MOSCOW: Russia has decided to join a tax-free shopping system and foreign tourists are expected to obtain a refund of 18 percent value added tax. Russian officials discussed details of this initiative.
To obtain a refund, a foreign citizen will need to spend at least 10,000 Rubles (about 175 U.S. dollars) in one store.
The system will be firstly in trial launch in Moscow, the Moscow region, St. Petersburg and Sochi. The date of its implementation is yet to be announced.
Tax-free shopping services are available in more than 50 countries worldwide, according to local media.
