French VAT Repayment

March 2, 2005 7:11 AM

Our company recently participated in the MIDEM conference in Cannes (and they didn't take me!). We were assessed a reimbursable Value Added Tax. However, MIDEM arranges this repayment through an agency which takes a cut. I would like to get reimbursed without anyone taking a cut. Is this possible to do directly?
posted by Captaintripps to Law & Government (4 answers total)

Puzzle: you didn't go to the conference, but you would like to get reimbursed without anyone taking a cut?

More to the point - the agency probably takes a cut because (a) they take care of all the forms and filings, (b) they do the reimbursement immediately, so you don't have to wait weeks or months for a check; and (c) you don't have to worry about "lost" paperwork and non-reimbursement (or trying to convince a company or government in another country to pay attention to your problem).
posted by WestCoaster at 10:10 AM on March 2, 2005

and (d) ... they've already bribed the proper officials to actually get your paperwork processed this year.
posted by SpecialK at 1:49 PM on March 2, 2005

Response by poster: I personally am not getting reïmbursed, the company is. I'm just trying to see if anyone had experience doing this. My suspicion is that it has to be done through an agency, but there are clearly choices as to which agency. I was just checking to see if I could arrange it directly so that the company wouldn't have to pay anything. I understand why they have an agency do it (a-c), but I was hoping there was a way to take care of it without middlemen. I don't read French and most of the Taxation stuff is available in French only or where it is English does not address this question.
posted by Captaintripps at 2:13 PM on March 2, 2005

Response by poster: Write the French Embassy and have them direct you to the right place.
posted by Captaintripps at 10:23 AM on March 3, 2005