Re entering Australia with goods bought through the Tourist Refund Scheme

[titi]

Hi,

I just bought a good (for more than $1,000 ex GST) in Australia for which I'm going to claim the GST back through the Tourist Refund Scheme.
However, I'm going to re enter the country 2 weeks later with this good.
Does anyone know if there is any tracking system which would allow the Customs to know that I got the GST reimbursed 2 weeks earlier?
It sounds a bit like Big Brother but you never know...

Thanks for your help!

Cheers

 

[kpc]

Does anyone know if there is any tracking system which would allow the Customs to know that I got the GST reimbursed 2 weeks earlier?

Yes. You need to declare it on return as it is over your $900 DF allowance.

 

[Pushka]

Yes. You need to declare it on return as it is over your $900 DF allowance.

And expect to pay back all the GST as it is over your allowance and not just the amount that is over the allowance. It will be entered into your profile as you claim the GST. It will then appear as you re-enter. Better off not claiming it. It isn't big brother, it is what you would expect to happen.

 

[Mal]

If the goods are used and you declare them heading back in then customs should either wave you through or apply depreciation. So you should still be better off. I see many people advising to not declare goods but imho not worth the risk. Also depending on the goods they may fit into a no duty category on entry. Ask customs for advice specific to your situation.

 

[markis10]

And expect to pay back all the GST as it is over your allowance and not just the amount that is over the allowance. It will be entered into your profile as you claim the GST. It will then appear as you re-enter. Better off not claiming it. It isn't big brother, it is what you would expect to happen.

Sorry but that is absolute rubbish, customs allow for a depreciation of the goods since they are now used and no longer at the value that they had when they were purchased new, so its always worth claiming the GST, as you will never have to repay the full amount.

 

[serfty]

And expect to pay back all the GST as it is over your allowance and not just the amount that is over the allowance. It will be entered into your profile as you claim the GST. It will then appear as you re-enter. Better off not claiming it. It isn't big brother, it is what you would expect to happen.

The first sentence is accurate in the aspect that if GST is deemed to payable (i.e. valued over $900) then it will be assessed on the entire valuation. The rest is inaccurate/poor advice.

Customs staff are given a discretionary 20% depreciation if the item is used, so if the purchase price was no more than $1100 and you have used the item then GST is unlikely to be assessed.

Other than all that; duty free does not work for goods being taken into Australia valued at over $900 (per PAX).

 

[markis10]

The first sentence is accurate in the aspect that if GST is deemed to payable (i.e. valued over $900) then it will be assessed on the entire amount.

Customs staff are given a discretionary 20% depreciation if the item is used, so if the purchase price was no more than $1100 and you have used the item then GST is unlikely to be assessed.

The part that is rubbish is the fact you will have to pay all the GST back, there is no discretion applicable if its not new (ie been used at least once , the 20% applies). So long as you take it out of the box, use it, then you will never have to pay the full amount of GST you got refunded back, if you combine allowances with other family members or those goods over the limit arepersonal items such as new clothing, footwear and articles for personal hygiene and grooming then they are exempt from GST. I wonder if anyone has claimed their wedding attire .

 

[serfty]

Ok, then if GST is assessed it will be at no more than 8% of the original (tax free) purchase price for a used item.

 

[simongr]

Hi,

I just bought a good (for more than $1,000 ex GST) in Australia for which I'm going to claim the GST back through the Tourist Refund Scheme.
However, I'm going to re enter the country 2 weeks later with this good.
Does anyone know if there is any tracking system which would allow the Customs to know that I got the GST reimbursed 2 weeks earlier?
It sounds a bit like Big Brother but you never know...

Thanks for your help!

Cheers

It's not Big Brother it's systems stopping people breaking the law - sorry if that doesn't gel with your moral framework.

Do you have a question about how to travel without breaking the law or wit out evading taxes?

 

[JohnK]

And expect to pay back all the GST as it is over your allowance and not just the amount that is over the allowance. It will be entered into your profile as you claim the GST. It will then appear as you re-enter. Better off not claiming it. It isn't big brother, it is what you would expect to happen.

All the GST? Not quite.

I will purchase a set of golf clubs which cost $1100. I will be refunded the $100 GST when I exit Australia. Two weeks later I will re-enter Australia and not have to pay and GST as the golf clubs are now worth <$800 and obviously less than the $900 theshold.

Thoroughly worth it spending ~10 minutes at the TRS counter getting $100 refund off the purchase of the golf clubs.

 

[simongr]

JohnK that is a nice example but for instance say someone buys a $6,600 watch and claims back $600. If they return to Oz with the watch then you can expect to pay up to $600 subject to them assessing any depreciation - and on a short trip overseas I would say that there isn't much depreciation and if it is a limited edition then expect to have some appreciation

 

[markis10]

JohnK that is a nice example but for instance say someone buys a $6,600 watch and claims back $600. If they return to Oz with the watch then you can expect to pay up to $600 subject to them assessing any depreciation - and on a short trip overseas I would say that there isn't much depreciation and if it is a limited edition then expect to have some appreciation

As I posted earlier, the moment its not new it loses 20% for customs purposes, even if the gold clubs still have the shrink wrap on them, something I discovered when declaring my new clubs and a watch a few years back, the customs officer was trying to tell me the clubs had been used in the hotel room, which they had ( the putter at least)!

 

[oz_mark]

JohnK that is a nice example but for instance say someone buys a $6,600 watch and claims back $600. If they return to Oz with the watch then you can expect to pay up to $600 subject to them assessing any depreciation - and on a short trip overseas I would say that there isn't much depreciation and if it is a limited edition then expect to have some appreciation

Depreciated Value and Market Value are not the same thing.

 

[serfty]

JohnK that is a nice example but for instance say someone buys a $6,600 watch and claims back $600. If they return to Oz with the watch then you can expect to pay up to $600 subject to them assessing any depreciation - and on a short trip overseas I would say that there isn't much depreciation and if it is a limited edition then expect to have some appreciation

With the discretionary 20% deprectation for near new items, GST payable on that watch would be no more than $480.

 

[simongr]

Given the depreciation is discretionary it can not be guaranteed.

 

[serfty]

Given the depreciation is discretionary it can not be guaranteed.

AFAIK, the 20% depreciation allowance more relates to policy - the word discretionary is not descriptive. i.e. it's applied to used items and can generally be relied upon.

 

[simongr]

Hmm - I wish I had known that - if I had flown out a few days early to Saudi I could have saved some money...

 

[JohnK]

I have taken my $1100 Titleist golf clubs downstairs to arrivals for Customs and Quarantine to inspect which they didn't and then upstairs to claim the GST back.

I asked at both areas should I declare when I return and they both stressed that I do not to declare as the value will be well below the threshold.

Not saying this is concrete advice to give to people but if 2 AQIS officers mentioned do not declare on return then there must be some truth to their advice.

Anyway make up your own minds....

 

[steveda]

When I came back from the US recently with a suspiciously large number of piceces of checked baggage for a 4 night stay, I was asked by customs if I knew how many people lied on their landing cards about not bringing more than $900 worth of goods into the country (maybe he was trying to catch me out?).

I expressed shock and amazement that people would try to defraud the commonwealth of much needed duty and was promptly sent off to catch my connecting flight to Adelaide.

To keep this post on-topic, I claimed the GST back on a $1,000 mobile phone before leaving the country a while ago and wasn't asked anything when I came back.

Cheers

Steve

 

[nonpop]

I may know a "friend" who does it all the time e.g when he flew to DFW very recently a nice Tablet thingy from Apply went both ways.
Previous to that it may have been a camera, laptop, jewelery, watch. There was even a instance when a new suite was needed at very short notice a few years back ... thank you Mr GST back.

Again I think it all comes back to limits ... if you are taking out & back a dzen laptops then that tends to raise eyebrows so-to-speak. And remember the words of a certain Inspector Harold Francis "Dirty Harry" Callahan ... "A man's got to know his limitations".

Now've I've got to get a knee replaced ... wonder if I could get the GST back on any of it <----- a facetious remark