Govt cracks down on airport TRS rebates for Aust travellers

[coriander]

There's no mention of a family pooling limit on the Home affairs website. Tourist Refund Scheme

Yes it is.

Try clicking on the sub-heading - Bringing goods back into Australia for which you have already claimed a TRS refund

 

[coriander]

It worked out at around $1500 - with my share exceeding $900. We declared it on the way back

You actually didn't have to declare the item. If travelling with your spouse, you only need to declare item(s) if it(they) exceed(s) your passenger concession - in your case $1800. The sub-heading I've referenced above is unambiguous on this topic.

 

[Scott K]

You actually didn't have to declare the item. If travelling with your spouse, you only need to declare item(s) if it(they) exceed(s) your passenger concession - in your case $1800. The sub-heading I've referenced above is unambiguous on this topic.

Correct. I didn’t. That’s my point. I did and the guy just looked at me all confused.

 

[JohnK]

BLAST.....There go my plans for that rare blue diamond i had my eye on, what it I made a tooth out of it and incorporated it into my denture?

I would be known as the false tooth guy ...for GST purposes

Or you could plan ahead and leave the rare blue diamond overseas for 12 months and bring it back pre-owned.

 

[OZDUCK]

Or you could plan ahead and leave the rare blue diamond overseas for 12 months and bring it back pre-owned.

Must be in your use and possession. So a nice long 12 month holiday is required.

 

[AisleSeat]

Yes it is.

Try clicking on the sub-heading - Bringing goods back into Australia for which you have already claimed a TRS refund

I mean that there is no mention of a limit, or "claim ceiling", if you will.

The page has an example of two adults and a child with a claim amount of $2250.

If it was 2 adults and 3 children you could claim $3150 and so on

 

[marki]

Christmas Island have very fancy cars garaged for 12 months bought cheap in Asia. Therefore avoiding the GST when imported onto the mainland. I am not sure it the owner is there all the time if you get my drift.

Or you could plan ahead and leave the rare blue diamond overseas for 12 months and bring it back pre-owned.

Must be in your use and possession. So a nice long 12 month holiday is required.

 

[coriander]

I mean that there is no mention of a limit, or "claim ceiling", if you will.

I guess the limit is "how many kids do you have?"

 

[AisleSeat]

I guess the limit is "how many kids do you have?"

True.

It doesn't clarify what "families travelling together" means though.
If I went on holiday with my parents, wife's parents, wife and kids, that's "families travelling together" and a potential $6300 claim.

 

[JohnK]

Must be in your use and possession. So a nice long 12 month holiday is required.

I think it'd be possible to "gift" an expensive ring to someone overseas for 12 months and then bring it back. Honesty does not come into play here if your intention is to avoid GST and no one is going to care. Just like purchasing expensive things overseas.

Customs is not going to question someone wearing jewellery if they'd previously claimed TRS on the items.

 

[DerekG]

Christmas Island have very fancy cars garaged for 12 months bought cheap in Asia. Therefore avoiding the GST when imported onto the mainland. I am not sure it the owner is there all the time if you get my drift.

The vehicle then has to be made to comply with Australian Design Rules. This can be an expensive exercise. The windscreen must have the special compliance mark on it, the doors must have side protrusion bars in them, all the seat belts must be inertia reel type etc.

 

[marki]

A ferrari and Lamborghini would obviously have that?

The vehicle then has to be made to comply with Australian Design Rules. This can be an expensive exercise. The windscreen must have the special compliance mark on it, the doors must have side protrusion bars in them, all the seat belts must be inertia reel type etc.

 

[Mr_Gimlet]

You actually didn't have to declare the item. If travelling with your spouse, you only need to declare item(s) if it(they) exceed(s) your passenger concession - in your case $1800. The sub-heading I've referenced above is unambiguous on this topic.

I realise this is starting to look like the corrections column of the Guardian, but you are incorrect. You must declare if you are carrying items bought tax free over $900. This is the explicit question on the incoming passenger card. You then tell the nice Customs officer you are pooling and he/she says 'hello mrs Gimlet' and waves you through.

 

[coriander]

You must declare if you are carrying items bought tax free over $900

LOL! I've always ticked "no" on the form (over the last seven trips anyway), relying on the wording that you don't need to declare if your items total is less than the passenger concession. I might PDF that relevant page and pop it in my Dropbox folder on my phone for future reference.
Judging by "Border Security" on TV, Border Force have bigger fish to fry.

 

[coriander]

It doesn't clarify what "families travelling together" means though.

"A family includes a person and his or her de facto partner (including same-sex couples) and any of their children under 18 years of age; or a husband and wife, and any of their children". (from a separate page to the one we've been discussing: https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/ente/duty-free-concessions ). Extended family doesn't seem to cut it.

 

[AisleSeat]

"A family includes a person and his or her de facto partner (including same-sex couples) and any of their children under 18 years of age; or a husband and wife, and any of their children". (from a separate page to the one we've been discussing: https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/ente/duty-free-concessions ). Extended family doesn't seem to cut it.

Nice find. That should be really be on the other page too.

The wording seems to suggest that children of married couples (not same-sex) don't need to be under 18 (as has been expressly written about same-sex/de-facto couples and their children).

 

[Andyc]

I had an interesting experience at Sydney TRS a few weeks ago. A person ahead of me was told that their details were being sent to the ATO and the ATO would review prior to the refund being processed.

The person person lodging the claim did seem to be a genuine tourist and I don't think he fully understood what was being said, so he accepted it and off he went. I only arrived to hear the end of the conversation but I was wondering how much you have to claim for it not to be instantly approved. And also interesting that it was the ATO rather than customs who would review these.

Maybe it was an $84k ring.

 

[OZDUCK]

The vehicle then has to be made to comply with Australian Design Rules. This can be an expensive exercise. The windscreen must have the special compliance mark on it, the doors must have side protrusion bars in them, all the seat belts must be inertia reel type etc.

Agreed, importation of cars by private persons is fairly complex.
See Personal Imports Option

And passports etc can easily be checked to ensure the importer has owned and used the vehicle for the required time - it was once part of my duties before retirement from Customs.

 

[Mr_Gimlet]

ATO would review prior to the refund being processed

It's not as sinister as it sounds. Simply, the local officers have authority limits and anything above those limits goes off for senior approval. I thought it was still within Border Force but maybe they don't have the authorities either so ATO processes it.

 

[Peter D]

And also interesting that it was the ATO rather than customs who would review these.

.

I suspect that might be because it is refund of GST and not a customs duty.