Useful information for event planners

A foreign event planner and/or corporation producing a meeting, conference or exhibition in Europe is, in most cases, subject to Value Added Tax if any fees are to be collected for this event. This translates to mean that the foreign event planner and/or corporation is legally required to:

Register for VAT in the European country where the event takes place. Assess (charge) VAT on all invoices issued regarding the event (i.e. to the corporate client/conference attendees/sponsors). Deduct the VAT paid on most invoices to the European vendors. If the foreign event planner/corporation does not comply with European Union VAT laws, they will: Incur a tax penalty for violation of VAT laws, if discovered. Decrease their profit margin because none of the VAT incurred from the European vendors will be refundable.

Note that most attendees/sponsors representing business entities worldwide are able to reclaim the VAT charged for the event.
VAT registration must be done at the planning stage of the event.
Tax experts are specialized in VAT and ITTP refunding and optimization to realize legal, fiscal and official business. The Paris Convention Bureau would be very pleased to recommend some of them.

Useful information for attendees

French VAT: 19, 6 %
The attendees come from a country outside the European Union, they are over 15 years of age and have spent a minimum of 175€ ($212) in the same store within the last 3 months?
For a VAT refund, they can ask for a Tax Free Shopping France invoice when they shop in any major store or “Tax free for tourists” boutique. The amount to be refunded is shown under the heading “montant de la détaxe”. They should have their invoices stamped at airport customs on leaving the EU and return the validated pink copies within three months using the stamped addressed envelope given to them at the time they made their purchases.