GST on all imports July 2018

[rapadaan]

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

[mar_1352]

I want to buy something from a seller in china, its $20, at the checkout the total is adding a GST charge, what the hell is this! Why do I have to pay some guy in china an australian tax charge as is this chinese seller is gonna pay that money back to our government? **bleep**!

[mar_1352]

I didnt write any "bleep", I wrote what the **bleep** ?

[lyndal1838]

The word you used is not allowed on the boards....it will automatically be replaced by "bleep".

The GST does not go to the Chinese seller.....it goes into a special paypal account owned by ebay and is remitted to the ATO by ebay.

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

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@mar_1352 wrote:
I want to buy something from a seller in china, its $20, at the checkout the total is adding a GST charge, what the hell is this! Why do I have to pay some guy in china an australian tax charge as is this chinese seller is gonna pay that money back to our government? **bleep**!

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eBay are charging and collecting the GST.  If you check your PayPal transactions you would see this as the GST is charged separately from the item charge.

As noted by lyndal, eBay will be remitting GST collected to the ATO

The bots on these boards automatically remove profanity, including abbreviated versions such as WT#

[michaelcgould]

WHY AM I PAYING GST ON POST FROM OTHER COUNTRIES?

Australian tax is only for Australia.  We are not the world Government.

ALSO

Why don't I get the GST refunded for returned goods?

ALSO

Why is it impossible to contact eBay now?

[lyndal1838]

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@michaelcgould wrote:

WHY AM I PAYING GST ON POST FROM OTHER COUNTRIES?

Because the Australian Government has imposed the GST on all low value imports and postage.

Australian tax is only for Australia.  We are not the world Government.

The Governmnt has a right to impose a tax on imports....which the GST is.

ALSO

Why don't I get the GST refunded for returned goods?

If the seller uses the Refund button on the original paypal transaction the GST should be refunded with the other costs such as item cost and postage.  If the seller does not use the Refund button you may have to contact ebay/paypal.

ALSO

Why is it impossible to contact eBay now?

No idea why you cannot contact ebay.....I have no trouble.

Are you perhaps trying to ring outside their opening hours?

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[boxshippedtoys]

I'm completely dumbfounded that this law got passed.

Because sellers aren't necessarily aware of this tax, they still put things like "no additional tax or vat applied to price", yet.. Ebay adds it, therefore making the claim false advertising. I've almost exclusively stopped purchasing international items from Ebay and go direct to the (international) stores - I mean most of Ebay is just businesses these days anyhow. The good old days of Ebay being a flea marketplace are long gone. The $75,000 international trade limit more appropriately applies direct to international business. But most Ma and Pa businesses wouldn't give a toot about some tax Australia wants them to collect for them.

[lyndal1838]

Overseas sellers do not add the GST unless they are selling in excess of $75000 worth of goods to Australia.

But overseas sellers using ebay have the GST applied by ebay as the Government deems ebay to be the seller for GST purposes.

If a seller will sell to you outside ebay you don't pay the GST.....BUT unless they are very large commercial businesses most will not sell overseas anyway.

The $75000 limit is not an overseas seller limit.....it is the limit imposed by the Australian Government 18 years ago when the GST was introduced.   Any Australian Registered Business with a turnover of $75000 has to register for GST, collect it and remit it to the ATO.

[spanishcadaques]

They are charging GST on all imports even second hand goods and vintage imports. I want to buy a $557 item with postage $162 and charging $72 gst
It’s bull***

[davewil1964]

Don't buy it then.

It's been in effect for nearly three months now, and is unlikely to change (except for the rate going up).