Reports & Guides
Brian Tarns
November 1, 2024
With Travel Management Companies such as ITS increasingly providing multifaceted services, both in-country or via regional hubs in response to client demand, companies are looking to address how they manage their ability to track, and ultimately reclaim tax where possible — particularly given the various forms it can take in different countries.
Value Added Tax (VAT) applies to most goods and services in over 170 countries worldwide. For business travel, this means that hotel stays, meals, ground transportation, and conference fees often include recoverable VAT — if you know how to claim it.
The challenge is that VAT rates, rules, and recovery processes vary significantly from country to country. In the EU alone, standard VAT rates range from 17% in Luxembourg to 27% in Hungary.
Studies suggest that companies recover only 20-30% of the VAT they're entitled to claim back. For organizations with significant international travel spend, this represents a substantial financial opportunity.
ITS's integrated platform captures VAT-relevant data at the point of booking and expense submission, making it easier to identify and process VAT recovery claims. Our partnerships with leading VAT recovery specialists mean we can offer end-to-end solutions for our clients.
Contact your ITS account manager to discuss how we can help you improve your VAT recovery rates and turn travel tax into a source of savings rather than just a cost.
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