Duty free shopping on your travels

For those of you who frequently travel outside of the country, you may have noticed these duty free shops. They sell a variety of products from liquor, to perfume, chocolates, souvenirs, etc. Actually you will find most of them in international airports or at select shopping locations in the country of destination, quite often at big five star hotels. Items sold at duty free are free of duty in the country where the item is bought in the sense that they don’t have any value added tax added. For some there is a tax but you are given a rebate form to claim back the tax before you leave the country. This is the reason why some people especially the foreigners would want to buy items in these shops.

Before you buy at these duty free shops though, it is imperative for you to compare whether the merchandise here are priced way much lower than what we have at home. You will come to realize though that duty free shops in the city will give better value than those found in airports where you can expect a much higher rent. If you have the luxury of time, visit these duty free shops before you leave the country to go home.

You will notice that airport duty free shops have limited choices and selections usually targeted at higher end goods though you cannot deny the convenience the airport offers for some last minute shopping of souvenirs and gifts that may have been forgotten. This is also the avenue where you can get rid of the local currency whose amount would turn out to be immaterial if we have it changed back to dollars or our own currency.

If you do intend to spend your remaining currency in the airport duty free shop, select something like a souvenir to remind you of the country you visited.

I would strongly suggest for you to reclaim back the tax you have paid if any at the duty free office inside the airport. Usually you will be filling up a rebate form that will be provided at the duty free shop or for some the office will just require you to present all the receipts and goods that you purchased at the duty free store. You will realize that buying in these duty free shops is way much cheaper than if you purchased at other shops as long as you make a visit to the duty free office prior to your departure from the country.