It is possible both to purchase directly from our website with VAT deducted for EU businesses or claim back VAT when emigrating from Europe. See more about both below.

For EU Businesses

How do I add a VAT number to a guest order?

What are the important things to know about adding a VAT number to an order?

Troubleshooting VAT Validation Errors

I did not add my VAT number to an order - what do I do now?

Can you provide me with a VAT refund for exporting a product out of Europe?

VAT Refund Process for Customers Emigrating from the EU

VAT Refund Process for Customers Emigrating from Norway

For EU Businesses

If you have a registered business within the EU, you can use your international VAT number to have the VAT charge deducted from your order.

How do I add a VAT number to a guest order?

Enter your VAT:

1. Enter your Company name and VAT-ID in the fields below Company info for business on the Checkout page.
2. Make sure the VAT-ID is registered in the same country as the billing address.
3. Press enter or use tab to go to the next field.
4. Below the Company info for business fields, you should see a loading animation that states Please wait while we validate your VAT-ID.
5. You will receive confirmation on-screen that the VAT-ID is valid.
6. The VAT now is deducted from your order, please verify this in your Order review before you press the blue button Place order. The stated tax amount should be € 0.00.

Troubleshooting VAT Validation Errors

1. Remove Country Initials and Punctuation.
If you encounter an error, exclude the country initials from the beginning of your VAT number. You must also remove all spaces, slashes, or punctuation. Enter the number exactly like this: [2 to 12 digits][B-if applicable][2 digits-if applicable]. For example: 1234567891B12.

2. Verify the Address Matches the VAT Country. 
Your shipping address country must exactly match the country where the VAT-ID is registered. If you are shipping to a different country, the system will reject the VAT number.

3. Use an International VAT Number. 
A domestic VAT number will not work. Our system only recognizes official VAT IDs connected to the European VAT system (VIES).
Check your VAT ID on the dedicated site from the European Union. You can request an international VAT with your local tax office. This can take up to 6 to 8 weeks.

What are the important things to know about adding a VAT number to an order?

• Your shipping address country must match the VAT-ID country.
• If you are a Dutch business, do not enter your VAT number in your order. You claim the VAT yearly or quarterly via the Dutch tax office.
• If the VAT is charged on the order confirmation, do not proceed with payment but contact Customer Support first.
• If you are a VAT-exempt person, provide your Exemption Certificate when you contact Customer Support. You can do this after paying the VAT with your purchase.

I did not add my VAT number to an order - what do I do now?

If you did not enter your correct international VAT number, there are several options. They depend on the status of your order. Read here the three statuses:

Unpaid order

If you did not pay for your order yet, your order has the status Awaiting payment. You can cancel your order and place a new order with the correct VAT number.

Paid order, not shipped

If your order is paid for but has not shipped yet - it has the status Preparing for shipment - contact our Customer Support. In some cases, we can cancel and refund the existing order so you can place a new one with the correct VAT.

Paid and shipped order

If your order has the status Processing or Complete, you have two options.

1. If you find out within 14 days after delivery, we can start a cool-off procedure so you can return the order for a refund and place a new order with your VAT number. Contact our Customer Support if this applies to you.
2. You can claim the VAT back via the VAT office of your country. This is possible for the UK, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Spain, Italy, France or Finland.

It is not possible to change the invoice for an existing order.

Can you provide me with a VAT refund for exporting a product out of Europe?

If you are emigrating outside of the the country you purchased your order from, you can get the VAT back from Fairphone. Please create a ticket with our customer support.

VAT Refund Process for Customers Emigrating from the EU

You will need to provide the original invoice, stamped at the local customs office of the country where your Fairphone products were shipped to along with an export certificate, when creating a ticket with customer support.

VAT Refund Process for Customers Emigrating from Norway

If you originally purchased your Fairphone in Norway and are now emigrating to another economic zone, you may be eligible to reclaim the Norwegian Value Added Tax (VAT).

Norway operates its own independent tax refund system. This means that Norwegian Customs will only stamp a specific Tax-Free Shopping form, not the standard shop invoice.

Simple Steps to Reclaim Your VAT

Please follow these three steps carefully to ensure your refund is processed:

1. Download the Required Form

   • Download and print the Norwegian Tax Free Shopping Form at the bottom of this article.

2. Get the Form Stamped at Departure

   • At the airport or point of departure, you must present the Tax-Free Shopping Form (not the regular invoice) to Norwegian Customs for an official stamp.

   • Note: This stamp is mandatory proof of export.

3. Send the Stamped Form to Fairphone

   • Once the form is officially stamped, please scan or take a clear photo of the document and share it with us.

After we receive your correctly stamped Tax-Free Shopping Form, our Finance department will process the VAT refund directly to your original payment method. Please allow time for bank processing once the refund is issued.

VAT Refund Process for Customers Emigrating from the UK

Unfortunately the UK has withdrawn from it's VAT Retail Export Scheme and tax-free shopping concession. Therefor it is not possible to claim back VAT when leaving the UK.

It is however possible, exclusively, in Northern Island. More information can be found here in the UK government's publication on the topic. 

If after reading the article you need more help, contact our Customer Support.