UAE – Mubasher: The UAE’s Federal Tax Authority (FTA) has set a variety of self-service to allow tourists to recover value-added tax (VAT) when leaving the country.

The kiosks are operated by Planet, a company enlisted by the FTA to operate the system for the Tax Refunds for Tourists Scheme (TRTS), according to a statement released on Tuesday.

“The kiosks were placed at all exit ports included in the Tax Refund Scheme for Tourists, where tourists can submit the tax invoices on their purchases, along with their passport and credit card, to recover the VAT,” FTA’s director general Khalid Ali Al Bustani said.

Kiosks were supplied with state-of-the-art technology to fully automate tax refund procedures.

Since its November launch, the electronic system of the TRTS has been a great success, as the number of outlets connected to the system grew to 12 air, land and sea ports, including the Abu Dhabi International Airport and Dubai International Airport, the statement added.  

“Our periodic follow-ups revealed a sustained increase in customer happiness with the TRTS. This is part of the government’s plan to establish a legislative, executive, and technological ecosystem that would galvanise the tourism sector,” Al Bustani commented.