International Transformers retails and Australian GST. What retailers are doing.

Just received this email from shipping forwarder Shipito

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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.

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I'm guessing it will take a few days yet for all the overseas companies to tell us how we're being screwed over.
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)

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Originally Posted by hYpNoS

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.

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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:

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.

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Originally Posted by Trent

You're a funny guy. :p

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Yeah, no way is any party going to repeal a cash cow like this.

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 🙄

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Originally Posted by reillyd

I need a new reshipper now because it's gonna kill me the extra cost

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I'm not 100% sure but I think most if not all of them will be adding the tax.
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.

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Originally Posted by dirge

To be fair to the reshippers, the government are mandating the GST includes the shipping cost as well 🙄

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HLJ and amiami said they aren't applying that to shipping though, why reshippers.

...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:

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Originally Posted by hYpNoS

HLJ and amiami said they aren't applying that to shipping though, why reshippers.

...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:

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Yes. It's a Goods and Services tax. Shipping is a service

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Originally Posted by hYpNoS

HLJ and amiami said they aren't applying that to shipping though, why reshippers.

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They're meant to, if they interpret the law correctly.

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Originally Posted by hYpNoS

...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:

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Because the parliament has deemed it so. Tax on the shipping service. I'm not saying I agree, but that's why.

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.