Where do i put my ABN to avoid paying GST under $1000 ?

[getragaus]

So im a bit annoyed at the GST thing, i buy items for work from overseas quite a bit..   Currently the seller gets say $500 and Ebay applies $50 gst 

The Invoice is for $550, but the payments are with drawn as $500 and $50. 

Its kind of bizarre as the way the GST has always worked the supplier of the goods and services collected the GST.. 

This makes bookkeeping a hassle if you have expense entrys for $550... but they dont reconcile because they are in the bank at $500 and $50. 

Further, you typically dont have options in bookkeeping software for pure GST expense..  it is always %10 on capital or non capital..  Which makes it odd... and the ABN is not on the tax invoice... although Ebay told me to use theres as they collect it. 

Finally i was told by the ATO that if i let the seller know i have an ABN registered for GST they wont charge me... thats all good but a painful exercise if you have to contact a seller overseas who probably knows nothing about it to remove if before the sale, when it seems to be a automatic application of GST from ebay.  not to mention the time to do so..

So my Question is, is there a place i can put my ABN as a buyer to remove GST from the items i purcahase automatically... or atelase when applicable.   

ie: always GST unless the purchase is a item i can claim the GST on, like Materials for a Job... because currenlty collecting and claiming this GST is akward with ebays system.., when i can just leave it out when applicable like the ATO told me

[digital*ghost]

eBay don't currently have this function, and I suspect there's a good chance they never will, since they seem to primarily assume they facilitate retail sales, rather than wholesale ones. 

They do allow businesses to enter their ABNs to avoid paying GST on eBay fees, but in that case the seller is clearly selling items in a business capacity (they have to be operating a business account). If they had a similar system for buyers to simply enter an ABN, it could be open to abuse without additional screening and verification systems in places, all of which would cost eBay time and resources (both things they prefer not to spend if they don't have to, unless it's on something no one really needs, anyway  ). 

The system they have now is still quite new, and if eBay is paying attention, they would already know the way things are currently working are not conducive to how Australian businesses run their accounting systems etc, causing a greater shift to alternative ways to purchase than it has already, so with any luck they will improve on it at some point, but otherwise for now it's a grin and bear it situation, or purchase elsewhere.