www.louisianataxfree.com
Steven Windham, Chairman, Louisiana Tax Free Shopping Commission
swindham@crt.la.gov
Denise Thevenot, Executive Director, Louisiana Tax Free Shopping (LTFS)
denise@louisianataxfree.com

• LTFS is a division of the Louisiana Department of Revenue.
• The program was created by an act of the State of Louisiana government in 1988 and began providing refunds from one refund center in 1989.
• The program now has six refund centers around the state that offer cash refunds for sales taxes paid by international visitors. These include:
  • NEW ORLEANS: The Outlet Collection at Riverwalk
  • METAIRIE: Macy's, Lakeside Mall
  • BATON ROUGE: Macy's, Mall of Louisiana
  • LAFAYETTE: Dillard's, Acadiana Mall
  • SHREVEPORT/BOSSIER CITY: Louisiana Boardwalk
  • LOUIS ARMSTRONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT: Main Lobby, Terminal C
• Since its founding, the program has served more than 800,000 visitors from hundreds of countries.
• Louisiana Tax Free Shopping has recorded more than $600 million in eligible sales since 1989.
• A 2011 study by the University of New Orleans determined that for every 1 dollar refunded, 1.7 dollars were returned to the state in other revenue.
• Only tangible goods that will be removed from the state are eligible for refunds.
• Food, lodging, and services are not eligible for refunds.
• More than 1,000 merchants across Louisiana participate in the refund program.
• 148 countries were represented in 2014, up from 139 the previous year. Travelers from Brazil once again topped the number of transactions, followed by China, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Australia, Germany, Honduras, India, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Colombia, Venezuela, and Japan.