Why do I have to pay GST on the postage as well as the item I am buying?

[milosnan]

I know we have to pay GST on overseas purchases, but do we also have to pay GST on the postage.  This seems ridiculous.  Anyone have an opinion on this?  Please advise.

[4channel]

---

@padi*0409 wrote:

---

@4channel wrote:

---

@milosnanI think it's wrong when an ordinary Australian buyer buys an item off an ordinary American or English seller who is seling something that used to belong to them and then get hit with GST for that item.

That is protection racketeering and a low down scam.

---

If the buyer was buying direct from the "ordinary American or English seller", then they wouldn't be paying GST for the item (So long as it was under $1,000 and the seller sold less than $75,000 worth of items to Australia)

BUT they are buying through eBay, and the ATO has directed eBay to collect the GST from all items imported under $1,000.

NOT A SCAM, it's simply the way the GST works............................. 

---

Thanks for the reply padi. No, what eBay is doing is not a scam from their angle. But GST is an unjust tax in itself. The reasons given for it being brought in were not honest.

[padi*0409]

---

@4channel wrote:

---

Thanks for the reply padi. No, what eBay is doing is not a scam from their angle. But GST is an unjust tax in itself. The reasons given for it being brought in were not honest.

---

Australia was bound to introduce a GST sooner or later on imported goods, after all they need to generate capital to pay for infrastructure (schools, hospitals and services etc),. They could have done it in one of two (at least) ways, the first was to target trading platforms like eBay and charge a flat 10% on imports, which is what they've done.

The second, which other countries have opted for, is to have customs deal with it - the problem there is that the customs fee for processing the items is usually far greater than the 10% GST, so importers are slugged with massive charges and very slow turnaround of goods.

If the government hadn't introduced the GST you can bet your bottom dollar that they would have used other taxes to generate their revenue.

[lyndal1838]

---

Thanks for the reply padi. No, what eBay is doing is not a scam from their angle. But GST is an unjust tax in itself. The reasons given for it being brought in were not honest.

---

So you are using the ebay boards to complain about a tax that was introduced 18 years ago just because you think it is an unjust tax?

Don't you think it is time to accept it and get on with your life?   You are not going to change it after all this time.

Nobody likes taxes.....heaven knows I have paid my fair share of them....but I would rather get on with my life than spend years complaining about something I can't change.

[4channel]

---

@padi*0409 wrote:

---

@4channel wrote:

---

Thanks for the reply padi. No, what eBay is doing is not a scam from their angle. But GST is an unjust tax in itself. The reasons given for it being brought in were not honest.

---

Australia was bound to introduce a GST sooner or later on imported goods, after all they need to generate capital to pay for infrastructure (schools, hospitals and services etc),. They could have done it in one of two (at least) ways, the first was to target trading platforms like eBay and charge a flat 10% on imports, which is what they've done.

The second, which other countries have opted for, is to have customs deal with it - the problem there is that the customs fee for processing the items is usually far greater than the 10% GST, so importers are slugged with massive charges and very slow turnaround of goods.

If the government hadn't introduced the GST you can bet your bottom dollar that they would have used other taxes to generate their revenue.

---

Well, up until a few months ago we didn't have to pay GST on buying second hand items from the US and now we do! That's 10% extra and that's a lotof money for some people.  We are paying 10% on every item we buy from overseas. Much of mine are from sellers, manyb of whom are selliong items that are from their own personal collection. I just in the last week or so paid 10% extra on a second hand item from a seller who was selling from his personal collection. That's wrong!

Yes, you're right about the govt intrioducing other taxes if they hadn't introduced GST. The thing is that it is wrong on second hand items.  Australian politicians need to stop paying themselves huge amounts of money, big businesses shoould be paying the tax they should be paying and our politicians need to stop privatising revenue-generating state owned assets.

[4channel]

---

So you are using the ebay boards to complain about a tax that was introduced 18 years ago just because you think it is an unjust tax?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Zzzzzzzzzzzz

---

Nobody likes taxes.....heaven knows I have paid my fair share of them....but I would rather get on with my life than spend years complaining about something I can't change.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 Snore zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

---

Nobody likes taxes.....heaven knows I have paid my fair share of them....but I would rather get on with my life than spend years complaining about something I can't change.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

No doubt about you Lyndal, true to form as your ever lovely self.  I haven't spent years complaining about GST, I'm just doing what I have a right to do. Just speaking my mind in a free country. Seems to me that you have a problem with people doing that. I do wish yo well though. Take it easy.

[maranock]

People don't have a problem with free speech (not that we have that right in Aus), it is that continual winging about an old issue that can't be changed and takes up reading time for no purpose can be a bit tiring.

[4channel]

---

@maranock wrote:

People don't have a problem with free speech (not that we have that right in Aus), it is that continual winging about an old issue that can't be changed and takes up reading time for no purpose can be a bit tiring.

---

Well, personally I have only discussed this GST issue only around a handful of times. Also it's a new issue because Ebay has been adding GST for the last few months. Therefore a new issue.

Also  for those who get tired reading about it, they only need to look at the title  .................... "Why do I have to pay GST on the postage as well as the item I am buying?" and look elswere to avoid getting tired.

[4channel]

Some people don't like that other people talk about things opening that affect them. Well, that's cool. All they need to do is just keep it to themselves and move on to something they like.

[digital*ghost]

---

 wrote:

---

Well, up until a few months ago we didn't have to pay GST on buying second hand items from the US and now we do!

---

Not necessarily. If this is something you want to complain about, then you need to address the issue at its root, rather than the outcome in just one specific circumstance.

The government has not actually introduced a GST on international goods that is being applied universally on both new and secondhand goods, whether the seller is a business or just a private, casual seller. 

What they have done is categorise eBay, and other sites like it, as the vendor of the goods. eBay are required to collect GST on all applicable sales, as the vendor, and because they are a business registered for GST, it applies to SH goods.

Perhaps your complaint should be with the sellers, who continue to list on ebay, causing Aussies to have to pay a GST whereas they wouldn't have to pay it if they were selling some other way where the GST wouldn't be applied (NB: this comment is mildly facetious, I know many private sellers don't have a GST-free alternative to list their goods internationally, but since the governemeht hasn't given eBay any choice, but buyers and sellers still have one, perhaps it's time to examine the options, and your choices 😉 ). 

[brerrabbit585]

---

@4channel wrote:

---

@maranock wrote:

People don't have a problem with free speech (not that we have that right in Aus), it is that continual winging about an old issue that can't be changed and takes up reading time for no purpose can be a bit tiring.

---

Well, personally I have only discussed this GST issue only around a handful of times. Also it's a new issue because Ebay has been adding GST for the last few months. Therefore a new issue.

---

You must have the biggest hands on the planet!  Either that or you can't count, or you have a very bad memory.

I just love the way you say a lot of people can't afford an extra 10%, but then you go on talking about collectibles as though they're absolutely essential to your existence.  If I can't afford something I don't actually NEED, I don't buy it, and I don't go around complaining about it.

Haven't you heard the expression, "There are two certainties in life - death and taxes"?  Instead of concentrating on what you don't have, try thinking about what you do have and be grateful for it.  Your whole outlook will change for the better.