學會用英文辦退稅,小資族的你在血拼時也能顧及荷包安全!

出國旅遊大買特買是許多人的充電方式
但在血拚的同時也別忘了可以退稅
救救自己消瘦乾癟的荷包
讓我們跟著小資女孩 Rachel 來到機場
看看如何用英文辦理退稅!

小資上班族 Rachel 在過年前去曼徹斯特 (Manchester) 瘋狂採買一番,犒賞自己過去一年來的辛勞。在購物中心 (outlet) 掃完貨後,精打細算的她在飛回台灣前,前往機場的 VAT (value-added tax) Refund 櫃檯要辦理退稅手續…

Clerk: May I help you?
行員:可以為您效勞嗎?

Rachel: Yes, I bought some clothes and cosmetics at York Designer Outlet, and I’d like to  claim my tax refund for these items.
Rachel:是的,麻煩你了,我在 York Designer 購物中心買了衣服和化妝品,想要退稅。

Clerk: Certainly! When did you purchase the items and when will you leave the UK?
行員:沒問題。請問您是在什麼時候購買商品?什麼時候要離開英國?

Rachel: I bought them this week, and I’m about to leave this evening.
Rachel:這些都是這禮拜買的,我今晚就要離開英國。

Clerk: Okay, please give me your passport. The items you purchased, receipts, and VAT refund forms.
行員:好的,那請給我您的護照、購買商品、收據和增值稅退稅單。

Rachel: Here you go.
Rachel:在這裡。

(The clerk checks the forms and adds up the total cost.)
(行員檢查退稅單並加總消費金額。)

Clerk: The total tax refund is $120 pounds. Would you like your refund in cash or on your credit card?
行員:退稅金額一共是 120 英鎊,請問您要退現金還是退到您的信用卡?

Rachel: Please send it to my credit card. Thank you.
Rachel:請退到我的信用卡,謝謝。

cosmetics (n.) 化妝品

cosmetics 的意思是「化妝品」,注意恆用複數形。意思相近的字為 makeup。

The pharmacy also sells a variety of cosmetics.
這間藥局也有賣各種化妝品。

claim a tax refund 申請退稅

claim 在對話中的意思是「要求 (擁有);索取」之意,refund 則是「退費」之意,因此 claim a tax refund 就是要索取購買商品時所付的稅,也就是「申請退稅」。

If you want to claim a tax refund, the products you purchased must be unopened until you leave the country.
如果想要要求退稅,在出境前,你所購買的商品都不能拆封。

此外,claim 也有「主張;聲稱」的意思,通常所主張之事無法證明,也較不具公信力。

The government claimed that the presidential election wasn’t subject to foreign interference.
政府主張總統大選並無受到外國力量干預。

purchase (v.) 購買

purchase 跟 buy 一樣,都是「購買;買」的意思,差別在於 buy 用於較日常的情境,purchase 則用在較正式的場合。

The high-tech facilities were purchased last year.
這些高科技的設備是去年採購的。

form (n.) 表格

form 當名詞時有「表格:表單」之意,常搭配動詞片語 fill in/out,fill in 是指填寫「格子」或「表單上的某一部分」,例如: fill in the blanks in the form (填寫表格);fill out 則強調填寫完整份表單,例如:fill out the form (填寫表格)。

You have to fill out the form if you want to return the item.
如果你想要退貨,你必須先填寫表單。

搭飛機回台時,Rachel 回想起剛出社會的她,在存錢第一次出國時因為懵懵懂懂,而在退稅過程中發生了小插曲…

Sales assistant: Your total comes to $27.4 pounds.
店員:您的消費一共是 27.4 英鎊。

Rachel: Excuse me. I’m a tourist, so I’d like to get a tax refund.
Rachel:不好意思,因為我是旅客,所以我想要退稅。

Sales assistant: Sorry, but the minimum charge to get a tax refund is $30 pounds.
店員:抱歉,但要退稅的最低消費金額是 30 英鎊。

Rachel: Oh! Sorry, I didn’t know that. Then I will buy one more facial mask.
Rachel:噢,抱歉,我不知道有這個規定。那我再多買一片面膜。

Sales assistant: Okay, that would be $32.69 pounds. Please show me your passport and fill out the form.
店員:好,這樣一共是 32.69 英鎊,請讓我看看您的護照,並填寫這份表格。

(While Rachel is filling out the form, the sales assistant is checking her passport.)
(Rachel 填寫表格時,銷售員也一邊檢查她的護照。)

Sales assistant: Here is your tax refund. Please keep the items unopened until you leave the UK.
店員:這邊是您的退稅金額。在離開英國前,請不要拆封購買的物品。

Rachel: Alright. Do I need to do anything else?
Rachel:好的,那我還要做什麼嗎?

Sales assistant: Before you check in, you have to take the form, the receipts, and the items you purchased to the VAT Refund counter. Customs will examine them again.
店員:在辦理登機手續前,你必須帶著退稅單、收據、和購買的產品到 VAT Refund 的退稅櫃台,海關會再檢查一次。

Rachel: Got it! Many thanks!
Rachel:瞭解!非常感謝您!

minimum (adj.) 最少的;最低限度的

minimum 的意思是「最少的;最低限度的」,我們常說的「最低薪資」就是 minimum wage,minimum  反義字為 maximum (最多的;最大限度的)。

Since this month, the minimum monthly wage has been increased by 3%.
從這個月開始,最低薪資調漲 3%。

check in (phr.) (在機場) 辦理登機手續

check in 在對話中的意思是「(在機場) 辦理登機手續」,加上連字號變成名詞 check-in,則是指機場的「報到櫃台」。此外 check in 也可指「(在飯店) 辦理入住手續」。

When I was about to check in, I found out that my passport and wallet were gone.
在我要辦登機手續時,才發現我的護照和錢包都不見了。

customs (n.) 海關

「海關」這個字一定要用複數形 customs,「過海關」搭配的動詞為 clear 或 go through,例如:clear customs、go through customs。若用單數 custom,則有「風俗;習俗:慣例」之意。

Customs officers will check your carry-on baggage when you go through customs.
過海關時,海關人員會檢查你的隨身行李。

每個國家的退稅金額和最低消費都略有不同,規劃下一趟旅行前可別忘了確認,出境前也別忘了退稅,幫自己的荷包補補血哦!

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文/ Vivian Chen
審/ Eunice Lin
圖/ Pexels
作者簡介/ VoiceTube 看影片學英語

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