Online Shopping Tax

[otaku3000girl]

I'm a very regular ebay shopper and i am disgusted. I've just been reading in the newspapers that the government is planning to introduce a tax on all online shopping purchases. Apparently the tax will increase the price of each purchase by about 60 per cent.

Big bricks 'n' mortar retailers have been complaining about 'losing out' on our dollars because of the popularity of online shopping. So they whinged and whinged to the government, and, because the liberals are pro big business, they have come up with this idiotic idea for another new, unwanted tax.

What they are forgetting is that alot of online shopping is about buying things that are not actually available in Australia - so it is nothing to do with shops 'missing out'.

People love online shopping because they can buy what they want, whenever they want - and get it home delivered too.

Online buyers and sellers - you shouldn't put up with this rubbish from the government. We can't let them screw even more money out of us for no reason. I love my favourite online sellers, and i do not want to see their small businesses suffer and maybe even close down, just because of the greedy bullying of big businesses and the government!

Maybe even ebay can even, hopefully, do something about this?

[lyndal1838]

Are you sure you have your facts straight?

If it is going to increase the online prices of ALL purchases how is the likes of Myer, David Jones, Harvey Norman and the Good Guys to name just a few going to justify charging their customers more for shopping on line.

Or are you meaning the push by Australian retailers to have import duties and GST levied on ALL overseas purchases?

[davewil1964]

Starting from the bottom -

What could eBay do? They are a small fish even in the Australian pond.

Where did you get the 60% from. My reading shows agitation for the GST threshold to be reduced. Which would add 10% to the cost of OS purchases only. Unless you favourite online sellers are not based in Australia it shouldn't matter. And if they aren't then you are supporting their countries' economies, not ours. Which knocks my sympathy factor down several orders, especially as I'm an AUSTRALIAN seller.

Nevertheless anything the current Government wants to legislate has to go through the Senate, where Labor and the Greens, boosted by the latest poll results, will claim a moral and actual mandate to block them.

The Tele, by any chance? That is the biggest purveyor of BS speculation dished up as news that I can think of. Depending on Rupert's mood on the day.

[*crikey*mate*]

FMD, Seriously? Maybe if we try really hard we can even pin the war in Burma on the current Government too.

[phorum_junkie*]

Obviously it is time to start listing tin foil hats again, anyone who believes everything they half read in the newspapers will be in the market for a product to stop the government spy rays from infiltrating their thought processes.

[*crikey*mate*]

[otaku3000girl]

I do know what to believe and not to believe when reading a newspaper - i worked for one for seven years.

Australians just don't seem to fight for their rights or even complain enough when governments just do whatever they want to the people. They get away with murder because they know most of the population just has a she'll be right/what me worry? attitude.

A selection of articles about the online shopping tax -

http://www.reddit.com/r/australia/comments/1rcqxu/treasurers_to_discuss_online_shopping_tax/

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/24/states_in_online_shopping_cash_grab/

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2012/09/nsw-wants-to-increase-online-shopping-taxes/

[otaku3000girl]

Oh, that's super hilarious! You should stop spending all your time on phorums and become a stand up comedian! No need to be so bitter and twisted.

[lyndal1838]

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@otaku3000girl wrote:

 I've just been reading in the newspapers that the government is planning to introduce a tax on all online shopping purchases. Apparently the tax will increase the price of each purchase by about 60 per cent.

---

Perhaps before starting this thread you could have read the articles and UNDERSTOOD what the proposal actually is.

The proposal is to lower the GST threshhold on IMPORTED items from $1000 to around $30....and GST is only 10% at present so have no idea how this would add 60% to the cost of each purchase.

Oh, and this is not new....several large Australian retailers have been advocating this for some time now.....at least since last year.

[phorum_junkie*]

become a stand up comedian

Well it is a bit late in life for a career change and with the state of my ancient, arthritic joints I would have to be a sit down comedienne but I will keep it in mind if my ebay sales drop below an acceptable limit.