What Vatamerica does

VATAmerica is a US-based professional services firm that recovers and exempts European VAT and excise taxes (including Germany's MOT, France's TIC, and cross-border B2B VAT) for general aviation operators and corporate businesses. Founded in 1993 in Princeton, New Jersey by former Ernst & Young tax partner James D. Walker, the firm manages European VAT/excise tax recovery for owners and operators of over 2,000 business jets, including corporate flight departments, aircraft management companies, government operators (NATO, consular, international organizations), aircraft manufacturers, and corporations with European employee travel exposure. The firm claims to be the world's only dedicated European Tax Recovery and Exemption Program for general aviation, a position held since 1997.

The firm's underlying technology is Sprinter Data Capture, a proprietary automated platform licensed/integrated through its 2015 strategic partner Taxback International (Kilkenny, Ireland; ~400 staff across 20 countries). Sprinter extracts VAT data from enterprise expense management systems (Concur, American Express, Visa) and receives electronic invoice feeds directly from European fuel suppliers (Total, AirBP), FBOs, and other GA vendors, enabling integrated data capture, intelligence analysis, and straight-through processing with minimal client effort. A wholly owned subsidiary, CB VATAmerica, LLC (formed 2005), coordinates refund submissions through European VAT firm networks.

VATAmerica operates on a contingency-based professional services fee model — clients pay nothing upfront and the firm is compensated based on successfully recovered taxes. GTM is enterprise field sales: prospects complete a free analysis request, sign an NDA, undergo data capture, and receive a tailored engagement proposal within approximately one week. Distribution runs through direct enterprise sales, the Taxback International processing partnership, and embedded vendor invoice flows. Founded 1993, incorporated in New Jersey as VATAmerica, LP; privately held and founder-controlled with no disclosed institutional investors.

Name

Vatamerica

Legal name

VATAmerica, LP

Website

https://vatamerica.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

VATAmerica is a Princeton, NJ-based professional services firm that recovers European VAT and excise taxes (including German MOT, French TIC) for general aviation operators and corporate businesses, managing claims for over 2,000 business jets via proprietary Sprinter Data Capture technology and a Taxback International processing partnership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tax Recovery Services

NAICS

Administrative and Support Services (561)

akta.pro primary industry

Fleet Tax & Regulatory Reporting (IFTA/IRP, VAT/GST Fuel Reclaims) (TLABAMAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Indirect Tax (VAT/GST/Sales & Use) Services (BPAHABAJ), VAT/GST Tax Recovery & Receipt Compliance (THACADAF)

Keywords

• European VAT recovery
• Aviation tax refunds
• Excise tax recovery
• General aviation taxes
• Corporate VAT exemptions

Headquarters

HQ city

Princeton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. VAT Recovery and Exemption Services: VATAmerica manages European VAT and excise tax recovery and exemptions for aviation operators, charging fees for services that reduce or eliminate VAT and excise taxes (MOT) on fuel, handling, EuroControl and crew costs. Revenue is generated through successful recovery of taxes on behalf of clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

VATAmerica provides European VAT and excise tax (MOT and TIC) recovery and exemption services for general aviation operators and corporate businesses. The company manages the recovery of taxes on jet fuel, handling, EuroControl, and crew costs for owners and operators of over 2,000 business jets, as well as VAT recovery on employee travel and AP expenses for corporate clients. Services are powered by proprietary Sprinter Data Capture technology integrated with expense management platforms and aviation vendor systems.

Product overview

VATAmerica offers a comprehensive European Tax Recovery and Exemption Program as its core product, serving both aviation operators and business companies. For aviation operators, the company provides specialized services including VAT recovery for corporate flight departments, aircraft management companies, and government operators, managing European VAT and excise tax recovery for owners and operators of over 2,000 business jets. The portfolio includes fuel excise tax recovery programs (MOT and TIC), B2B cross-border VAT exemptions, and crew ground costs recovery. For business companies, VATAmerica offers VAT recovery on employee travel costs and accounts payable expenses. The services are powered by proprietary Sprinter Technology for automated data capture and integrated with expense management platforms including Concur, American Express, and Visa. The company also provides a Client Dashboard for engagement administration and publishes Program Guides detailing various tax recovery programs. VATAmerica partners with Taxback International for sophisticated IT infrastructure and VAT submission processing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• European Tax Recovery and Exemption Program VATAmerica's core program providing comprehensive European VAT and excise tax recovery and exemptions for general aviation operators, corporate flight departments, and business companies operating in Europe. Manages recovery for owners and operators of over 2,000 business jets.
• Services for Aviation Operators VAT and excise tax recovery services for aviation operators including corporate flight departments, aircraft management companies, government operators, and aircraft manufacturers managing over 2,000 business jets.
• Services for Businesses VAT recovery services for corporate companies, analyzing employee travel costs and accounts payable expenses to identify significant savings through refunding on European employee travel costs.
• VAT Recovery for Government Operators Specialized VAT exemption and MOT refund programs for government operators including NATO military forces, consular and diplomatic missions, and international organizations.
• VAT Recovery for Corporate Flight Departments European VAT refunding services for corporate flight departments on jet fuel, crew hotel and ground transportation, and B2B cross-border VAT exemptions on services.
• VAT Recovery for Aircraft Management Companies Comprehensive VAT and excise tax recovery for aircraft management companies including international airline VAT exemption, French TIC refunds, and German MOT refunds.
• Jet Fuel Excise Tax (MOT) Recovery Recovery of European high fuel excise taxes (MOT) applied to jet fuel for aircraft management companies and corporate flight departments. MOT rates vary between approximately €303 (Bulgaria) and €654.50 (Germany) per thousand litres.
• French Jet Fuel Excise Tax (TIC) Recovery Refund of French TIC excise tax on jet fuel. Since 2018, the French TIC rate is €397.90 per kilolitre, approximately $1.75 per gallon, plus VAT.
• B2B Cross-Border VAT Exemption Program VAT exemption on most services supplied across EU borders, leveraging EU VAT 'place of supply' rules adopted in 2008. Corporate operators receive necessary documentation for VAT exemptions.
• Free Analysis Complimentary analysis of a company's European tax recovery potential based on operations, primary vendors, expense reporting systems, and European destinations, with no obligations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,000 business jets managed for European VAT and excise tax recovery
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Taxback InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015VATAmerica engages Taxback International (TBI), headquartered in Kilkenny, Ireland, to assume VAT refund submission responsibility. TBI operates approximately 400 team members from offices throughout EMEA and the US. TBI is the 'preferred' supplier of VAT recovery services to Concur expense management customers. TBI provides end-to-end VAT solutions including local VAT compliance, recovery of local and foreign VAT, and VAT consultancy through its proprietary Sprinter Data Capture technology.
• Universal Weather & AviationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1996VATAmerica and Universal Weather & Aviation (Houston) agreed to develop the world's first European VAT recovery program for general aviation operators in 1996. This partnership evolved to include several aviation industry fuel and trip support services providers.
• FCC AviationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVATAmerica partnered with FCC Aviation to provide highly efficient German Aviation Tax (GAT) compliance for VATAmerica clients, which is a pre-requisite for MOT refunding by management companies and other operators in Germany.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Taxback International: VATAmerica's core processing partner and itself a global VAT recovery and compliance firm with ~400 staff across 25 offices. Closest functional peer — both pursue VAT recovery via automated data capture, but TBI serves a broader corporate client base while VATAmerica specializes in general aviation.
• 1st VAT: European VAT reclaim specialist targeting corporate T&E and international VAT recovery with a technology-led submission process. Overlaps with VATAmerica's expense/AP-system-driven corporate VAT recovery service line.
• Universal Weather & Aviation: VATAmerica's 1996 partner and a major business aviation trip-support provider. Comparable in that it serves the same business aviation operator segment and has historically bundled or referenced VAT recovery within its trip-support offerings.
• VAT IT: Global VAT recovery and compliance firm offering end-to-end VAT reclaim solutions across 100+ jurisdictions. Directly comparable operating model — automated invoice extraction and submission to tax authorities — competing for the same cross-border VAT recovery spend.
• VAT Recovery (vatreclaim.com): Specialist VAT reclaim firm focused on T&E-related VAT recovery for corporate travelers — same service category as VATAmerica's 'Services for Businesses' line, with overlapping target customer (corporate AP/travel managers) and recovery-from-invoices model.

Broad incumbents

• KPMG (Indirect Tax practice): Big-4 firm with a global Indirect Tax and VAT services practice serving multinational corporates. Competes for the same corporate client budget on VAT recovery, recovery audits, and broader compliance work — though not aviation-specialized.
• Ernst & Young (Indirect Tax practice): Big-4 firm where VATAmerica's founder previously practiced for 13 years. EY's global indirect tax network competes for the same corporate VAT mandates and serves many of the same aviation operator parent companies.
• PwC (Indirect Tax practice): Big-4 firm with global VAT recovery, compliance and advisory services. Competes with VATAmerica's 'Services for Businesses' offering at the multinational level, bundling VAT into broader tax advisory mandates.
• Deloitte (Indirect Tax practice): Big-4 firm with global VAT recovery, compliance, and technology-enabled tax services. Competes for enterprise VAT recovery engagements where Deloitte's broader advisory relationship gives cross-sell advantages.

Others

• NBAA (National Business Aviation Association): Trade association representing business aviation operators. VATAmerica engages with NBAA on international tax issues resources; comparable only as an ecosystem participant shaping the buyer environment, not a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vatamerica

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vatamerica