GST on Internet purchases delayed to July 2018

[gordon_s1942]

News report says the Senate passed legislation to apply the GST on all Internet purchases under $1000 bought from Over Seas but delayed the starting date to July 2018 as it was not possible to implement it by July 1 this year.

[Bigfella237]

Thanks very much, Gerry Bloody Harvey. (NOT) As if the exchange rate isn't bad enough already!

So if I buy from a private seller in Australia I DON'T have to pay GST, but if I buy from a private seller in the US I do, how is that right?

What a huge PITA, I think I'll start ordering fifty cent items one-at-a-time just to piss them off.

[lsemmens]

How the blue blazes are they going to determine that? Does that mean that Auntie Mary who lives in China will have to stop sending me presents because I will have to pay GST on them? It's going to be a nightmare. I'm with you Bigfella, Lots of 50c items on my shopping list in the future, I think.

[Uncle Fester]

Yes, more lobbied Government stupidity. It will never end.
Originally a Hockey zombie but Labor likes it too, the dimwits are breeding everywhere.

They conjure up some random figure of $300 million they can cash in by 2020 but don't mention probably $100+ millions it will cost to collect
on all those '50c orders'. The real costs always expose themselves afterwards and always blow out.

I am sure that they have not realised that many Chinese sellers now have depots in Australia and now many more will come as will Amazon.
A totally pointless exersize, just like the $200 million waste it will cost the tax payer for the Defence Department to change their servers from private
to goverment held for their NOT so top secret files in 2020, that could be stolen by the Chinese by then if they really wanted to anyhow:


I only mentioned that because any gain from the first decision will be 'perfectly lost' in the second one.

[exited]

Thanks very much, Gerry Bloody Harvey. (NOT) As if the exchange rate isn't bad enough already!

So if I buy from a private seller in Australia I DON'T have to pay GST, but if I buy from a private seller in the US I do, how is that right?

What a huge PITA, I think I'll start ordering fifty cent items one-at-a-time just to piss them off.

Interesting point. Is it safe to assume if you're buying in Australia the GST is already included?

[Al Bundy]

Interesting point. Is it safe to assume if you're buying in Australia the GST is already included?

If your buying on ebay in Australia, what GST?

[Uncle Fester]

Interesting point. Is it safe to assume if you're buying in Australia the GST is already included?

No, not for sellers with an anual turnover of less than $75,000
If they want those 'local' Chinese sellers can register as many businesses here as they like and keep that turnover below the threshold.
You might notice that these sellers often show up with very similar product range and exact same descriptions but under different names.
Pretty sure there is one mega seller behind this and 'employs' these smaller sellers for other tax reasons as well.
This also explains why the sellers actually have no clue what they are selling when something goes wrong or is faulty.

[gordon_s1942]

Check but its my belief that ANY items bought from a retailer ie, EBay, Coles, Wollies that trades IN Australia has to collect the GST.
Even some Auctions on pre owned items advise they add a GST to the purchased item.

[exited]

This my point (which is probably wrong but), when you buy from Cloes, Woolies the GST is already in the price.

Is this not the case with Ebay ?

[Bigfella237]

As @nomeat said, big businesses must register for GST, this means they must charge GST on their sales, but it also means they can claim back the GST on their purchases (so the net result is that they only actually remit the GST on their profits).

Small businesses and private people can choose not to register for GST, this means they don't collect GST on the goods they sell, but they can't claim back any GST on stuff they buy either, in this way the GST 'paid' on their purchases is 'passed on', but they don't have to collect GST on their (capped) profits.

But there are so many "grey areas" when it comes to manufacturing, especially with overseas manufacturing, that it's easy to hide in the shadows.

IMO, the government would be better off going after these tax cheats rather than penalising the dear old private citizen on the receiving end, but no, that would make too much sense.

[alpha0ne]

IMO, the government would be better off going after these tax cheats rather than penalising the dear old private citizen on the receiving end, but no, that would make too much sense.

Why would they go after the ppl/corporations that bribe them with cushy jobs when their snouts can no longer sup from the public trough ??