GST on all imports July 2018

[rapadaan]

Yes kicks in  this July  already talking an extra added  $5 security fee !

[klappers2]

Gst on goods that are older than 40 years is a bit ruff.

[lyndal1838]

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@klappers2 wrote:
Gst on goods that are older than 40 years is a bit ruff.

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Why?

[klappers2]

Well at some point the item would have had tax paid amd now it's getting taxed again. Endless cycle

[lyndal1838]

If that is your reasoning then there should be no GST on items over 18 years old.....that is how long we have had the GST and when a lot of other taxes were abolished.

[davewil1964]

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@v8goody wrote:
Looks like another way to cream money of the people who try to safe some money. I wanted to buy a second hand book from the UK and would have to pay the 10% as well which would have been 6,50£. Guess I have to hold onto my money then...

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Good to hear. Your money will, unless you put it under the mattress, help the AUSTRALIAN economy to some extent. Giving it to an overseas supplier, until now, didn't help us at all. Now Australia gets something back. Or gives people the incentive to purchase locally.

You might be surprised to know that there are sellers of secondhand books in Australia. Some of them even provide actual pictures and proper condition descriptions.

The average six quid Pommy seller uses no or stock photos, no condition description and covers themself with a disclaimer that what you get won't necessarily be what you thought you were buying, insofar as edition and condition are concerned.

[v8goody]

Well, just to let you know, I always buy Aussie first and if the book was available here I would buy it here. It’s a 60 dollar book and I hate the thought that it has to travel all the way from England to here. This extra tax won’t help the economy anyway as the tax won’t be passed onto any seller here. If you like this idea and support the tax then advertise it instead of commenting other people.

[maranock]

There still are a lot of books that are not available in Australia. When I want technical books related to my business then I have to buy them overseas. Most of your posts seem to assume that everything can be bought here but that is not the case. Supporting Australian businesses is not always possible.

I am not complaining about the GST because I am a business and can claim it back, but I have to buy a lot of things from overseas just because they are not manufactured here.

[v8goody]

Unless you buy some mining equipment, I would be very surprised to see something manufactured here. But why not slamming a tax on it. I’ve never heard that a tax is beneficial for the economy.

[davewil1964]

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@v8goody wrote:
Unless you buy some mining equipment, I would be very surprised to see something manufactured here. But why not slamming a tax on it. I’ve never heard that a tax is beneficial for the economy.

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Where do you think the money for roads, hospitals, schools, defence... come from?

I'll give you a hint - TAXES. Without them no government, no services, no books even.

A 10% surcharge on imports is money in the Australian economy, to be used, inter alia, for the abovementioned purposes. The previous system meant that money generated here went completely to overseas sellers and THEIR economy. Unless they used the money to buy things from here.

Back to the book - you're complaining about a 6 quid book now being 6.5 quid. $12 to $13. For a book you say is worth $60. I know what I'd be doing.

[klappers2]

I can't buy my photography gear here. It is old and "out dated".

But what about an individual that sells something online through ebay and is willing to ship worldwide. This person is not a business. Why am I now paying gst? It is no different to jumping on the local and purchasing something here