There is no VAT refund for tourists in the USA because the United States does not have a Value Added Tax. Sales tax is charged by individual states and cities, and almost none of them refund it to departing visitors. Texas runs the only active state program, Louisiana’s long-running refund ended in 2024, and a few states charge no sales tax at all. Everywhere else, the tax you pay at the register stays paid.
Why There Is Nothing to Refund at the Federal Level
The federal government does not impose a national consumption tax. Instead, 45 states levy their own sales taxes, and 38 of those also let cities and counties add local taxes on top. Combined state and local rates run from zero in a few states up to roughly 10% in places like Louisiana (10.11%), Tennessee (9.61%), and Washington (9.51%).1Tax Foundation. State and Local Sales Tax Rates, 2026
Each jurisdiction treats sales tax as revenue collected at the point of sale and final to the transaction. There is no federal mechanism to give it back to a departing visitor, and almost no state mechanism either. If you are used to collecting VAT refund envelopes at European airports, expect nothing comparable at most American departure gates.
The Texas Sales Tax Refund Program
Texas is the only state currently running a working sales tax refund for goods that leave the country. It rests on the state’s export exemption, which bars taxing tangible goods that leave U.S. territory.2State of Texas. Texas Tax Code Section 151.307 – Exemptions Required by Prevailing Law The refunds themselves are processed by private customs brokers licensed by the state. The largest is TaxFree Shopping, Ltd., which operates 14 locations across Texas, including kiosks at major airports and shopping areas.
You do not need a foreign passport to use it. U.S. citizens can also claim a refund, but only at an airport location on the day of departure and only with a boarding pass for an international flight. International visitors need a passport, entry documentation (a visa, ESTA confirmation, I-94 record, or Global Entry card), and proof of onward international travel such as a flight itinerary or boarding pass.3TaxFree Shopping. Requirements
What Qualifies
Only tangible, physical merchandise counts. Hotel stays, restaurant meals, food eaten in the state, car rentals, and any other services are excluded. Every item must be new, unused, and exported from the country within 30 days of purchase. You will have to show the actual merchandise to a refund agent before you check your bags, so pack with that in mind.3TaxFree Shopping. Requirements
There is a minimum. Your receipts must show at least $12 in Texas sales tax per store, and you can combine multiple receipts from the same physical store to reach it. At the metro-area combined rate of up to 8.25%,4Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Sales and Use Tax that works out to roughly $145 in merchandise from a single store. The name on your credit card receipt has to match the name on your passport.
What to Bring
Bring original paper receipts for every purchase. Photocopies, screenshots, email confirmations, and credit card statements are not accepted. Each receipt must show the store’s Texas location, the date, the amount of Texas sales tax charged, and a description of what you bought. Present all of that with your passport, entry documents, travel itinerary, and the merchandise itself at a refund location. An agent will inspect the goods and review each receipt before approving the refund.
How Much You Actually Get Back
The refund operators keep a significant share. Through TaxFree Shopping, the two payout options are:3TaxFree Shopping. Requirements
- Instant cash: you receive 50% of the total sales tax on your qualifying receipts. The other half is the processing fee. No further charges.
- Check or PayPal: you receive 65% of the total tax, minus a $4 fee for each store location. It takes several weeks.
On $1,000 in Texas purchases at the 8.25% rate, you paid $82.50 in tax. The instant cash option returns about $41. The check option returns roughly $50 after fees. The math improves with larger purchases, but the operator always takes a substantial cut.
Louisiana’s Program No Longer Exists
For decades, Louisiana ran the country’s most prominent tourist refund through the Louisiana Tax Free Shopping program, with refund centers at locations including New Orleans International Airport. Older travel guides still recommend it. That guidance is out of date.
The state legislature passed Act 255 in its 2023 regular session to wind the program down.5Louisiana Department of Revenue. Louisiana Tax Free Shopping Program for International Visitors to End July 1 The underlying tax statute was then formally repealed effective December 4, 2024.6Justia Law. Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:315.1 – Repealed by Acts 2024 No replacement has been announced. International visitors shopping in Louisiana now pay the full combined rate, which averages 10.11% and is the highest in the country.1Tax Foundation. State and Local Sales Tax Rates, 2026
Washington’s Point-of-Sale Exemption
Washington takes a different approach. Rather than refunding tax later, the state exempts qualifying non-resident buyers from paying it at the register. If you are a resident of a country or U.S. state that does not impose a sales tax, or imposes one below 3%, you may be able to buy tangible goods tax-free at Washington stores when the goods are intended for use outside the state.
There are no kiosks and no claims to file. You show proof of residency at the register and the store does not charge the tax. Availability varies by retailer, and not every store is set up to handle it, so ask before you get to the register.
Shopping in States With No Sales Tax
The simplest way to avoid sales tax is to shop where none is charged. Five states have no state-level sales tax: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon.1Tax Foundation. State and Local Sales Tax Rates, 2026 Of those, Delaware, New Hampshire, and Oregon also have no local sales taxes, so retail purchases are truly untaxed. Alaska and Montana let some local jurisdictions charge their own tax, particularly in tourist areas, so check before assuming a purchase is tax-free.
If your itinerary already passes through Portland or the Delaware outlets, that is where large purchases like electronics or designer goods will save you the most. No paperwork, no fees, no kiosks.
Duty-Free Shops Are a Different System
Duty-free stores in international terminals at U.S. airports sell goods exempt from certain federal taxes and duties. That is a separate framework from state sales tax refunds. Duty-free pricing reflects the removal of federal excise taxes rather than state sales tax, and the savings are concentrated in categories that normally carry heavy duties, such as liquor, tobacco, fragrances, and luxury goods.
Two things to keep in mind. “Duty-free” describes the tax treatment, not a guarantee of the lowest price. And goods you buy at duty-free shops abroad are not automatically exempt from U.S. duty when you return; personal exemptions apply based on where you traveled.7U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Shopping Abroad: Duty Free, Gifts, Household Items
Getting the Most Back on a U.S. Trip
The refund routes are narrow enough that the better strategies avoid the tax rather than chase it. Route big-ticket shopping through Oregon, Delaware, or New Hampshire and the tax question disappears. If you qualify under Washington’s non-resident rule, use it at the register. If your trip is Texas-focused and your spending is high enough to clear the $12-per-store minimum comfortably, keep every original receipt from day one, consolidate purchases at single store locations, and stop at the refund kiosk before you check your bags on departure day. Anywhere else, treat sales tax as part of the trip cost.