topic GST questions in Buying

GST questions

snowbeast08 — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 23:22:53 GMT

I am a little confused on this one .

to the best of my knowledge gst is not applicable on used goods for personel use .should we not only be paying gst on the service portion that ebay provides probably 10% of the paypal fee as that is the fee for the service that ebay provides. the idea of paying gst on goods that ebay doesnt own seems i little bit illegal to me .if the australian government want ebay to collect gst on there behalf to make the retail industry have a level playing field than gst should only be applicable to new goods as the used goods market is not subject to gst unless those goods are used for business purposes .can anyone give me a ligitimate reason other than it was simpler for ebay to implement this way .any insight appreciated.

Re: GST questions

maranock — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 23:33:24 GMT

GST has always been applicable to second hand goods, whether for personal use or not - or did you think that second hand good stores and pawn shops don't have to pay GST on their sales. It is only not applicable to things like fresh produce, and goods being sold by individuals and small businesses that are not registered for GST.

Re: GST questions

Anonymous — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 23:49:47 GMT

I don't have anything else to add that has'nt already been covered in numerous threads on here already I'm afraid

Re: GST questions

4channel — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 00:04:08 GMT

@snowbeast08 wrote:
I am a little confused on this one .
to the best of my knowledge gst is not applicable on used goods for personel use .should we not only be paying gst on the service portion that ebay provides probably 10% of the paypal fee as that is the fee for the service that ebay provides. the idea of paying gst on goods that ebay doesnt own seems i little bit illegal to me .if the australian government want ebay to collect gst on there behalf to make the retail industry have a level playing field than gst should only be applicable to new goods as the used goods market is not subject to gst unless those goods are used for business purposes .can anyone give me a ligitimate reason other than it was simpler for ebay to implement this way .any insight appreciated.

Hi snowbeast08, welcome to the board. Up until this year, July, we weren't charged GST on second hand items we purchased overseas via ebay. Now we are! The obscentity of this unfair tax is that many of the people we buy second hand items from in the US are ordinary men and women just selling their unwanted / no longer used items. I am dead against the GST a as a whole as I know it came in to make revenue after state owned assets were privatised. A certain so-called pm lied and said he wouldn't being it in. I won't discuss that here.

Even though I find GST unpalatble and hideous, I would say that if any type of GST would be applicable on ebay transactions, it should be just 10% of the fee value the seller has to pay to ebay, not the item! Tell me this ...... ...

* If you buy a lawnmower from your neighbour in a private transaction, should you have to pay GST on that?
* If you go to the US and buy some second hand things in swap meets, garage sales and flea markets, should you then pay GSTto the Australian govt when you come back? Now those 2nd hand items items could be an Elvis Presley tee shirt, a 1960s clock, some James Brown LPs, a collectable bottle opener, a multimeter and a pair of Adidas sunning shoes.

I say no!

Again, many of the transactions here are between ordinary folk in the US and ordinary folk here. Ebay is the platform that these items are sold via. Tax should be on that, not the items.

Re: GST questions

maranock — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 00:04:44 GMT

*Don't charge GST on their sales* My mistake.

Re: GST questions

maranock — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 00:07:07 GMT

A huge number of collectable and other second hand items listed both in Aus and from overseas are through businesses. Even if you were right how is our government, or Ebay supposed to distinguish business sellers from private individuals?

Re: GST questions

4channel — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 00:09:22 GMT

@maranock wrote:
A huge number of collectable and other second hand items listed both in Aus and from overseas are through businesses. Even if you were right how is our government, or Ebay supposed to distinguish business sellers from private individuals?

There should be a way. I just don't think it's fair that us normal everyday folk be collateral damage.

Re: GST questions

kopenhagen5 — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 00:36:55 GMT

So as not to be confused. (I think)

1. eBay collects GST(netflix tax) 10% on a seller's fees only.

2. Imports less then 1,000, eBay now collects GST of 10%. (Because it is an import)

3. Selling used items in Aust doesn't carry GST if fiscal year earnings are less than 75,000.

Re: GST questions

maranock — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 00:41:34 GMT

Many many small businesses are registered for GST even though they make less than $75,000 because of the benefit of being able to claim it back on their business purchases.

Re: GST questions

kopenhagen5 — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 01:28:34 GMT

Yes thanks, I should have worded that differently.

Not required to register for GST under 75,000.

Re: GST questions

gutterpunkz05 — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 06:10:52 GMT

@4channel wrote:
@maranock wrote:
A huge number of collectable and other second hand items listed both in Aus and from overseas are through businesses. Even if you were right how is our government, or Ebay supposed to distinguish business sellers from private individuals?
There should be a way. I just don't think it's fair that us normal everyday folk be collateral damage.

You are not collateral damage. You are the intended target, as it is designed to stop you from purchasing from overseas. It dosn't

affect businesses, sole traders etc, as long as they are registered for GST. If it is that big an impost, learn how to import without paying GST

Re: GST questions

k1ooo-slr-sales — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 08:23:28 GMT

@4channel wrote:
@maranock wrote:
A huge number of collectable and other second hand items listed both in Aus and from overseas are through businesses. Even if you were right how is our government, or Ebay supposed to distinguish business sellers from private individuals?
There should be a way. I just don't think it's fair that us normal everyday folk be collateral damage.

sorry 4channel, but I put collectors into a different category than normal everyday folk when sorting eBay buyers based on their purchases.

To me, ordinary everyday folk don’t spend thousands of dollars every year on non-essential imported collectables.

note to self: getting there