First off, you see Goyard mentioned a bunch in these airport shopping scenarios, right? Fiumicino in Rome, JFK T8… that’s kinda the key. Duty-free. Thing is, you’re not necessarily getting “tax-free Goyard *clothes*,” per se. Goyard is known for their bags and luggage, that’s their bread and butter. Are they doing clothes now? Maybe? I haven’t seen any. But even if they *did* have a killer little line of Goyard t-shirts or something, the point is, you’re hitting the duty-free shops.
So, the *potential* tax break comes from being an international traveler, not from Goyard suddenly having a fire sale. Get it?
And look, I’m gonna be real with you, “tax-free” is a bit of a misnomer. It’s more like “tax *avoidance*,” legally, of course. You’re just not paying the local taxes because you’re hopping across borders. But you *might* still have to declare those purchases and pay taxes when you get back home. Ugh, the paperwork.
Then there’s the whole pre-owned market thing. Farfetch, thredUP, these sites get mentioned in the context. Now, this is where you *might* find a Goyard piece (bag, most likely) for a bit less. Still pricey, mind you, but hey, a discount is a discount. Plus, if it’s second-hand, the tax situation is usually different, depending on where you buy it. Sometimes there’s sales tax, sometimes not. It’s a crapshoot, really.
And the Japanese tax refund thing? That’s another rabbit hole. Different countries, different rules. Just because Japan has a tax refund policy doesn’t mean Italy or the US does for *every* situation. It’s all about where you’re a resident and where you’re buying the stuff.