Retailers are hoping to have tax-free shopping for visitors reinstated in the UK in time for King Charles III’s coronation on May 6 next year.
Tax-free shopping was abolished for tourists on New Year’s Eve in 2020 due to the costs of maintaining the rebate post-Brexit, said experts.
The news has been welcomed by the industry, which campaigned against its removal and has lobbied for its return. But it has cautioned it should not take too long to implement.
Paul Barnes, chief executive of the Association of International Retail, said its removal was “devastating” to the industry.
He said he hopes the new system will be set up as soon as possible, ideally within months.
“Now, they have got in their forecasts that this will take them two years. In the growth plan, their forecasts show the tax-free shopping kicking in 2024 and 2025. And that’s because of the need to digitise, which they think will take two years.
