Keep up-to-date with our campaign
Tax-Free Shopping
Restore VAT RES and ESC scheme in the UK and extend to EU residents
Learn more about the benefits of tax-free shopping and the potential new EU market worth £10bn
Our Activities
AIR tells Rachel Reeves – use tax-free shopping to kick-start growth
July 5th
AIR’s TFS briefing for the Chancellor builds on the Government’s manifesto commitment on growth and shows how the Conservatives missed the opportunity of creating a new £10bn tourism market by ending tax-free shopping rather than extending it to visitors from the EU.
The briefing shows how the previous government's’ TFS costing forecasts have been discredited by all the new data.
Working with the new Government - update on AIR's activities with the new Parliament and Government
8th July 2024
The July AIR Wave highlights our activities before and after the election to promote tax-free shopping as a growth measure to the new Parliament and Labour Government.
AIR Wave: Tax-free shopping campaign update – July 2024
Jul. 19, 2024AIR’s letter to the Chancellor – “Kick-start growth by bringing back tax-free shopping”
Jul. 18, 2024CEO Paul Barnes’ letter to The Times on tax-free shopping
Jul. 09, 2024Helping to kick-start the economy – Tax-Free Shopping
Jul. 01, 2024AIR’s briefing on tax-free shopping for the Chancellor
May. 01, 2024In the News
Luxury, tax-free shopping should come back to London — Labour make it happen
The Standard, July 11th
“The data is clear. Research by the Association of International Retail shows that in addition to the £10 billion in tourism spend, the return of VAT-free shopping would help contribute to the wider economy — to the tune around £4 billion in GDP annually.”
Restore tourist tax break to boost retail, demands fashion body
The Times, 8th July 2024
The scrapping of VAT-free shopping for tourists is having a “significant impact” on British retail and hospitality, an influential trade body has warned.
The scrapping of VAT-free shopping for tourists is having a “significant impact” on British retail and hospitality, an influential trade body has warned.
Research and Reports
AIR's 2023 Nov Evidence on the impact of ending tax-free shopping
Ending tax-free shopping results in £1.5bn lost in UK retail sales; a new tax-free shopping-led tourism EU market is also awaiting the UK
You can read the report here.
Oxford Economic Assessment of Tax-Free Shopping in the UK
The reintroduction of TFS would attract more than 1.6 million extra visitors to the UK and stimulate an extra £2.8 billion of tourist spending…
You can read the report here.
Help us Bring Back Tax-Free Shopping
Paul Barnes - CEO
paul@internationalretail.co.uk
Pete Bowyer – Director/Labour Lead
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