topic Re: Import charges in Buying

Import charges

bythesandsoftime-2 — Wed, 11 May 2016 07:14:10 GMT

hi I am from Australia and was looking to buy something thing from the USA. the item im looking at costs just a lil over 1000 AUD. ive read that import charges are between 0-10% usually 5% for items over 1000, but on the page of the thing i want to buy, the import charges says "$271.61 (amount confirmed at checkout) ". is this a correct estimation of export charges i will have to pay?

if anyone has any experience with this please let me know.

Re: Import charges

davidc4430 — Wed, 11 May 2016 07:27:59 GMT

i think there would be 2 different charges

1. the delivery cost from the USA to australia

2. the import duty (tax) you need to pay when it gets here to the tax dept.

i rekon you only have the delivery charge so far, import duty would be calculated at this end when the nice fellows from the govt look at it.

Re: Import charges

davewil1964 — Wed, 11 May 2016 07:52:32 GMT

That sounds like the GSP.

If it is GSP, the price will include all delivery charges including postage, customs and the paperwork necessary to get it through Customs.

Re: Import charges

bythesandsoftime-2 — Wed, 11 May 2016 08:13:33 GMT

" Shipping:

$85.96 International Priority Shipping to Australia via the Global Shipping Program

Item location:

Paducah, Kentucky, United States

Ships to:

United States and many other countries

Import charges:

$271.61 (amount confirmed at checkout)

No additional import charges on delivery "

This is from the sellers page if it helps ,

Re: Import charges

imastawka — Wed, 11 May 2016 08:17:04 GMT

It's over $1,000. What about GST? Isn't that payable on that amount?

Re: Import charges

tbt47 — Wed, 11 May 2016 08:46:20 GMT

These links may assist.

https://www.ecustomsbroker.com.au/what-it-costs/ and https://www.dutycalculator.com

For ease and peace of mind I use Custom Brokers on items that cost a reasonable amount - ie in excess of A$1500.

Yes, you do need to pay for GST.

$271 sounds a tad high for the cost you mentioned, but use the duty calc just to make sure.

Cheers

Re: Import charges

lyndal1838 — Wed, 11 May 2016 10:16:54 GMT

@bythesandsoftime-2 wrote:
hi I am from Australia and was looking to buy something thing from the USA. the item im looking at costs just a lil over 1000 AUD. ive read that import charges are between 0-10% usually 5% for items over 1000, but on the page of the thing i want to buy, the import charges says "$271.61 (amount confirmed at checkout) ". is this a correct estimation of export charges i will have to pay?
if anyone has any experience with this please let me know.

I am not sure where you have read that you pay between 0-10% on imports over $1000....that is completely wrong.

Once the item price is over $1000 you pay import fees, taxes and GST on the item amount plus the postage. In my experience that usually works out at between 20% and 40%, depending on the rate applicable to the particular item. Most of my items have worked out at about 30-35%

The amount you have been quoted by the GSP sounds correct taking into account the high postage.

When you pay through the GSP you pay the import charges to Pitney Bowes and they in turn pay the charges to Australian Customs.....you will not pay anything more when the item arrives here.

Re: Import charges

davewil1964 — Wed, 11 May 2016 10:28:20 GMT

@bythesandsoftime-2 wrote:
" Shipping:
$85.96 International Priority Shipping to Australia via the Global Shipping Program

Item location:
Paducah, Kentucky, United States

Ships to:
United States and many other countries

Import charges:
$271.61 (amount confirmed at checkout)
No additional import charges on delivery "

This is from the sellers page if it helps ,

Doesn't help me; I don't import. It might help you if you parse what it says.

Re: Import charges

bythesandsoftime-2 — Wed, 11 May 2016 16:47:42 GMT

thanks everyone for your help.

didnt realize it can cost so much to import certain stuff.

Re: Import charges

typhoon4u — Wed, 11 May 2016 21:12:15 GMT

Ok. Just brought in $1500au in stock from US.

Original order: $1500au

Shipping: $250au (Would only ship UPS).

GST and customs fee: $250au (as charged by UPS on arrival in Aus).

Re: Import charges

e-customs — Tue, 29 Aug 2017 02:40:47 GMT

You can use the following link at e-Customs to calculate the correct import charges. Same information is on the Australia Borderforce website although it's not a succint.

In summary you will be charged import GST and/or customs duty if your goods are either valued at over AUD $1,000 or contain alcohol or tobacco in any quantity or value.

In order for you to calculate your customs duty exposure, you will need to multiple the duty rate (i.e. 5%) by the Customs Value (CVAL) of the goods. The CVAL is generally the Free on Board (FOB) value in its Australian dollar equivalent. For example:

FOB CVAL = A$1,000
Duty rate = 5%
Customs Duty = A$50

GST is calculated at 10% of the Value of the Taxable Importation (VOTI) which includes the addition of customs duty, international freight and insurance (T&I) and the Customs Value (CVAL) of the goods in its Australian dollar equivalent. For example:

FOB CVAL= A$1,000
T&I = A$25
Duty = A$50
VOTI = A$1,075
GST = $107.50

As a result, using the above example the combined customs duty and import GST exposure would thus amount to A$157.50. Consequently, the complete amount payable is calculated as follows;

Customs Duty + GST = $157.50
Customs Entry Fee = $50
e-Customs Clearance Fee = $75
Total cost = $282.50

Re: Import charges

imastawka — Tue, 29 Aug 2017 03:05:06 GMT

I think they may have figured that out in the last 15 months since they posted.

Re: Import charges

boggsy84 — Sat, 14 Oct 2017 05:08:01 GMT

So when you pay through gsp for an item over $1000, do you have to pay gst, or is it covered in the import fees charged by the gsp?

Re: Import charges

padi*0409 — Sat, 14 Oct 2017 06:28:58 GMT

Take the time to read the thread and you will find out.....................sheesh.

Re: Import charges

thecradlemob — Tue, 24 Jul 2018 15:08:24 GMT

The import charges are fake and eBay is being deliberately misleading and deceptive about them. I have the online transcript dated today where they told me that Austrade were to blame. Austrade replied to me with a **bleep** response and referred me to Home Affairs. Items under $1k are now subject to GST thanks to Gerry Harvey whining BUT NO TAX OR IMPORT DUTY APPLIES to these items listed into Australia unless it’s tobacco products or some medicines. What does this mean? Sellers are losing sales because eBay are fraudulently claiming fees that only seem to appear when sellers are dumb enough to sign up to eBay’s ‘global shipping program’. Vote with your purchases. EBay are lying and should be called on it.

Re: Import charges

thecradlemob — Tue, 24 Jul 2018 15:10:20 GMT

The word ‘listed’ into Australia should have been ‘posted’ into Australia. I’ll blame tiredness due to hassling Aust Govt Depts to try to get a reason for these charges. There isn’t one.

Re: Import charges

k1ooo-slr-sales — Tue, 24 Jul 2018 15:17:56 GMT

@thecradlemountainmob

you have some replies to your other post. I’m not going to re-post the reply I gave you.

Re: Import charges

Anonymous — Tue, 24 Jul 2018 22:46:18 GMT

Why waste your time hassling govt departments when the answers are clearly posted in other threads?

Re: Import charges

ja_furb — Fri, 27 Jul 2018 07:48:15 GMT

it is a total joke and ebay will go out of business if it continues.

i ordered something for 700 bucks....under the australian threshold by 300 dollars and ebay sent me the bill which had an additional 101 dollars for shipping 9 pretty expensive fo a small thing) AND 100 dollars for IMPORT....Errrrrr - THERE IS NO IMPORT DUTY ON ANYTHING UNDER 1000 DOLLARS in Australia. this is a rort. I think a heap of people will stop using ebay if this is what they are trying to get away with now.

Re: Import charges

k1ooo-slr-sales — Fri, 27 Jul 2018 07:59:59 GMT

@ja_furb wrote:
it is a total joke and ebay will go out of business if it continues.

i ordered something for 700 bucks....under the australian threshold by 300 dollars and ebay sent me the bill which had an additional 101 dollars for shipping 9 pretty expensive fo a small thing) AND 100 dollars for IMPORT....Errrrrr - THERE IS NO IMPORT DUTY ON ANYTHING UNDER 1000 DOLLARS in Australia. this is a rort. I think a heap of people will stop using ebay if this is what they are trying to get away with now.

I think you need to read up on the GST being implemented on low-cost (under $1000) imports that commenced on 1st July.

There is no longer a Tax-Free threshold on imports coming through the post/couriers.

Put simply, when buying items on eBay from overseas sellers it is eBay that will collect the GST for the ATO unless there is a re-deliverer such as Pitney Bowes (GSP) involved. GST is levied against the item cost, the shipping cost and any other charges associated with the transaction.