I would advise using a reshipper that allows you to fill in your own customs declaration. Mine has an extra service to remove all price tags, sale invoices, and other sales information. but then you're not covered with insurance, so it's a risk
I would advise using a reshipper that allows you to fill in your own customs declaration. Mine has an extra service to remove all price tags, sale invoices, and other sales information. but then you're not covered with insurance, so it's a risk
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jazzman
Even if you have an item posted through five different countries before it gets here, all costs involved in getting that item purchased and sent to Australia, will have GST apply.
Remember, the S in GST stands for "Services", and all services that you require and pay for to acquire an item, is GST taxable. So the more you spend on getting something here (like a shipping forwarder, or protective bubblewrap or even gift-wrapping), the more tax will be paid on the total (declared) cost of you obtaining that item.
You'll end up needing to provide proof of the original invoice if questioned.Quote:
Originally Posted by reillyd
Yes, it's ridiculous. Why does Australia have a right to charge for services provided overseas... crazy... :confused:Quote:
Originally Posted by griffin
Anyone gotten any information out of other TF retailers as to if they will collect GST, cut us off or ignore the law?
In five years it's never been a problem. Particularly with high priced misb G1 (>1000) items that look a little banged up. They've been opened and inspected before... but it is still risky if your item were to go astray, because you can't claim insurance. So I always courier with tracking (and courier items seem to be inspected more often by customs)Quote:
Originally Posted by Jazzman
Amiami sent me an email
I managed to get most of what I want out of them anyway, now I need to hear from mandarake, anyone asked?Quote:
Dear Customer,
Thank you for shopping at our store.
This is a notification email for our Australian customers regarding the changes to the import procedures for Australia, starting on July 1st 2018.
According to the recent changes to the import procedures for your country, for any orders from our store that is invoiced after July 1st, you will be required to pay an additional GST tax of 10% of the total purchased value.
- Affected orders
This applies for all orders with a total merchandise value below 1000 AUD.
*Any currency calculations related to the GST tax, will be calculated based on the current exchange rate according to the link below when the order is invoice.
https://www.rba.gov.au/statistics/fr...nge-rates.html
- GST tax calculation
GST tax = 10% of (total merchandise price + shipping cost)
*The GST tax will be written in your invoices starting from July 1st.
We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely,
AmiAmi
So if someone sends you something like a gift through the post will you have to pay gst?
I'm pretty upset about Amiami, I spend thousands there a year and have about 6 months of outstanding pre-orders. Going to have to find a store that's notQuote:
Originally Posted by hYpNoS
buying into our government's crapsending more than $75,000 worth of goods to Australia every year.
Honestly I'm surprised that so many stores have decided to abide. I mean, shipping in plain packaging without an invoice attached would have been far easier than sorting out their systems and filling an Australian tax return.
While the current system is crap, you can't blame retailers for abiding to current import laws. Keep in mind than most other countries already impose duty fees on top of GST/VAT, so not only you pay more, but your package is also delayed while customs deal with it.
As far as I'm concerned, even with the extra 10% tacked on, most of the prices are still way more competitive than the Australian equivalent. If you can't absorb a 10% difference between the preorder and the final invoice, buying in a foreign currency is probably not a good idea either...
I got the email from HLJ, still waiting for Amiami, Nippon Yasan and anime export.
My last imported TF from them was sunstreaker and it looks like with increased price for MPs plus this, i should just quit already :(
I already got mine from amiami, the hlj one was interesting thoughQuote:
Originally Posted by ampoldj
So shipping is normal but items not, thats not so bad, but mandarake is what i need to hear the mostQuote:
This is an important message from HobbyLink Japan to our customers in Australia.
In order to comply with new legislation by the Australian government, HobbyLink Japan will begin collecting Goods and Services Tax of 10% on the cost of items being shipped to Australia beginning Sunday, July 1st 2018 AEST.
If you are shipping to an Australian address, you’ll now see an “Estimated tax to be collected” amount when checking out, as in the screenshot below.
GST will only be charged to you when your ordered items become available and enter payment processing. At that time, the GST amount for the items in your order will be calculated and charged to you in the same transaction.
GST will only be calculated on merchandise, and not shipping costs. It will also appear listed on your invoice.
Here is the latest info from BBTS, regarding if you A: Have your items sent to a mail-forwarding company and B: Have your items sent to a friend in the US:
Quote:
Regarding Mail-Forwarding:
I apologize to report that any time you will be receiving items from outside Australia, you will want to expect to pay the GST in some shape or form. While I am able to say that you will not be assessed the GST unless selecting a shipping address within Australia with us, I anticipate that the GST would then be collected from any freight-forwarding company you would work with to receive the goods.
So by the sounds of it, if you have a friend in the US, you could have your stuff sent to them, then they could send it to you as a ‘gift’ with no GST added.Quote:
Regarding to a US friend:
I do not believe that you will be assessed any GST in those instances, since the items will not be imported and/or leave the USA. The GST is only assessed, by my understanding, on the items that will ship into Australia by means of importation.
Just in case though, I’ve just had all my outstanding items shipped today.
Here's the link to the online version of the HLJ email:
https://mailchi.mp/c10a492cd179/impo...-regarding-gst
I hear ya, although I don't spend as much as I used to with amiami anymore as the JoJo SAS figure series I collect has slowed down considerably. With the gst and them charging gst on shipping as well it just offsets amiami's great pre-order prices.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shirokaze
I guess at this point it's vote for any party that doesn't support this policy and won't preference the coalition govt at the next election and maybe it'll be rolled back?
So HLJ are doing the right thing and not charging GST on shipping costs, unlike the rest of them. Buying online, I'd choose HLJ at this point for that fact.
You're a funny guy. :pQuote:
Originally Posted by SMHFConvoy
Ah crap, looks like I'll be buying from local online stores from now on such as PC.
... or perhaps not.
Well, since mandarake hasn't said anything I JUST made an order for an mp skywarp since hasbro clearly ain't going to be completing the trio any time soon for 10kyen
Even if they charged that's a steal, but lets see what happens, didn't bother telling them to mark it as a gift just to see what happens
Just received this email from shipping forwarder ShipitoI'm guessing it will take a few days yet for all the overseas companies to tell us how we're being screwed over.Quote:
Beginning July 1, 2018, Shipito is required by the Australian government to collect a 10% Goods and Services Tax (GST) on all “low value goods” imported into Australia, with a value of 1,000 AUD or less. GST is calculated based on the value of any items you ship, plus our service charges. As a result, you will now see a charge for GST at mailout.
So yeah, more and more looks like we are being shut off from the rest of the world with all content hidden behind a paywall.
Thanks Gerry /s
Maybe its because I sent the order just after midnight but mandarake sent me an invoice for the mp11skywarp just this afternoon (or timewise, yesterday), no gst added.
Either mandarake hasn't been told/isn't abiding or the fact their goods are second hand skirts around it, but their ordering set up is pretty old so I wonder how that'd work trying to implement something else on top, hell maybe they're expecting the australian government to do the tax collecting since they mention about not falsifying item cost just to dodge tax.
(I coulda kept my mouth shut but I got everything I ever need off those guys, lets hope it stays that way)
I put my shipping request in with BBTS on June 29th in order to avoid GST on my POL. However they haven’t shipped it yet. I’ll be really annoyed if I cop GST because BBTS couldn’t get 3 items together and stick them n the mail within a quick timeframe. :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by hYpNoS
Say what you like about HLJ, no matter how many items you have in your Private Warehouse they usually get your package off within an hour or two of your shipping request.
Yeah, no way is any party going to repeal a cash cow like this.Quote:
Originally Posted by Trent
Faaaark. My reshipper (shipito) is now collecting gst not only on the custom declaration price but also the farming shipping cost too. DarkHyren beat me to it to complain, but faaaaark
I need a new reshipper now because it's gonna kill me the extra cost. Anyone know of a reliable US based one?
To be fair to the reshippers, the government are mandating the GST includes the shipping cost as well 🙄
I'm not 100% sure but I think most if not all of them will be adding the tax.Quote:
Originally Posted by reillyd
Even if they dont ship enough to meet the AU$75k threshold that allows them to avoid paying the tax themselves it's easier to just add it and assume that they will ship that much.
As far as I can tell shipito will at least base the gst charged on item value from what you put on the customs form, which means you can lower how much tax you're paying by reducing your items value by say 20%, but if there happens to be an invoice slip inside the box you could get in trouble when it comes through AU customs.
A way around that could be using the service shipito have to remove invoices and labels from packaging, but then again that could prompt them to use that as the product price for gst which puts you back to square one.
HLJ and amiami said they aren't applying that to shipping though, why reshippers.Quote:
Originally Posted by dirge
...and really why should we pay shipping, we're already paying conversion rates AND gst, have we taxed our own shipping cost already, I can't be that in the dark can I :confused::confused::confused:
Is it just a money grab:confused::confused::confused:
Yes. It's a Goods and Services tax. Shipping is a serviceQuote:
Originally Posted by hYpNoS
They're meant to, if they interpret the law correctly.Quote:
Originally Posted by hYpNoS
Because the parliament has deemed it so. Tax on the shipping service. I'm not saying I agree, but that's why.Quote:
Originally Posted by hYpNoS
But the retailer is the one meant to impose and withhold gst, not a shipping service. I'd (grudgingly) pay gst on the shipping service, but seems unfair for the shipper to collect gst on the item contents.
If reshippers weren't required to collect GST on the items they purchase for you then every e-tailer with a brain would just open up front end sites for you to order from so you could order from them indirectly and they wouldn't have to collect any GST beyond what they'd need from the shipping and handling fees
well, darn, looks like my japanese imports may have to hit the curb for a bit until a close friend flies over there
sorry aus gov, you can have my hlj pre-orders but not my japanese nick nacks, already paying out the nose from forwarding services as it is now im gonna have to run rings around them too :p
Yes that's the general idea. Sounds good to meQuote:
Originally Posted by Other
Randomly ordered something from Mandarake (non-transformer FWIW), and they just marked the package as a gift.
I just got charged 60c GST on a $6 purchase on eBay (non TF) so goes to show its started :rolleyes:
And my cheap mp11sw came in no hassles, maybe we should keep this on the down low :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Bato
Had another order from Amiami. Looks like they switched to only charging GST to the items itself, not postage.
So guys can I get a list of the US reshippers that you've used. I won't be using Shopmate again...
I can' help you there as I don't have/use a US reshipper.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jazzman
Heard ordinary reviews for Shopmate. Member Sinnertwin was our giunea pig when Shopmate hit the scene. Whatever happened to that guy?...
I've only used Shipito for US forwarding and Tenso for Japan forwarding.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jazzman
They both do what I need them to which is forward parcels, allow me to fill out the customs declaration, consolidate, add/remove packing/items, and give me multiple options for mail out.
I've seen people say myMallBox is also good, but I have no experience with them and while their free consolidation is appealing their shipping calculator seems to indicate that you'd pay more for shipping with less carrier options then Shipito, so I'm unsure if that "free" consolidation is really worthwhile.