When a non-EU company conducts business in Europe, VAT registration may be necessary to get the refund. VAT registration should be done prior to the business event in order to secure the refund. Examples of activities where VAT registration may be required are:
Note that in most cases it is not necessary to have an established business/location in Europe in order to register for VAT. It is common for non-EU companies to be registered for VAT in one or more European countries without any physical presence and without any other international tax consequences. However, this is not possible in all the countries.
The VAT rules are very complex and vary from country to country. Please contact our VAT experts directly for the details related to your company’s international business activities and related VAT issues.