Govt will block overseas site not collecting gst

[Megatran]

I didn't get past the pic.....

There should be a $150M plebiscite on this issue.

[kovert]

Has anyone spoken to their local Federal MP about their concerns?

[CBratron]

Good luck enforcing it.

[DaptoDog]

That wacky Sco Mo is at it again.

[Bladestorm]

Why do the Australian government always have to do things the hard way and fob the tax collection off onto foreign businesses?

How hard is it for them to set up a system at the border like the UK has where items coming in over a certain value, etc are held until GST due is paid, then the item is released for delivery.

I don't see why overseas companies should have to manage the collection of a tax not applicable to their business outside Australia. I can see a lot of overseas websites deciding to remove Australia from the list of countries they ship to because who wants that kind of headache?

[DaptoDog]

Why do the Australian government always have to do things the hard way and fob the tax collection off onto foreign businesses?

How hard is it for them to set up a system at the border like the UK has where items coming in over a certain value, etc are held until GST due is paid, then the item is released for delivery.

I don't see why overseas companies should have to manage the collection of a tax not applicable to their business outside Australia. I can see a lot of overseas websites deciding to remove Australia from the list of countries they ship to because who wants that kind of headache?

This is all about pushing the costs of compliance onto the international retailers because they know the cost of collecting the GST on low value items far outweighs whatever extra GST they will collect.

To your last point, if some international retailers decide it's all too hard to sell to Australians they will block us, thus forcing consumers to buy local. This serves the interests of the domestic retailers that have been lobbying the government for years to abolish the current $1,000 threshold.

[1AZRAEL1]

To your last point, if some international retailers decide it's all too hard to sell to Australians they will block us, thus forcing consumers to buy local. This serves the interests of the domestic retailers that have been lobbying the government for years to abolish the current $1,000 threshold.

When alot of figures I buy are not released here, domestic retailers get bupkis anyway. And I know alot of people are in the same boat

[UltraMarginal]

How hard is it for them to set up a system at the border like the UK has where items coming in over a certain value, etc are held until GST due is paid, then the item is released for delivery.

I don't see why overseas companies should have to manage the collection of a tax not applicable to their business outside Australia. I can see a lot of overseas websites deciding to remove Australia from the list of countries they ship to because who wants that kind of headache?

like it was mentioned, that is the existing system for shipments valued at over $1000, which I do know of people who have copped that. It's not just GST either, it's also import duties .

your second paragraph I can see happening, if I was selling to an overseas country and they tried to force me to collect tax on their behalf I'd just block that country.

How will this work with eBay purchases??

[Raider]

When alot of figures I buy are not released here, domestic retailers get bupkis anyway. And I know alot of people are in the same boat

This is one of the main points for us collectors. We buy from overseas because there is no supply in the country. If this means that foreign companies stop selling to Australia then the people that miss out are us consumers...

Seems like a regressive tax aimed at a protectionist, anti-globalisation outcome.

[SharkyMcShark]

Why do the Australian government always have to do things the hard way and fob the tax collection off onto foreign businesses?

How hard is it for them to set up a system at the border like the UK has where items coming in over a certain value, etc are held until GST due is paid, then the item is released for delivery.

I don't see why overseas companies should have to manage the collection of a tax not applicable to their business outside Australia. I can see a lot of overseas websites deciding to remove Australia from the list of countries they ship to because who wants that kind of headache?

Theoretically this is how the system is meant to work. 10% of the value of whatever you're importing if its value is >$1000

That said, my own first hand knowledge of importing things over that value (limited mainly to Star Wars prop replicas) has had it not be enforced at all.

Theoretically they're meant to go off the declared/insured value of whatever is being sent. In practise I'm not sure how much anyone cares.

It sounds annoying, and I can see a lot of businesses just not bothering to send stuff to Aus. Further, how will it work with remailers? Who becomes liable there?