First identify which VAT process you used: a domestic repayment on a VAT return, an EU or Northern Ireland cross-border business claim, or a tourist tax-free shopping refund. The authority, deadlines, evidence rules and appeal route are different. Confirm the claim’s receipt date, read every portal message or letter, answer evidence requests by their deadline, check your bank and contact details, and preserve a complete record before escalating.
The timelines below are official rules for the stated UK and EU/Northern Ireland business procedures, not universal VAT standards. A domestic claim in another country or a tourist refund must be handled under that scheme’s own rules.
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Start by identifying the refund route
“VAT refund” describes several unrelated processes. Establishing the route prevents you from applying the wrong deadline or appealing to the wrong authority.
| Route | Typical claimant | Who receives and decides | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic VAT repayment | A business filing a VAT return in the country where it is registered | The national tax authority handling that return | The European Commission’s cross-border refund guidance does not govern same-country repayments. |
| EU/Northern Ireland cross-border business refund | A business established in one participating jurisdiction that paid qualifying VAT in another | The home authority may validate and forward the claim; the refund-country authority decides the amount and any appeal | The cited electronic procedure is limited to goods-only invoices. Services, or invoices combining goods and services, use a different process. |
| UK VAT refund for a non-UK business | A business established outside the UK claiming UK VAT | HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) | Notice 723A sets its own application, document, review and tribunal rules. |
| Tourist or tax-free shopping refund | An individual traveller | The retailer, refund operator, airport/customs process or national authority, depending on the country | The business procedures and deadlines in this article do not automatically apply. |
Questions to answer before contacting anyone
- In which country was the VAT charged?
- Where is the claimant established or resident?
- Is the claimant a business or a traveller?
- Was the claim submitted on a domestic VAT return, through a cross-border portal, or through a retailer or refund operator?
- Does the claim concern goods, services, or both?
The refund country generally controls a cross-border claim. Your home tax authority may check and forward an electronic application, but it does not decide the foreign refund amount or hear the appeal. For an ordinary domestic repayment, use the authority in the country where the return was filed.
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Check whether the claim was received and what stage it reached
Do not treat silence as a rejection until you have established what the authority received. Sign in to the official portal or review correspondence and record:
- the submission and receipt dates;
- the claim or reference number;
- confirmation that a home authority forwarded the claim, where forwarding is part of the route;
- validation errors or missing-field notices;
- requests for invoices, certificates or other information;
- a decision notice, rejection reasons or payment notice; and
- the email address, postal address and bank details currently held.
Keep your contact details current. The UK and EU/Northern Ireland guidance says applicants are informed at key stages, so a change of email address can cause you to miss a request or decision.
A delay is not automatically a rejection
HMRC’s separate repayment guidance explains that a VAT repayment return can be selected for manual credibility queries or specialist checks. A pending repayment therefore does not, by itself, prove that HMRC has rejected it or accused the claimant of wrongdoing. State only what the authority has actually said.
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Respond to an information request precisely
An evidence request is an action item, not a routine update. Read the notice for the exact documents, format, channel and due date. For the cited EU/Northern Ireland cross-border business route, an applicant generally has one month to provide requested additional information. A late or incomplete response can extend processing or affect the decision.
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- List every requested item. Separate invoices, proof of payment, business-purpose explanations, certificates of status and any schedules so nothing is omitted.
- Check invoice eligibility. Compare the request with the route’s rules on goods, services, taxable use, invoice dates and minimum claim conditions. Country rules determine which expenses are deductible.
- Submit through the specified official channel. Do not send sensitive tax records to an unverified address or use a different portal merely because it is more convenient.
- Keep proof. Save the uploaded files, confirmation screen, message ID, email headers or postal tracking and the exact time sent.
- Explain unavoidable gaps. If a document cannot be obtained, say why and provide the substitute evidence the authority permits rather than silently leaving a requirement unanswered.
UK claims by non-UK businesses
For a non-UK business claiming UK VAT under HMRC Notice 723A, compare the rejection or query with the VAT65A application requirements, the certificate of status and the supporting invoices or documents. HMRC says original hard copies must be retained for an electronic claim until processing is complete. Keep them available even after uploading scans.
Verify bank and identity details before chasing payment
Review the account number, sort code or international banking details, account holder name, currency and address exactly as entered. Incorrect details can cause returned payments, bank charges or further correspondence. Also check that the claimant’s legal name, tax number and certificate of status match the application and invoices.
If the portal shows “paid” but funds have not arrived, ask the authority for the payment date, amount, currency and destination account. Then ask your bank to trace the transfer. Do not submit a duplicate claim while a payment trace is pending unless the authority instructs you to do so.
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The following periods come from HMRC’s current guidance for the qualifying Northern Ireland/EU cross-border business procedure. They are not general VAT refund statistics or universal deadlines.
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| Event | Period in the cited procedure | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Refund authority’s initial decision | Generally four months from receipt | Count from the authority’s actual receipt date, not merely the day you began an application. |
| Reply to a request for more information | Generally one month | Meet the date in the request; retain evidence of delivery. |
| Decision where further information is requested | May extend to a maximum of eight months from initial receipt | Use the country’s current guidance to calculate the applicable end date. |
| Payment | Within ten working days after the applicable decision deadline | This is a payment period in that route, not a promise that every transfer clears in ten days. |
If the decision deadline passes without a notice, the cited guidance says to consider the application rejected unless the refund country has another procedure. Confirm that country’s rule before acting. The home authority cannot intervene on your behalf in the refund country’s decision.
Interest on a late refund
Some schemes provide interest when a refund misses its final payment deadline, but entitlement, qualifying conduct and calculation are controlled by national law. The UK guidance for the described non-UK claim route makes timely submission of requested information relevant to late-payment interest. Do not assume interest is automatic or quote a rate without checking the current rule of the refund country.
What to do when the authority rejects the claim
Download the complete decision and reasons. “Application rejected” is not enough to diagnose the problem; the reason may concern eligibility, an unsupported expense, an invoice defect, a missing certificate, a late response, an incorrect bank account or the wrong claim route.
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Build an appeal file
- the decision notice and the date it was issued;
- the envelope or electronic delivery record;
- the original application and claim reference;
- all invoices, certificates and proof of payment;
- every information request and your response evidence;
- calculations showing the VAT amount claimed; and
- a short chronology of submission, receipt, queries, replies and payment attempts.
Ask for correction or clarification only if the authority’s procedure allows it, and never let an informal conversation consume the formal appeal period.
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EU or Northern Ireland cross-border claims
Appeal to the refund country under its national procedure and time limit. The home tax authority that forwarded the claim does not decide that appeal. Check whether the country requires a particular form, language, delivery method, representative or original document.
UK VAT claims by non-UK businesses
Under HMRC Notice 723A, a claimant whose application is rejected may request a review by a previously uninvolved HMRC officer or appeal to an independent tribunal. HMRC’s notice states: “If your application is rejected, we’ll tell you the reasons why.” The notice gives 30 days from the decision letter for either a review request or tribunal appeal. A review does not remove the later option of appealing to the tribunal, but you must preserve the applicable deadline and follow the notice’s instructions.
Do not transfer that 30-day example to a different country, a domestic VAT return or a tourist refund. The decision notice and governing law control.
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A domestic repayment is normally claimed on the country’s VAT return and handled by that country’s tax authority. The European Commission’s cross-border page expressly directs ordinary same-country refunds to the national authority. Find that authority’s repayment guidance, then check whether it permits a status enquiry, amendment, administrative review, objection or court appeal.
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Domestic systems may use different terms such as repayment verification, credibility check, assessment, objection or complaint. Follow the label and deadline in the letter rather than assuming the EU cross-border timetable applies.
Common causes of delay or rejection—and the appropriate response
| What you see | Possible explanation supported by the procedure | Useful response |
|---|---|---|
| No payment after submission | The claim may not have passed validation, been forwarded, or reached the decision stage. | Confirm receipt and forwarding; correct portal errors; keep the reference number. |
| A request for more information | The authority needs evidence before deciding. | Answer every item by the stated deadline and retain submission proof. |
| Only some expenses accepted | Deductibility and route rules vary by country; services may be excluded from a goods-only electronic procedure. | Separate eligible and ineligible costs and read the country’s expense rules. |
| Rejected for missing documents | The application may not meet certificate, invoice or status requirements. | Compare the decision with the scheme checklist and provide permitted evidence in a review or appeal. |
| Payment returned or not located | Bank or claimant details may be wrong, or the transfer may be held by an intermediary bank. | Verify details with the authority and request a bank trace. |
| No decision by the stated date | The route may treat the claim as rejected, or the refund country may provide another remedy. | Check the refund country’s rule immediately and protect the appeal deadline. |
When professional help is sensible
A qualified VAT adviser or tax agent can be useful when the claim spans several countries, includes mixed goods and services, involves disputed business use, or has a short appeal deadline. HMRC’s guidance recognizes the use of agents, but appointing one does not pause a deadline. Give the agent the decision date, authority reference, complete evidence file and proof of any submissions already made.
For a straightforward claim, begin with the authority’s own portal and written guidance. Professional assistance should address a defined issue—eligibility analysis, missing evidence, a review request or an appeal—not replace basic status checks.
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A practical checklist
- Write down the VAT country, claimant location, claimant type and claim route.
- Locate the receipt confirmation, reference number and decision or query notice.
- Record every deadline in a calendar, including the appeal deadline.
- Confirm the authority has the correct email, postal and bank details.
- Answer evidence requests completely through the official channel.
- Save copies and delivery proof for every document and message.
- Calculate the route-specific decision and payment dates from the actual receipt date.
- If rejected, preserve the reasons and assemble the chronology and evidence file.
- Use the refund country’s appeal process, or HMRC’s Notice 723A review or tribunal route where that specific scheme applies.
- Check whether national law provides interest and whether your conduct satisfies its conditions.
The Bottom Line
The correct response to a delayed or rejected VAT refund is route-specific: establish who received the claim, meet every information deadline, verify payment details, and use the review or appeal procedure stated by the responsible authority. The four- and eight-month EU/Northern Ireland periods and HMRC’s 30-day Notice 723A appeal example apply only to those described schemes.
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