Why Reclaiming VAT Is So Challenging - and How VAT IT and Navan are Making It Easy

VAT IT and Navan make Reclaiming VAT Easy 

Partner
February 20, 2026

Companies forfeit billions annually in unclaimed VAT from travel expenses, as highlighted here. Many businesses overlook this refund opportunity or struggle with its complexities, missing out on vital cash flow opportunities.

Two-thirds of businesses do not explore VAT reclaims or capture just a small portion of what they could be rightfully due. That’s a costly implication, as travel and expense data holds untapped VAT potential.

“The European VAT landscape changes weekly, and one missing data point can erase an entire reclaim and can jeopardise a company’s VAT recovery,” said Lourens van Pletzen, CEO of VAT IT. “By pairing Navan’s end-to-end expense data with VAT IT’s 24 years of specialisation, we’re giving finance teams the confidence that every eligible euro is coming back to them.”

The VAT Hurdle

Businesses can often reclaim VAT on business travel such as hotels, meals, rentals, and events if they’re not VAT-registered locally.

Whilst this may sound straightforward, it’s far from it. Legislation varies widely by country. This pertains to e.g. eligible expenses, recovery rates, documentation needs, and frequent changes. This demands precision when it comes to reclaiming VAT. Manual efforts tend to drain resources of finance teams and basic automation tools fall short of capturing the nuances of individual requirements. They miss transaction details, scatter data across platforms, or ignore country-specific compliance which are just a few of the reasons so many companies are giving up on the process.

The Path Forward

Unlocking full VAT recovery does not have to be painful when these data points are automatically integrated into your expense system and directly fed into pre-existing finance processes.

Tax authorities are increasingly moving towards digital tax processes that allow for real-time transparency. This allows for consolidation across jurisdictions and reporting cycles.

Multinational companies gain visibility on their full VAT recovery, that manual processes are unable to provide.

Navan + VAT IT: Winning VAT Reclaim

Navan’s deep integration with VAT IT experts simplifies it all. “In 2025, we reclaimed $300 million for clients through partners like Navan, proving our drive to streamline taxes into real savings,” says van Pletzen.

Every Navan transaction from cards, folios, reimbursements, even manual receipts, are flow directly to VAT IT. We scrutinise codes and merchants, apply local rules, file claims, and deliver transparent reports so your business is able to recover all eligible VAT.

Ready to boost your VAT reclaims? Chat with Navan about their expense solution or find out more about the VAT recovery process today by filling out the form below.

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