GST in Australia/New Zealand

[Shopinpat]

Can someone explain how this GST tax works in New Zealand and Australia? Do you have to spend 300.00 on one item in order to recieve the tax returned or do you save your reciepts that total 300. I can not seem to find info on this. Do you fill out the paperwork at the airport?

Is there GST on everything?

Thanks

Pat

[cands]

GST in Australia.

 

Hi Pat,

Can't help with the $300 question but can with the others.

 

There are GST reclaim booths at all major international airports in Australia.

 

GST is a flat 10% on all goods and services except fresh food and some essential items. GST is effectively invisible, in that the price quoted or displayed must include the GST. So if something costs $10, the GST is already included. (It is illegal to quote prices without the GST already added).

 

If you buy something which will ultimately be claimable you must ask for a tax invoice to prove the amount of GST you have paid.

 

There are no other sales taxed levied on purchases.

 

All very simple.

 

Cheers,

Steve.

[Globaliser]

Can someone explain how this GST tax works in New Zealand and Australia? Do you have to spend 300.00 on one item in order to recieve the tax returned or do you save your reciepts that total 300?

All the information you need is here: http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=4646

 

It doesn't need to be a single item, but you must spend at least $300 in each store, and get a single tax invoice for the total amount spent in that store.

[celle]

Can someone explain how this GST tax works in New Zealand and Australia? Do you have to spend 300.00 on one item in order to recieve the tax returned or do you save your reciepts that total 300. I can not seem to find info on this. Do you fill out the paperwork at the airport?

Is there GST on everything?

Thanks

Pat

 

GST in New Zealand is a flat 12.5% on everything. No exceptions (unlike Australia).

 

Unlike the US, where the price you see is then raised by an unseen amount of State/ whatever tax, the price you see on goods in NZ is the GST inclusive price. So, if the price tag says $50, that is what you will pay, not $50 +tax.

 

I believe the conditions for receiving a refund of GST are the same as Globaliser explained for Australia - you must spend a certain amount in one shop and get a receipt for the whole amount.

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

Not everything has GST added in Australia. It is a Goods and Services Tax. Which means that if it is manufactured and labour is involved in the process it will incur a 10% tax. There is exceptions though. Things in the grocery line are very involved and there are a few strange anomolies like - hot roast chicken + 10%, cold roast chicken - no 10%. Fresh fruit and vegetables no charge. Cut up fruit salad + 10%.

 

Anyway, whatever you buy will already have the 10% added into the final price if it is applicable. It is against the law in Australia to show prices without the tax added if applicable. No need to worry about what has or hasn't got the 10% when you purchase. For rebate purposes, at the bottom of the tax invoice (receipt) there will be an amount of GST shown on total purchases for refund.

 

As stated earlier, it has to be over $300 spent in the same store, on the same transaction for you to get the rebate. You have to take the tax invoice and the goods to the booth at the airport/cruise terminal to show them before you will get refunded, so don't pack the goods into your checkin luggage, you have to keep it with you.

 

Hope this helps. :)

[celle]

Not everything has GST added in Australia. It is a Goods and Services Tax. Which means that if it is manufactured and labour is involved in the process it will incur a 10% tax. There is exceptions though. Things in the grocery line are very involved and there are a few strange anomolies like - hot roast chicken + 10%' date=' cold roast chicken - no 10%. Fresh fruit and vegetables no charge. Cut up fruit salad + 10%.

 

Anyway, whatever you buy will already have the 10% added into the final price if it is applicable. It is against the law in Australia to show prices without the tax added if applicable. No need to worry about what has or hasn't got the 10% when you purchase. For rebate purposes, at the bottom of the tax invoice (receipt) there will be an amount of GST shown on total purchases for refund.

 

As stated earlier, it has to be over $300 spent in the same store, on the same transaction for you to get the rebate. You have to take the tax invoice and the goods to the booth at the airport/cruise terminal to show them before you will get refunded, so don't pack the goods into your checkin luggage, you have to keep it with you.

 

Hope this helps. :)[/quote']

 

The various complications associated with deciding whether or not GST is applicable on various items (as quoted above) are the reason why NZ has decided to include the tax on everything. After all - again using the example above - even fresh fruit and vegetables have a component of "service", as they don't pick themselves and arrive in the shops under their own steam.

 

As in Australia, shops must show the GST-inclusive price, and the amount of GST will be shown on the receipt.

 

I have just been looking up this topic and, unfortunately, it looks as though you cannot get a refund of GST on goods purchased in New Zealand :(.

 

This is what the web site for NZ Customs and Excise says:

"There is no provision for drawback (refund) of GST for travellers purchasing goods in New Zealand."

I was surprised at that!

 

You can, however, purchase duty-free goods in nominated shops in Auckland and Wellington (as well as at the airports)- you will need to show your plane tickets and the goods must remain sealed in the duty-free packaging until you have passed through security into the departure area of the aiirport.

 

Hope this helps, too.

[Globaliser]

I have just been looking up this topic and, unfortunately, it looks as though you cannot get a refund of GST on goods purchased in New Zealand :(.

 

This is what the web site for NZ Customs and Excise says:

"There is no provision for drawback (refund) of GST for travellers purchasing goods in New Zealand."

Unfortunately for visitors, this is correct. I'm sorry that I overlooked that the question was about NZ as well.

 

Two references for this:-

http://www.ird.govt.nz/yoursituation-nonres/travel-nz/index.htmlhttp://www.tourism.org.nz/exchange-rates-and-money.html

[Shopinpat]

Thanks everyone. I love this site! You can get an answer for everything!

Globaliser:

One thing I must advise, I am not opposed to taking a Taxi!;)

[aussiedisneyfan]

Has any one had experience with tax invoice copies? We bought a dell laptop and planned to claim the GST back but we still haven't received the invoice. We can download one from their website but it says it is a copy.

[captainron]

Ok then here's the quote from TRS's website:

 

"Claims at seaports should be made no earlier than 4 hours and no later than 1 hour prior to the scheduled departure time of the vessel."

 

QUESTION 1....Where is the TRS facility in the OPT at Circular Quay?

 

QUESTION 2....Is your hotel bill then eligible for the TRS rebate of the GST?

 

Thanks for clarification on these 2 and...

 

Ciao for now!!!

[The_Big_M]

Ok then here's the quote from TRS's website:

 

"Claims at seaports should be made no earlier than 4 hours and no later than 1 hour prior to the scheduled departure time of the vessel."

 

QUESTION 2....Is your hotel bill then eligible for the TRS rebate of the GST?

 

Two points above the one you quoted it says "Wear or carry the goods on board the aircraft or ship and present them along with your original tax invoice" so that's a negative...

[aussiedisneyfan]

The TRS claining is right near the checkin process. I can't remember the details exactly but is in an obvious place.

[Australian family]

Ok then here's the quote from TRS's website:

 

QUESTION 2....Is your hotel bill then eligible for the TRS rebate of the GST?

 

Thanks for clarification on these 2 and...

 

Ciao for now!!!

 

I have just looked up the website, and the following is the answer for the hotel bill:

Goods/purchases that do not attract refunds under the TRS

 

The following goods are excluded from the TRS:

• alcohol such as beer and spirits (you can buy wine and wine products under the TRS) and tobacco products (these goods can be purchased from duty-free shops)
  
• GST-free goods-no refund can be claimed if no GST was paid
  
• consumables wholly or partially consumed in Australia
  
• goods which are prohibited on aircraft or ships for safety reasons. These include items such as gas cylinders, fireworks and aerosol sprays (all airlines provide information to passengers on prohibited items)
  
• goods which fail to meet airline cabin-size or ship hand luggage restrictions
  
• unaccompanied goods (including freighted or posted goods)
  
• services such as accommodation, tours and car rental and labour charges
  
• goods purchased over the Internet and imported into Australia
  
• gift cards/vouchers (although goods purchased with gift cards/vouchers are eligible for a refund subject to all TRS requirements being met
  

[captainron]

Thanks anyway.

 

Ciao for now!!!

[The_Big_M]

I'm yet to see any scheme that gives tax/duty refunds for goods used/consumed inside the country. The Australian one is one of the most generous, and most convenient in the world.

[Globaliser]

Canada used to give visitors the tax back on hotels!

[monicajay]

Canada used to give visitors the tax back on hotels!

 

Canada used to give all GST back except for meals (as they were consumed) but stopped about 2 years ago.

 

HATE taxis and only use them when there are no other viable options. Many have terrible driving habits, speak little or poor English and will take a long route if they think you don't know your way around. Not as bad when they have a fixed rate service but watching the meter tick scares me. JMHO

[aussiedisneyfan]

I found out the answer to my question. DH sucessfully claimed back the GST on our new laptop using a copy of a tax invoic. The agent said they know that Dell are slow sending out the originals and will accept the downloadable copies. It may have been that he was easygoing but I am very happy.

[Aussie Gal]

Did you buy the computer here in Australia or did you buy it when you were away?

 

I bought a Dell last year on the net and there was no mention of any tax back when it was delivered.

 

Jennie

[aussiedisneyfan]

We bought it online and it was delivered here. I guess they don't mention about the GST becuase it is a Tourist Refund and maybe most customer aren't going to be claiming it. Just like any store, none of them really advertise it. You also have to have bought it within 30 days of travel.

[Aussie Gal]

aussiedisneyfan,

 

Thanks for that. I didn't even think about buying it closer to our trip. I bought it in the January 2008, and took it away with us in the April. How silly was I!! But then as you mention, it isn't really advertised that you can get the GST refunded.

 

This year I bought a netpad as the Dell was just too heavy to lug around especially with only being allowed 7kg of cabin luggage. My little netpad only weighs 1kg and fits into my handbag which is even better. Again, if I had waited until now, I probably could have got back the GST on that but I wanted to practice with it and make sure I knew what I was doing.

 

Jennie

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

aussiedisneyfan,

 

Thanks for that. I didn't even think about buying it closer to our trip. I bought it in the January 2008, and took it away with us in the April. How silly was I!! But then as you mention, it isn't really advertised that you can get the GST refunded.

 

This year I bought a netpad as the Dell was just too heavy to lug around especially with only being allowed 7kg of cabin luggage. My little netpad only weighs 1kg and fits into my handbag which is even better. Again, if I had waited until now, I probably could have got back the GST on that but I wanted to practice with it and make sure I knew what I was doing.

 

Jennie

 

Hi Jennie,

 

I too bought a netbook (Acer D250 - red) for our upcoming trips. I knew about the rebate, however, the price I got at the time I bought it was fantastic and they also gave a $69 rebate from Acer. Total price for it was $410 after cashback. I figured that was worth not getting the GST refund. :D

[Aussie Gal]

Hi Jennie' date='

 

I too bought a netbook (Acer D250 - red) for our upcoming trips. I knew about the rebate, however, the price I got at the time I bought it was fantastic and they also gave a $69 rebate from Acer. Total price for it was $410 after cashback. I figured that was worth not getting the GST refund. :D[/quote']

 

I bought an MSI but I paid in the five hundreds's. I know they have all come down a lot since I bought mine in April this year. I am very happy with mine as the screen is a good size and the keyboard is just about normal.

 

Jennie