samh Posted April 6, 2018 Share Posted April 6, 2018 I did eye surgery in Korea and I only got a tiny palm sized Korean receipt with no barcode or anything. The only thing that notes that 10 % tax are the words "부가세". It doesn't even have any tax refundable logo or anything. Can I use this receipt alone at the airport to get my tax refund?? I also checked online and apparently I need a certificate from the clinic :http://english.visitmedicalkorea.com/web/board/BD_board.view.do?domainCd=2&bbsCd=1001&seq=20160401141258262 Has this been the case for anyone else?? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missy_sana Posted April 9, 2018 Share Posted April 9, 2018 Check the Medical Korea website for a list of clinics that participate in the Tax Refund scheme and are bound by law to give you a fully valid receipt/certificate or even both these documents:http://english.visitmedicalkorea.com//webcontent/ckeditor/2017/11/28/1decd37a-145b-44b2-acba-2db87d0e4ad1.pdf My Tax Refund receipt from the clinic was quite long, print with my name, the clinic details and a breakdown of the cosmetic procedures, and then put in a special Tax Refund Envelope that give detailed info and maps of how and where to claim. I agree with Miss Orange that you should enquire at a department store first, because they will have a dedicated Tax Refund assistant who speaks good English & Mandarin. I went to the Hyundai flagship store next to Apujeoung station. Don't do it at the last minute at Incheon Airport, because if any problems it'll be too late to go back to your clinic many miles away! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wondermuffin Posted April 9, 2018 Share Posted April 9, 2018 So if you offer to pay in cash, there’s no tax refund? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missy_sana Posted April 9, 2018 Share Posted April 9, 2018 @Wondermuffin , It depends on the clinic. Some will use the cash method as a way not to give you tax refunds, because they can pocket the cash without declaring it to the government. But If a clinic is honest, they will give out tax refunds regardless if you paid by cash or gotten a discount. Just make sure you get a proper receipt and price breakdown for the procedures and cash you paid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nochu Posted April 9, 2018 Share Posted April 9, 2018 I'm glad you brought this up. The tax refund is something I saw mentioned often in this forum but I did not know the logistics of it. The links everyone posted were very useful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandy1605 Posted April 10, 2018 Share Posted April 10, 2018 Is it better to pay in USD or KRW? Which has more bargaining power? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eurasianbeauty Posted April 10, 2018 Share Posted April 10, 2018 Personally I think it depends on what the won is when you go. There is a clinic I am going to that gives the price in both KRW and USD. It just so happens that right now, USD is the better price (not by a lot, but still). If you're paying with a card, I don't think you have a choice. It will go through as won. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smaris Posted April 10, 2018 Share Posted April 10, 2018 if it helps... when I was last time in Seoul I just kept all receipts from shopping and got refund at the refund desk in the airport when going back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missy_sana Posted April 10, 2018 Share Posted April 10, 2018 I agree, however, its not just the exchange rate itself, but also what conversion/transfer fees you incur by the payment method you find convenient at the time, i.e. bank transfer in advance, cash Won, point-of-sale credit card transaction. I found that it is the most expensive option to transfer money to the clinic's bank account, because i would have to pay my bank to a % admin fee to send it, pay for their bank a % admin fee to receive it, on top of the currency exchange rate! If you are planning on surgery that cost less than $10,000 USD, then you can hunt around for the best exchange rates in advance to convert into cash Won to offer clinics if they give discount (plus Tax Refund) for cash payment. Although this is the cheapest option, you probably wouldn't want to wander around with such a large bundle of banknotes anyway! However, it is good practice to get familiar with comparing surgery benchmark prices in Korean Won, rather than in USD or your own home currency, because the clinics may quote a higher USD price to allow margin for the currency rate fluctuations and the fees they'll incur from converting your USD into Won. Anything over $6000 USD would be safer and more convenient to pay by credit card, and probably cheaper than bank transfer, so check if there are credit card incentives or reduced fees for overseas spending to get the most out of your dollar. Just make sure you stay within limit and keep up with card repayments so that this doesn't end up more expensive in the long term! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missy_sana Posted April 14, 2018 Share Posted April 14, 2018 @Mandy1605 , To elaborate on what has been mentioned above, and hopefully make things clearer... In terms of "bargaining power", whichever currency you choose to bargain with, will have its own costs. Bargain with USD (for your monetary convenience), then you may be at the mercy of an inflated foreigner price set by the clinic to cover their costs in converting your dollar to Won. Bargain with Won (for the clinic's monetary convenience and for you to get closer to local prices), then you'll be at the mercy of fluctuating exchange rates & commission fees of the place or credit card you chose to convert your money with. Try hard to shop around for the best payment method for you to minimize the costs (i.e. exchanges rates, bank/card fees), which will help you to get "more value for your dollar". However, despite all these money-saving ways to improve your "bargaining power" as a FOREIGNER... ...ultimately, it is the clinic who benefits the most financially from your dollar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tosmua Posted November 6, 2019 Share Posted November 6, 2019 apologies for digging up old thread. Would like to clarify, does it mean i can take my clinic receipt, and bring it to the departmental store VAT counter to check validity of the VAT receipt? The departmental stores handle not only receipt from their stores? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheesybeast Posted November 10, 2019 Share Posted November 10, 2019 Also digging up this thread cuz this happened to me (got a small receipt with no barcode) Is it possible to for them to print me another more detailed VAT-appropriate receipt after the transaction? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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