise.
Download a full international VAT guide and never miss a deadline
