Author Topic: GST on items under $1000 through Aus Post  (Read 9473 times)

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Offline Bird

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Re: GST on items under $1000 through Aus Post
« Reply #25 on: May 31, 2018, 04:23:11 PM »
Interesting from the comments on the age site.

"despite using a VPN and freight forwarders to circumvent the location geoblocking, an Australian issued credit card would most likely be blocked. don't know about paypal though"


Much pitchfork and fist waving action over there at moment.
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Offline Pete79

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Re: GST on items under $1000 through Aus Post
« Reply #26 on: May 31, 2018, 04:32:41 PM »
For years - ARB lockers - made in Kilsyth - 15 mins from here.. nearly 1/2 price from USA... dunno if its still the same.

Nah the yanks just get free shipping these days.

Gave my local rip-off-shop, sorry, gave ARB a Call and got a quote for an air locker and bullbar.
My US supplier has them both items listed for exactly the same AU price I was quoted from my local store (converting their listed US price to AU$ at today’s exchange rate of 0.76).

But I guess when the dollar was at parity, yes it would have been considerably cheaper to buy Australian made products from the US and ship them back here.

Offline Spada

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Re: GST on items under $1000 through Aus Post
« Reply #27 on: May 31, 2018, 04:55:51 PM »
For years - ARB lockers - made in Kilsyth - 15 mins from here.. nearly 1/2 price from USA... dunno if its still the same.

and HEL braided brake lines made in Australia are cheaper to buy from TygaPerformance in Malaysia than what they cost in Aus ?

I occasionally buy bike bits from Jaws Motorcyles (UK) or Tyga Performance (Malaysia). Both post direct to Aus, so I dont know how the grubbymint will get their cut from this. Usually what I buy from them simply is not available from Australian retailers.
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Offline Fizzie

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Re: GST on items under $1000 through Aus Post
« Reply #28 on: June 01, 2018, 07:30:14 AM »
As a seller, you must not misrepresent the location of your items on eBay and you must comply with eBay's Selling practices policy. Sellers found in violation of this policy may be subject to listing removal, warnings and suspension by eBay.

Is that a new rule, or are they saying they're actually going to try & enforce their existing rule ???

So many things, I buy "Australian" stock, & it arrives in a parcel covered in Chinese chook-scratches, with a Custom's dec attached :'( I know for an absolute fact that one very popular seller (or group of them ???) located in "Darwin, NT", actually posts from New Territories, Hong Kong :'(
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Offline tryagain

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Re: GST on items under $1000 through Aus Post
« Reply #29 on: June 01, 2018, 08:52:24 AM »
Is that a new rule, or are they saying they're actually going to try & enforce their existing rule ???

So many things, I buy "Australian" stock, & it arrives in a parcel covered in Chinese chook-scratches, with a Custom's dec attached :'( I know for an absolute fact that one very popular seller (or group of them ???) located in "Darwin, NT", actually posts from New Territories, Hong Kong :'(

Yep, "Darwin NT" on eBay equates to China now days

Offline Bird

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Re: GST on items under $1000 through Aus Post
« Reply #30 on: June 01, 2018, 09:15:13 AM »
Quote from: Spada
Usually what I buy from them simply is not available from Australian retailers.
and this is going to be the killer in the end for consumers, not that they matter.

FWIW - I do agree companies should all pay tax in AU... Otherwise we will end up with no retail jobs in this country which will snowball to nothing here if everyone shops everything overseas, things just wont be viable to stay open.

I don't know what the solution is, but its a ****in mess

The other way that Gov co might look at is Taxing people at this end somehow.. You buy $1000 helmet from USA, they tax you at the bank end this end...
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Offline Cruiser 105Tvan

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Re: GST on items under $1000 through Aus Post
« Reply #31 on: June 01, 2018, 09:23:19 AM »
Your giving 'em ideas Bird.  They have spys everywhere, you know that.
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Offline Bird

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Re: GST on items under $1000 through Aus Post
« Reply #32 on: June 01, 2018, 10:07:07 AM »
Your giving 'em ideas Bird.  They have spys everywhere, you know that.
if I can get on the payroll and junkets, Im in
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Re: GST on items under $1000 through Aus Post
« Reply #33 on: June 01, 2018, 10:26:03 AM »
Another interesting comment from The Age

'When I read that Amazon were offering the same very fast delivery guarantee for ALL of Australia, it rang alarm bells with me.
It said to me that they didn't understand our geography, distances, infrastructure or population distribution.
So I think this is a convenient excuse to pull back because they they set themselves up for a fail by not fully understanding this market.'
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Offline HKB Electronics

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Re: GST on items under $1000 through Aus Post
« Reply #34 on: June 01, 2018, 11:41:49 AM »
and this is going to be the killer in the end for consumers, not that they matter.

FWIW - I do agree companies should all pay tax in AU... Otherwise we will end up with no retail jobs in this country which will snowball to nothing here if everyone shops everything overseas, things just wont be viable to stay open.

I don't know what the solution is, but its a ****in mess

The other way that Gov co might look at is Taxing people at this end somehow.. You buy $1000 helmet from USA, they tax you at the bank end this end...

Lets get this right, its not other companies paying their fare share of taxes here, they could be already paying their fare share of taxes in their own country, if they aren't then that's their Governments issue. What where talking about here is the government getting what they believe is the fare share of what you spend your money on. If the Government wishes to claim a cut from you for direct overseas purchases then it should be done as an import duty as they have always done, but they won't do it in this case as that might lead to a trade war or breech some of their new trade agreements. Easier to just hit the consumer instead who can't fight back and pass the onus onto Ebay to collect it for them. Win win for the government.

In a greater majority of cases of the things I purchase from overseas it is because they aren't made here in fact very little of what we buy is made here these days. The Government has done nothing to protect what manufacturing industry we had nor do they do anything to actively help new industry to develop, the recent ATO issues are a prime example of that, they will change rulings and then put a company out of business to obtain what they now say their due.

Reality is the Government let manufacturing disappear, it introduced and is still introducing trade agreements which end up in our farmers for instance pulling out their fruit trees. They allow our raw resources to disappear overseas etc. They allowed overseas companies to come in and compete on so called level playing fields that were always biased towards the foreign company with the reasoning it will make things more competitive and cheaper, yep that worked for Telecos, Super markets, Gas, Petrol and just about everything else. When their taxation revenue starts dropping they then look at ways to tax overseas countries to try and get a share.

It is the consumer that is making the choice, things are cheaper to buy overseas where they are made and have them shipped here. Most things if you buy them here are being imported by someone, their cut is added on then the products are sold here. If the Government is happy to let traditional manufacturing disappear, keep pushing their line "we'll create new high tech industries" etc then they should be prepared to live off he revenue generated by these new high tech industries.

Reality is, if all was well here we would be manufacturing and exporting products all over the world, we aren't. Hence why the trade is mostly one way and why the government is now trying to find new ways to raise revenue.

I watched Harveynorman jumping up and down they other day saying Amazon isn't paying taxes etc, I assume he means here. Looking at him, he is a smart man, he set up a retail chain that doesn't manufacture anything, he either obtains locally or imports from overseas, he then adds his cut and sells it to you, basically making money by just importing it and selling it to you. He makes his money from you, gives the goverment their cut of what he made from you. If he was exporting overseas I'm sure he would be arguing he has paid his taxes here why should he be paying overseas too. The consumer is making the choice, they are cutting out the middle man, unfortunately it may put some local distributors and their staff out of work which means down the track the workers will be paying more in taxes.

In the case of amazon, they effectively do the same, they operate a platform that sells things to you, instead of importing into the country they ship it to you. One imagines they pay taxes in their country or somewhere?

Amazon, their sellers and their suppliers and the countries concerned made their money from you, the item you purchased was probably not made in Australia so therefore why should our goverment get a cut out of it. The goverment may feel they should get a cut out of your spending but why, you paid your income tax, why should the goverment now demand another cut when you spend your money to buy something from overseas, if you were overseas and purchase it they wouldn't get a cut?

Reality is sometime down the track nothing will be made here, nor will resources be able to fund the goverment, look at Nauru. The only revenue streams for the goverment will be income tax and sales tax, if where not going to spend our money in Australia the government has now moved to apply sales tax to everthing you purchase from overseas where they can, your effectively paying twice, the sales tax of the country the business is based in where you purchased the item from and lets call it a new spending tax here as that what it is.

This change isn't about foreign companies paying tax here why should they, the item was manufactured overseas and effectively brought from there, its about the government taxing your spending. In the Ebay change, there is no difference to the seller, he lists his item at his price, Ebay adds the GST to the sales price and that is what's shown in the sale. When you pay the seller Ebay set aside the new GST and pass it onto the government, this is just another tax on the Australian consumer, not the seller overseas nor should it be.
« Last Edit: June 01, 2018, 02:08:06 PM by HKB Electronics »
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Offline corndog

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Re: GST on items under $1000 through Aus Post
« Reply #35 on: June 01, 2018, 01:54:39 PM »
Your spot on HKB......

Offline macca

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Re: GST on items under $1000 through Aus Post
« Reply #36 on: June 01, 2018, 03:33:01 PM »
Bloody hell HKB please run for prime minister, for the first time in my life i am going to just chuck my voting slips in the bin as i just cant see any good in any of these politicians. From the outside it must look like their being paid to stuff our country

Well said HKB

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Re: GST on items under $1000 through Aus Post
« Reply #37 on: June 01, 2018, 04:38:02 PM »
I agree with you HKB. It seems like the person on the dirty end of the stick is always going to be Joe Public.
There's more than enough of us to make a difference to the Status Quo at Election time, but it never seems to happen.
As far as getting around the Amazon Problem, here's some words of wisdom from our wonderful own ABC.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-31/amazon-blocks-australia-shopping-deal-how-it-affects-you/9820312
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Offline corndog

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Re: GST on items under $1000 through Aus Post
« Reply #38 on: June 01, 2018, 05:08:22 PM »
Lets call him "the honourable Mr HKB" from now on.

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Re: GST on items under $1000 through Aus Post
« Reply #39 on: June 01, 2018, 06:59:07 PM »
The reality is, if something isn't made here, then you have to buy it from overseas. Doesn't it make sense that if Aussie manufacturers/distributors need to pay or pass on GST, then the same needs to be done with overseas purchases? If the overseas seller doesn't pay it, then that only leaves the purchaser, to foot the bill. Whatever taxes a company pays in their own country is totally irrelevant to our economy. I suppose you could argue that we shouldn't have to pay GST anyway. But GST is a fact of life, the same as the old sales tax was (thankfully we aren't still under that system).

Well you could argue that we should be manufacturing more stuff here anyway. But how likely is that with the wages we pay in Australia, and the consumers constant demand for lower and lower prices? If an Aussie company charged a realistic price for an item, they manufactured in Australia, there's no way in the world they could compete with an overseas company that pays AU$1.50 per hour and doesn't have to worry about sick leave, holiday pay, super.. etc.. etc.. etc.

You can blame whichever flavour of government you like, but at the end of the day, it's the purchaser's shortsighted  quest for the best bargain possible, that does more harm to our economy and manufacturing industry than anything else.

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Offline edz

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Re: GST on items under $1000 through Aus Post
« Reply #40 on: June 01, 2018, 07:05:42 PM »
Other Mobs will rise to the occasion and offer a way to sell to Australia ... When you talk money  you talk greed and lets face it theres a hell of a lot of  Money Hungry types out there  .
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Offline rockrat

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Re: GST on items under $1000 through Aus Post
« Reply #41 on: June 01, 2018, 07:45:19 PM »

its about the government taxing your spending.
Which is otherwise known as the GST and applies to most goods and services sold in Australia.

Why should purchases from overseas be exempt?

Surely including GST on overseas purchases makes our local businesses just that little bit more competitive and that is a good thing?

 

Offline Paddler Ed

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Re: GST on items under $1000 through Aus Post
« Reply #42 on: June 01, 2018, 08:45:48 PM »
If I buy from the UK, I get it VAT free - saving 1/11th of the price - and it then comes into Australia (at the moment) tax free. Now, in the new system I'll pay GST as it lands here.

If I was buying in the UK from within the EU, I wouldn't get a VAT free sale, but at the same time I wouldn't pay anything on arrival - the expectation being that the free trade between them was enough to balance out the VAT books as such.

In the UK, if you buy from outside the EU the courier or the Royal Snail will drop you a card saying please pay Duties and a handling fee, and then we'll deliver the parcel to you...
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Offline rags

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Re: GST on items under $1000 through Aus Post
« Reply #43 on: June 01, 2018, 08:54:54 PM »
Bloody hell HKB please run for prime minister, for the first time in my life i am going to just chuck my voting slips in the bin as i just cant see any good in any of these politicians. From the outside it must look like their being paid to stuff our country

Well said HKB

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d

Well may I say if we are installing HKB as PM then I'm giving the deputy job and Treasurer to Troopy-03. We need someone who understands the problem and I think Troopy has a handle on the problem like a good treasurer.  The PM often doesn't have a handle on the detail of the issue.

If a company like Amazon makes a decision to block Australians from purchasing from their O/S operation and blames it on a complicated tax collection initiative of the Australia Govt, then don't be fooled by that decision.  They didn't become a global giant without being smart in what they do. This is a perfect opportunity to strengthen their Australian base whilst as aglobal company still collect the GST and all while now capturing the Australian customers onto an exclusive site and in turn charging prices they think they can get away with.

With regards the comments re the traders like Harvey Norman, yes he may import some product, he may put a commercial markup on the product. But what Gerry Harvey does is employs Australians to first build his trading centres, most likely with those trades buying the bulk of the gear from Australian suppliers, suppliers who employ people to distribute the gear, delivered on trucks to the site. Now that we have the site built we then have the cleaners to keep it in good presentation, the gardener to maintain the landscaping, there is the plumber and electrician tasked with carring out on going maintenance.
Did I mention that HN will employ sales assistance to serve customers, provide jobs for the truck drivers to deliver the fridge, sell the tiles, carpet, kitchen, bathroom stuff that needs installing by trades.
Another feature of HN is that they will sell products with Australian approvals, including gas approvals for gas appliances, WaterMark for plumbing products, electrical approvals for electrical appliances etc, leaving the customer a form of surety. They also honour warranties.And the customer is protected by Aust trading laws.  Not sure if O/S suppliers do that
Don't forget that in the HN complex there will be other supporting retailers offering a similar  buying and employment cycle. There will be a cafe or Macca's employing people and on it goes.
An while all this happens a GST is being paid to support our country to provide services to all including NDIS funding and a pension to my brother for which I'm grateful for and feel lucky that I'm in the lucky country.
I ask those that are crying in their weetbix does Amazon or other OS companies go any where near the community participation like Aust retailers?
I'm sure you all can afford the 10% extra on that LED light or whatever it is you buy O/S.
Stop whinging.

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Offline Pottsy

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Re: GST on items under $1000 through Aus Post
« Reply #44 on: June 01, 2018, 09:05:35 PM »
d

Well may I say if we are installing HKB as PM then I'm giving the deputy job and Treasurer to Troopy-03. We need someone who understands the problem and I think Troopy has a handle on the problem like a good treasurer.  The PM often doesn't have a handle on the detail of the issue.

If a company like Amazon makes a decision to block Australians from purchasing from their O/S operation and blames it on a complicated tax collection initiative of the Australia Govt, then don't be fooled by that decision.  They didn't become a global giant without being smart in what they do. This is a perfect opportunity to strengthen their Australian base whilst as aglobal company still collect the GST and all while now capturing the Australian customers onto an exclusive site and in turn charging prices they think they can get away with.

With regards the comments re the traders like Harvey Norman, yes he may import some product, he may put a commercial markup on the product. But what Gerry Harvey does is employs Australians to first build his trading centres, most likely with those trades buying the bulk of the gear from Australian suppliers, suppliers who employ people to distribute the gear, delivered on trucks to the site. Now that we have the site built we then have the cleaners to keep it in good presentation, the gardener to maintain the landscaping, there is the plumber and electrician tasked with carring out on going maintenance.
Did I mention that HN will employ sales assistance to serve customers, provide jobs for the truck drivers to deliver the fridge, sell the tiles, carpet, kitchen, bathroom stuff that needs installing by trades.
Another feature of HN is that they will sell products with Australian approvals, including gas approvals for gas appliances, WaterMark for plumbing products, electrical approvals for electrical appliances etc, leaving the customer a form of surety. They also honour warranties.And the customer is protected by Aust trading laws.  Not sure if O/S suppliers do that
Don't forget that in the HN complex there will be other supporting retailers offering a similar  buying and employment cycle. There will be a cafe or Macca's employing people and on it goes.
An while all this happens a GST is being paid to support our country to provide services to all including NDIS funding and a pension to my brother for which I'm grateful for and feel lucky that I'm in the lucky country.
I ask those that are crying in their weetbix does Amazon or other OS companies go any where near the community participation like Aust retailers?
I'm sure you all can afford the 10% extra on that LED light or whatever it is you buy O/S.
Stop whinging.
X2 bloody well put. :cup:
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Offline macca

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Re: GST on items under $1000 through Aus Post
« Reply #45 on: June 01, 2018, 10:14:14 PM »
d

Well may I say if we are installing HKB as PM then I'm giving the deputy job and Treasurer to Troopy-03. We need someone who understands the problem and I think Troopy has a handle on the problem like a good treasurer.  The PM often doesn't have a handle on the detail of the issue.

If a company like Amazon makes a decision to block Australians from purchasing from their O/S operation and blames it on a complicated tax collection initiative of the Australia Govt, then don't be fooled by that decision.  They didn't become a global giant without being smart in what they do. This is a perfect opportunity to strengthen their Australian base whilst as aglobal company still collect the GST and all while now capturing the Australian customers onto an exclusive site and in turn charging prices they think they can get away with.

With regards the comments re the traders like Harvey Norman, yes he may import some product, he may put a commercial markup on the product. But what Gerry Harvey does is employs Australians to first build his trading centres, most likely with those trades buying the bulk of the gear from Australian suppliers, suppliers who employ people to distribute the gear, delivered on trucks to the site. Now that we have the site built we then have the cleaners to keep it in good presentation, the gardener to maintain the landscaping, there is the plumber and electrician tasked with carring out on going maintenance.
Did I mention that HN will employ sales assistance to serve customers, provide jobs for the truck drivers to deliver the fridge, sell the tiles, carpet, kitchen, bathroom stuff that needs installing by trades.
Another feature of HN is that they will sell products with Australian approvals, including gas approvals for gas appliances, WaterMark for plumbing products, electrical approvals for electrical appliances etc, leaving the customer a form of surety. They also honour warranties.And the customer is protected by Aust trading laws.  Not sure if O/S suppliers do that
Don't forget that in the HN complex there will be other supporting retailers offering a similar  buying and employment cycle. There will be a cafe or Macca's employing people and on it goes.
An while all this happens a GST is being paid to support our country to provide services to all including NDIS funding and a pension to my brother for which I'm grateful for and feel lucky that I'm in the lucky country.
I ask those that are crying in their weetbix does Amazon or other OS companies go any where near the community participation like Aust retailers?
I'm sure you all can afford the 10% extra on that LED light or whatever it is you buy O/S.
Stop whinging.
It amuses me when someone has a whinge and then puts stops whinging at the bottom of his post. I can't help it if I dont like Weetbix

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Offline D4D

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Re: GST on items under $1000 through Aus Post
« Reply #46 on: June 02, 2018, 06:33:45 AM »
Other Mobs will rise to the occasion and offer a way to sell to Australia ... When you talk money  you talk greed and lets face it theres a hell of a lot of  Money Hungry types out there  .

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Offline Pete79

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Re: GST on items under $1000 through Aus Post
« Reply #47 on: June 02, 2018, 07:40:01 AM »
Exhibit A of our bright new shopping future....

“As just one example, the same 128 gigabyte SD memory card that Amazon.com sells for $US61 ($83) and ships to Australia is available only from a third-party seller on Amazon’s Australian website for $98, while JB Hi-Fi sells the same product for $199.”

Offline HKB Electronics

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Re: GST on items under $1000 through Aus Post
« Reply #48 on: June 02, 2018, 10:20:40 AM »
d

Well may I say if we are installing HKB as PM then I'm giving the deputy job and Treasurer to Troopy-03. We need someone who understands the problem and I think Troopy has a handle on the problem like a good treasurer.  The PM often doesn't have a handle on the detail of the issue.

If a company like Amazon makes a decision to block Australians from purchasing from their O/S operation and blames it on a complicated tax collection initiative of the Australia Govt, then don't be fooled by that decision.  They didn't become a global giant without being smart in what they do. This is a perfect opportunity to strengthen their Australian base whilst as aglobal company still collect the GST and all while now capturing the Australian customers onto an exclusive site and in turn charging prices they think they can get away with.

With regards the comments re the traders like Harvey Norman, yes he may import some product, he may put a commercial markup on the product. But what Gerry Harvey does is employs Australians to first build his trading centres, most likely with those trades buying the bulk of the gear from Australian suppliers, suppliers who employ people to distribute the gear, delivered on trucks to the site. Now that we have the site built we then have the cleaners to keep it in good presentation, the gardener to maintain the landscaping, there is the plumber and electrician tasked with carring out on going maintenance.
Did I mention that HN will employ sales assistance to serve customers, provide jobs for the truck drivers to deliver the fridge, sell the tiles, carpet, kitchen, bathroom stuff that needs installing by trades.
Another feature of HN is that they will sell products with Australian approvals, including gas approvals for gas appliances, WaterMark for plumbing products, electrical approvals for electrical appliances etc, leaving the customer a form of surety. They also honour warranties.And the customer is protected by Aust trading laws.  Not sure if O/S suppliers do that
Don't forget that in the HN complex there will be other supporting retailers offering a similar  buying and employment cycle. There will be a cafe or Macca's employing people and on it goes.
An while all this happens a GST is being paid to support our country to provide services to all including NDIS funding and a pension to my brother for which I'm grateful for and feel lucky that I'm in the lucky country.
I ask those that are crying in their weetbix does Amazon or other OS companies go any where near the community participation like Aust retailers?
I'm sure you all can afford the 10% extra on that LED light or whatever it is you buy O/S.
Stop whinging.

I have nothing against Harvey Norman, if he can resell you an item and make a profit good on him, I recenlty purchased a new TV, I purchased it from a large retail chain, why because I wanted to be able to see the unit and compare it to other makes and models, the chain concerned made money out of me by having a display, being able to purchase in bulk and offering a competitive price.

Other items I don't need to see it and can possibly purchase cheaper from overseas so I will. If I now have to pay GST on it so be it, but don't try and say it is a way of getting overseas companies to pay their fare share of the tax, its not, I'm paying it so in affect the government has just introduced a new sales tax on the purchase of overseas goods.

You are joking with your this will lead to only approved items being brought into Australia, there are many companies in Australia selling unapproved items including large hardware stores.

As for Amazon, I don't see anything wrong in what their doing. They have decided to setup a local business, the Goverment decides it is loosing to much sales tax to overseas sales so decides to change the rules and now charge tax on these sales. They then find out it is going to be a nightmare trying to get the new tax so decide they will dump it on Ebay and Amazon etc to collect it for them as they couldn't work out how to do it themselves. No doubt down the track I will again pay for this as increases in Ebay fees. Amazon deicides it doesn't want to spend the money on software development and hardware, why should they anyway, their Amazon US and UK aren't in Australia, their not selling anything here they only provide the platform for sellers, why should they have do the government dirty work? They already have a presence in Australia (and employee Australians by the way) so they decide it is a better business case to just ban Australian customers and force them to abide by the new Australain goverment rules. Now it is their fault that the local site is more expensive and has fewer options, no Amazon is a platform for sellers, they aren't selling you anything, it is the Australian companies and others on the platform that set the prices and the product ranges of things they sell.

Yes the Australian public aren't happy but they can blame the government for demanding that Amazon do their dirty work for them. Ebay didn't have any choice it seems they have no local presence like Amazon so they had to roll over and will no doubt pass the costs on to the Ebay members.

So we have to pay 10% GST on overseas purchase no big deal as far as I'm concerned, will it help Australian business no it won't it will just put more money in the governments coffers. It will be interesting to see down the track should they decide to increase the general GST to cover shortfalls how happily you accept that.

The bottom line to this is everyone wants a bargain, companies want to make money, Governments want to make money out of both. To their end companies want to operate as cheaply as possible. Most of the population want and need a job to survive, companies on the other hand see employees as a drain on their profits, Silicon valley is pressing ahead with AI and things like driverless cars. It is only a matter of time before their aren't any truck drivers, delivery drivers, taxi drivers train drivers etc. Silicon valley will pressed ahead with IT systems that don't need support, factories will have robotics with AI etc and companies won't need employees. The question then is who buys the goods the companies make without the need of employees? They already have software using AI that can diagnose certain illnesses more accuratley than the lead professionals can, their goes another occupation. They have robots that can perform surgery better than surgeons, another one down. What does society want, do we pay more and keep people in jobs even if they can be replaced with a machine?  Silicon valley isn't worried about what's going to happen they are intent on pushing it to the limits to make a few very, very weathly at the expense of the whole. A show I was watching they other day suggested that maybe in the future the very very wealthy will pay the unemployed an allowance to live on, yep I can see that happening, society should be sitting down and talking about these issues now rather than just letting Silicon valley lead the way to their visoin of utophia.

For this country to survive we need to bring money into the country, how many people do you know who work in an industry or for a business that actually brings money into the country? The only one in my family and group of friends that does is myself as I sell internationally, the rest all work for local service industries that obtain their basic supplies either locally or import them and then sell their services to the local community. The country can't survive like this, how many coffee shops, Harvey Normans, Supermarkets, delivery drivers etc can the country support when the money just keeps circulating in the local community or being used to purchase items from overseas be it either via individuals or companies, Harvey Norman does nothing to support Australia apart from paying taxes on his profits, everything he sells he purchases in. The income tax his employees pay are just other Australians money circulating in Australia, if where not selling products to other countries then where going to go down the gurgler. How long do you think this country would survive if we stopped exporting products? I dread to think of what is going to happen here once the mining and other natural resources runout. The goverments solution seems to be bring more people into the country, this creates more jobs, yep it probably does in the local service which solves nothing, the money is again just circulating in the local economy and it leads to more imports which adds to the national debt. It is already amazing when you look around and see just how many local services industries are supported by the few comapanies left in Australia that actually earn revenue for the country.

If the govermnet/s want to do something then they should have done it years ago and raised the GST then and put the money into some sort of futures scheme to support the country when the good times area over rather then just spend it.
« Last Edit: June 02, 2018, 02:15:01 PM by HKB Electronics »
HKB Electronics, manufacturer of the Alternator Voltage Boosters

Offline corndog

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Re: GST on items under $1000 through Aus Post
« Reply #49 on: June 02, 2018, 11:29:59 AM »
Maybe a little off track.

Now don't quote me on the figures as it has been a while since I saw this interview.
Someone who looks into the way jobs/technology is going said that in the next 20 years, (and I think it was less) there will be 800 million jobs world wide lost to technology. Mind you the population will also have another 1 billion or so. How do you tax a robot for it's work ???  Less workers tax would have to mean more from other sources. GST = 20% maybe ???

Also I looked into buying a new sewing machine for the wife.  Think it was around $2400 purchased here in Australia. Compared it to buying in America which was around $1100 AU. Sure there is postage to get it here, they work on a different voltage and probably no warranty here. The thing is why over twice the price from a retail outlet in both countries. They are made in the same place, shipped from the same place, not that much difference in a transformer for the different voltage, for all I know it could be the same transformer just a different tap. Made me wonder who is getting the extra difference in the money. The government would be taking a slice for their import tax for sure.
« Last Edit: June 02, 2018, 11:47:47 AM by corndog »