Is there a way to claim a UK VAT refund directly and not through agents like GlobalBlue? What do these agents do that they take a massive cut from VAT refunds, for example a £1000 purchase has £166.67 VAT, however if you claim that back through GlobalBlue, they will take £44.67. TaxFree4U is a bit better but will still take £38.
Is there a way to get hold of a UK VAT 407 form and fill it and hand it over to customs to get the money back directly and not through any middlemen?
AIUI (this is based on what I have read on government sites, I am not a lawyer or an accountant)
When a "retail export" transaction is made the customer doesn't claim the VAT back from the government. Instead the retailer provides the customer with a special form that the customer gets stamped by customs. The form is then returned to the retailer retroactively zero-rates the transaction and refunds the VAT to the customer.
It's up to the retailer whether they offer this service at all, and if so, whether they do so directly or through an agency, and what if any fees they charge for doing so.
