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Taxes on SB


shefinch
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Can anybody throw a light on why SB is now charging a tax in Europe on goods purchased in the shop when we are outside the three mile limit and on premium wines? It is apparently levied by the country from which the ship left, i.e. On our recent cruise we got charged out of Barcelona on the first leg and out of Civitavecchia on the second leg. This happened on our recent Encore cruise and also last October on the Odyssey.

 

 

 

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It's not just Seabourn. All of the cruise lines do it. (because they have to comply with government regs of the departure country, in this case it's Spanish VAT ).

The tax can be avoided if the cruise visits a non-EU destination, Monaco a good example in the Western Med.

I wasn't aware of the same in Italy though. I'm wondering if there have been changes to the rules on these taxes.

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For the shop, spend over a certain amount and the girls in the shop will fill out and provide the Tax back documents which you can claim back at the airport.

 

Not a tax you can claim back at the airport. Both Spain and Italy require the cruise lines to charge the tax based on a lot of rules depending on where the ship stops and/or where the ship is when you make the purchase. The tax is not the same at the VAT that you can claim at the airport and even applies to your alcoholic drinks. Really doubt the ships participate in VAT tax rebates as the merchant has to so most likely no forms in the shops.

 

It's a money grab by Spain and Italy and best to talk to the purser before making any purchases on board to get the rules on your particular cruise as he or she is responsible for making sure the tax is collected and sent to the proper authorities. And, yes, the rules are different from cruise to cruise based on the rules.

 

By the way, there is a similar tax for Brazil so be careful when cruising to Brazil as well.

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Not a tax you can claim back at the airport. Both Spain and Italy require the cruise lines to charge the tax based on a lot of rules depending on where the ship stops and/or where the ship is when you make the purchase. The tax is not the same at the VAT that you can claim at the airport and even applies to your alcoholic drinks. Really doubt the ships participate in VAT tax rebates as the merchant has to so most likely no forms in the shops.

 

 

Yes they do. I have the euro in my pocket which I got given back to me at the Global Blue desk at the BCN airport after first getting the receipt custom stamped at the customs desk. The SB girl in the shop outside the square put the receipt in a Global Blue envelope. The criteria is the amount you need to spend in the same shop.

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Here's another data point: On my recent cruise r/t Athens, there was a mandatory 24% Greek VAT applied to all purchases in the gift shop/boutique (excluding premium wine/alcohol). The boutique staff said it's because all the ports were within the EU.

 

If you're a non-EU person, you can claim some (around half, the exact amount is looked up on a tax table and depends on the purchase amount) of the VAT back at the airport prior to leaving the EU. If you want to get cash back, there's a further service fee deduction.

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Here's another data point: On my recent cruise r/t Athens, there was a mandatory 24% Greek VAT applied to all purchases in the gift shop/boutique (excluding premium wine/alcohol). The boutique staff said it's because all the ports were within the EU....
We'll soon embark Odyssey for an Athens RT cruise to EU ports. I've arranged private tours for most ports but there are a few where we'll do SB shorex. Do you know if VAT was added to the purchase price of shore excursions booked on board during your recent cruise? The thread linked above suggested VAT is already built into the price of ship shorex. If it's additional, we'll book before we board to avoid it.
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Some of our SB excursions were booked months ago and a couple were booked during the cruise. I have just checked my SB receipt from the cruise and the amount charged is the exact amount I have on my printouts I did when we were planning the cruise. So if Tax is included, it is included whether you book before or during the cruise. There is no mention of Tax in any of my documents for excursions.

 

 

The Tax I received back on the Tax back scheme was the same %age for goods purchased from the Nike shop in Barcelona and from the SB boutique.

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Some of our SB excursions were booked months ago and a couple were booked during the cruise. I have just checked my SB receipt from the cruise and the amount charged is the exact amount I have on my printouts I did when we were planning the cruise. So if Tax is included, it is included whether you book before or during the cruise. There is no mention of Tax in any of my documents for excursions.
Appreciate you checking your receipts ab21au. That's just the info I need! Now that I know a 24% surprise won't be lurking, we'll wait till we're on board to book shorex so we can use our OBC. Thanks again.
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We'll soon embark Odyssey for an Athens RT cruise to EU ports. I've arranged private tours for most ports but there are a few where we'll do SB shorex. Do you know if VAT was added to the purchase price of shore excursions booked on board during your recent cruise? The thread linked above suggested VAT is already built into the price of ship shorex. If it's additional, we'll book before we board to avoid it.

 

As others have pointed out, VAT was not imposed on shore excursions, nor was it imposed on premium alcohol purchase, spa services (e.g. massage), or housekeeping purchase (e.g. bathrobe). Not sure about spa product purchases.

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