Louisiana Tax Free Shopping Program Celebrates Twenty Years of Serving International Visitors

January 27, 2009

BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Tax Free Shopping Program (LTFS) celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2009. Louisiana was the first state to initiate a program of this type, offering international visitors tax-free shopping while traveling within the state.

The LTFS Program gives international visitors the opportunity to make tax-free purchases at more than 900 participating retailers throughout Louisiana. Visitors enjoy the convenience of applying for the sales tax refund in cash at four locations throughout the state.

Since 1989, more than 600,000 international customers have taken advantage of Louisiana Tax Free Shopping and recorded over $500 million in international tax-free sales. Hotel, restaurant, and service sales taxes are not refundable. In February of 2008 the University of New Orleans conducted a study to determine the economic impact of LTFS on Louisiana’s economy. It determined that LTFS generated $1.4 million in new state sales tax revenue in 2007. In addition, the program’s total economic impact on the State of Louisiana was $45.1 million. The figure includes both direct and indirect spending by international visitors.

"There is no doubt that Louisiana Tax Free Shopping has been a boon for our state’s economy,” says Cynthia Bridges, Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Revenue. “The program’s 20-year record of success speaks for itself.”

The Louisiana Tax Free Shopping Program was created by Act 535 of 1988, introduced by state senators Hank Lauricella, Ben Bagert, and Ken Hollis, and by state representatives Jim Donelon, Woody Jenkins and Charles Lancaster. LTFS Refund Centers processed the first sales tax refunds for international visitors in November 1989.

“This groundbreaking program promotes both tourism and retail trade globally for the state and has become one more reason for international travelers to visit Louisiana,” said Eugene Schreiber, Managing Director of the World Trade Center of New Orleans and chairman of the Louisiana Tax Free Shopping Commission since its inception.

For more information, please contact:
Denise Thevenot, Executive Director, LTFS
(504) 568-5248 phone
(504) 458-8258 cell

Mr. Eugene Schreiber, Chairman, Louisiana Tax Free Shopping Commission
(504) 529-1601 ext. 227 phone

Attention:

Fraudulent checks with the Louisiana Tax Free Shopping name and address are traveling around the country.  Louisiana Tax Free Shopping Commission ONLY reimburses checks to international visitors to Louisiana on shopping done within the state, where specific vouchers are obtained.  Any check you may have with our name and address on it for any other reason is non valid and will not clear our checking account.

For further information, please feel free to contact us directly at
(504)467-0723. 
I’m proud to welcome you to Louisiana. Whether you are here for business or for pleasure, I hope you will enjoy all that our great state has to offer. In Louisiana, you will find a rich cultural heritage that is celebrated in our food, our music, and our traditions. We have a vibrant arts community, museums that showcase our unique history, and a state park system that captures Louisiana’s natural beauty and offers a variety of recreational resources.You will also find in Louisiana some of the nation’s fastest-growing companies, cutting-edge biomedical research and development, a business friendly environment and a productive work force. Louisiana is a great place to visit, live, work and play. We hope you think so, too.
Mitchell J. Landrieu
Lieutenant Governor


As Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Revenue, I welcome you to Louisiana's Tax Free Shopping Program. The program is designed to boost foreign tourism and to complement every attraction in our state by issuing refunds of sales tax paid on retail purchases made by international visitors to Louisiana. Our state was the first state in the nation to approve a tax-free shopping program for foreign visitors. We warmly welcome all international visitors to our wonderful state and invite you to shop Tax Free at more than 1,000 stores statewide.
Sincerely,
Cynthia Bridges, Secretary
Louisiana Department of Revenue
Did you know Louisiana was the first state in the U.S. to offer sales tax refunds to international visitors?! This means: International visitors to the state of Louisiana are finding a shopping paradise in Louisiana – providing a sales tax refund for international shoppers on purchases made at nearly 1000 tax free stores.

Not to be confused with “duty free” shops at international departure terminals in airports, “Louisiana Tax Free Shopping” is available at well known retail stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Best Buy, Macy’s, J.C. Penney, Gucci, The Gap, Sears, Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, Coach, etc. Tax Free stores also include manufacturer outlets, other department stores, jewelry stores, art and antique stores, computers and electrical appliances, as well as hundreds of smaller specialty shops throughout the state. All of the major shopping centers in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge area are tax-free zones.

The sales tax refund is provided on tangible items purchased at tax-free stores and permanently removed from the United States. There is no refund for sales taxes paid for personal services, such as: hotels, restaurants, entertainment and transportation.

When making a purchase and showing a foreign passport or current official picture identification, the international visitor pays the purchase price, including the sales tax, and is given a voucher, along with the associated sales receipt or invoice. To obtain the refund at the “Refund Center” in the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, Downtown Refund Center located in Riverwalk Marketplace next to the Convention Center, or the main branch of Capital One Bank in Lafayette and Shreveport, you must present all vouchers and corresponding sales receipts, passport and international travel ticket. The refund is paid is US currency up to $500. Checks are issued on refunds over $500. Refunds can also be obtained by mail.

Save money! Shop Louisiana Tax Free!