Refunds
The Diplomatic Tax Exemption Program operates on a point-of sale basis. Therefore, the eligible cardholder must seek an exemption at the time of purchase or signing a contract. OFM will not assist in the refund of taxes paid on Internet purchases, regardless of the amount of the purchase.
OFM frequently receives requests from the diplomatic community for refunds of sales taxes paid by cardholders. Obtaining such refunds is difficult in a sales tax system, which is unlike a VAT system in that reimbursements and refunds are abnormal and extraordinary procedures. Therefore, OFM will only assist in attempting to obtain refunds of those taxes in excess of $50.00 per receipt.
When requesting OFM’s assistance with obtaining a tax refund the cardholder must submit a written request with an explanation of the circumstances, and copies of the receipt(s) (highlighting the taxes) and the tax exemption card. The request should also include the vendor’s business address and phone number, as well as the name of a point of contact. Please allow 30 days for processing.
The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.