VAT Invoice/Expense receipts
Trainline will provide you with a receipt for proof of payment and/or proof of travel, this is available from our app or website.
This receipt is not a VAT invoice for the total cost of your travel.
Trainline sells tickets to you on behalf of the Rail and Coach providers and do not charge VAT on your Rail and Coach travel, this is the responsibility of the Rail and Coach providers.
Where VAT is charged on Rail and Coach travel (usually within the EU), this will either be shown on your ticket or you can obtain an invoice directly from the Rail and Coach provider if you need to recover VAT for your business account.
Trainline does charge VAT on the booking fees applied, this is shown on your email conformation and the receipt available from the app or website, both can be used as a VAT receipt.
How do I get an expense receipt
A receipt for proof of payment and/or proof of travel is available from our App or website, following the directions below:
If using our website
- Login into My Bookings.
- Find the relevant booking under Upcoming or Past tab, click on "Order details and history".
- An expense receipt/ invoice will be formatted ready for printing.
- Open ‘My tickets’ and find the relevant trip.
- Click ‘Manage my booking’.
- Choose the option ‘Expense receipt’.
- An expense receipt will be formatted ready for downloading.
You will require a trainline account to access My Bookings.
How do I get a VAT invoice?
Invoices with VAT number for your tickets, if available, are paid directly by the train operator.
Train Operators
All UK trains
Trainline sells tickets to you on behalf of the Rail and Coach providers and do not charge VAT on your Rail and Coach travel.
SNCF
VAT on transport services is not deductible. SNCF do not issue invoices with a VAT number.
Deutsche Bahn, ÖBB
Deutsche Bahn and ÖBB do not issue invoices, but you can still find the details of the VAT applied directly on the ticket.
Trenitalia
Invoices are issued directly by Trenitalia, available from midnight on the day of purchase at the latest. Visit ‘How to request an invoice during online purchase and ticket changes’ on Trenitalia's website.
Italo
Invoices are issued directly by Italo, available from midnight on the day of purchase at the latest. Visit Italo's website and enter your name and ticket reference to access the details.
Renfe
You can request your invoice directly on the carrier website, by filling this form.
Ouigo Spain
You can request your invoice directly on the carrier website, in "My bookings' section (page only in spanish).
Why am I paying VAT at different rates?
Trainline is required to charge VAT on our booking fee for the use of the Trainline app or website. The rate of VAT charged depends on the country you are travelling in. In the UK, VAT is 0% on Rail and Coach travel, this will show on your VAT receipt as UK VAT at 0%.
VAT rates vary between EU countries, to see the VAT rate for each EU member state click here.
Why have I paid for my ticket in one currency, but the VAT is showing another currency?
You can choose to pay for your Rail or Coach travel in the currency of your choice. The VAT that is charged will depend on where you travel and will be shown in the currency of the country in which the VAT will be due.
Why do we tell you the companies in the Trainline group on your confirmation receipt?
The Trainline Group has companies in the United Kingdom (“UK”) and France who facilitate booking your tickets in the UK, the European Union (“EU”) and rest of the world (“ROW”).
When you buy a ticket, whether for travel in the UK, EU, ROW, or a combination, it might be a combination of the Trainline companies facilitating those bookings. The receipts you receive need to show the company that sells you the ticket. Rather than sending you lots of receipts for each ticket from our various companies, we have shown all the ticket details on the one email at the bottom to keep things nice and tidy.
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