Govt cracks down on airport TRS rebates for Aust travellers

[Denali]

Sadly I never buy enough to even bother about claiming it.

Wish my husband could say the same.

 

[Pushka]

Wish my husband could say the same.

Actually, I do remember buying a sapphire bracelet in Sri Lanka.

 

[coriander]

But the section on the TRS says you must declare any goods you have made a TRS claim for.Dont know if it has ever been tested but I wouldn't just take it that clothing is exempt from that section.

I've not declared TRS-claimed items under $1800 when Mrs C and I have returned to Australia.

Last year coming back from a conference in the US, I declared surgical instruments for personal use (!) to the value of USD$3000. Customs inspected our cases. Inside were two new unused Canali jackets I'd bought at Nordstrom Rack in DCA originally priced at USD$1495 each, reduced to USD$500 each, both still in plastic and with sales tags on them. Customs officer barely glanced at jackets as she moved them to look at the instruments, then just said "all good, ok to go" without charging a fee. She may well have been distracted by the fuss at the adjacent table where an Oriental gentleman was arguing that he didn't have to declare a case of Johnny Walker Blue or pay duty.

 

[JessicaTam]

Goods can be used for 30 days domestically before being taken overseas.

Goods can be purchased up to 60 days before departure. Tourist Refund Scheme

 

[Pushka]

Goods can be purchased up to 60 days before departure. Tourist Refund Scheme

I’m at the 60 day mark for Europe and can’t think of anything I want to buy

 

[Quickstatus]

Goods can be purchased up to 60 days before departure. Tourist Refund Scheme

Ah thanks,

So I can buy an iphone 2 months prior use it then "export overseas" GST free then import it duty free.....
No wonder the Govt wants to crack down on it...

or $10K paspaley pearls....

Sure declare over $900 but who does?.

 

[Denali]

Apparently. I got a new $1K phone last week but I have no intention on claiming it.

Bringing stuff in, last trip we bought back a 1967 Gibson but the carry case was the original/same age and didnt look new to to bring GST attention to it.

 

[JohnK]

Ah thanks,

So I can buy an iphone 2 months prior use it then "export overseas" GST free then import it duty free.....
No wonder the Govt wants to crack down on it..

But don't buy a $550 phone and at 57 days past purchase go to claim TRS but realise you changed jackets that day and left the receipt in the other jacket.

What a waste.

 

[Quickstatus]

Last time I had hoped for a $240 refund but problems at checkin and then huge queues at TRS meant it was not possible.

 

[JohnK]

Last time I had hoped for a $240 refund but problems at checkin and then huge queues at TRS meant it was not possible.

In BNE they have forms and drop box when TRS is not staffed. Leave receipts with self addressed envelope and it takes around 4 weeks to be processed.

 

[Daver6]

In BNE they have forms and drop box when TRS is not staffed. Leave receipts with self addressed envelope and it takes around 4 weeks to be processed.

They've got this departing PER. Once when I was leaving they were taking forever to processing the person in front of me. They suggested I just drop a form in the box. Received my refund within a week. Goods unsighted (actually they were as I checked them in, but they wouldn't have known this).

 

[Vic]

I think I said it was a rort because it was so easily abused - that is, it occurred as a matter of course. There are elements of the income tax system that can be rorted as well - for instance, claiming an auto deduction for of work clothing where it isn't work specific etc. But unless the government closes the loopholes tightly, then arguably they are there to be exploited. That said, I also believed at first that there was a signed declaration at the point of claiming - there isn't apparently.

And again, there have been boasts on AFF from people saying how they got a TRS for some or several expensive items, and they brought them back all as 'used' so didn't declare them above $900 allowed, so had a minor windfall at the tax-payer's expense.

Never-the-less, if its a 'Tourist Refund Scheme' then one would think it was intended for tourists to Australia. I'm a long way from being holier-than-thou, believe me, but this one has always struck me as an anomaly which I don't use.

Income tax is just as easily abused.

 

[Hvr]

Income tax is just as easily abused.

And company tax is completely optional for some companies.

 

[Vic]

And company tax is completely optional for some companies.

which would make company tax a rort as well, i guess.

 

[RooFlyer]

Income tax is just as easily abused.

Agree

And company tax is completely optional for some companies.

Not really. Some are exempt from tax, all the others have to declare taxable income and be assessed on it. Whether or not they actually pay tax depends on things like whether they made a profit, whether they had brought forward tax losses etc. Emma Alberici recently demonstrated that a lack of understanding of such things, and not understanding the difference between profit and revenue, is no obstacle to being an economics reporter on the ABC. Can't blame many in the population for not understating how company tax works when the likes of Alberici is given a microphone.

which would make company tax a rort as well, i guess.

Company tax is certainly rort-able, as is almost any tax system, unless tightly monitored and enforced. Think the GST 'cash economy', non legitimate personal tax deductions, use of overseas tax havens etc. Even the TRS

 

[brebbles]

I've always found TRS to be a strange beast. Once when leaving either SYD or MEL (can't remember) I claimed for reimbursement and the extremely rude Customs official bluntly told me that the scheme was (or should be) for tourists only and asked along the lines of "so do you still want to make a claim". Which of course I did because whether it's morally or economically right or wrong, I'm entitled to the refund.

Then once when returning to Aus (may have been the same trip as above) I declared a camera which I purchased for $4K prior to leaving Aus, and had used quite a bit on this trip. I didn't know I could factor in a ~20% deduction at all - which may have been why, when I was prepared to then pay the full GST amount, the Customs official looked at me like I was from some other planet and waved me through.

 

[Franky]

I've always found TRS to be a strange beast. Once when leaving either SYD or MEL (can't remember) I claimed for reimbursement and the extremely rude Customs official bluntly told me that the scheme was (or should be) for tourists only and asked along the lines of "so do you still want to make a claim". Which of course I did because whether it's morally or economically right or wrong, I'm entitled to the refund.

Then once when returning to Aus (may have been the same trip as above) I declared a camera which I purchased for $4K prior to leaving Aus, and had used quite a bit on this trip. I didn't know I could factor in a ~20% deduction at all - which may have been why, when I was prepared to then pay the full GST amount, the Customs official looked at me like I was from some other planet and waved me through.

One thing we should have a look at is, what was the intent of this legislation when it was passed all those years ago? The TRS scheme appears to have no limit on the claim going out, but the estimated value of the item needs to be declared on return. What would be the benefit to anyone, and the Government, by allowing a refund on say the iPad that I took out of the country in January, paying the refund into my account within days, and then arbitrarily assessing an amount that I had to pay on return a few weeks later, and asking me to refund some of the credit I received? You would expect that any resident taking such items out of the country will almost certainly bring them back. Surely they don't want to give you a refund, and then allow you to choof off overseas and sell the item? So they would expect that you are going to return home with the item, so why do a double transaction for what are relatively small amounts anyway? Like a lot of Government legislation, there doesn't seem to be a lot of logic in the system. Like I and others have expressed on this topic, at least I spent my money in my country, so someone here as well as me has benefited.

 

[opusman]

You're allowed $900 duty/tax free allowance when coming into the country. The TRS was basically to allow normal retailers in Australia to get a piece of that action.

 

[mummy068]

Hi There. This is my first ever question on here. I've been trying to find an answer through TRS website but unsuccessfully so wondered if anyone has experience with this situation. I bought a laptop for $2299 and took the option of 12 months interest free through my GO Mastercard. I would like to claim a GST refund through the TRS scheme when I leave Australia soon. Problem is, while my 'tax invoice' issued by Harvey Norman has the all the required information, at the bottom of invoice it shows Total: balance owing $2299; Inv pending $0; Balance owing $2299; outstanding debt $2299. Has anyone had this situation before and been successfully able to claim back ?

 

[JessicaTam]

Hi There. This is my first ever question on here. I've been trying to find an answer through TRS website but unsuccessfully so wondered if anyone has experience with this situation. I bought a laptop for $2299 and took the option of 12 months interest free through my GO Mastercard. I would like to claim a GST refund through the TRS scheme when I leave Australia soon. Problem is, while my 'tax invoice' issued by Harvey Norman has the all the required information, at the bottom of invoice it shows Total: balance owing $2299; Inv pending $0; Balance owing $2299; outstanding debt $2299. Has anyone had this situation before and been successfully able to claim back ?

Welcome @mummy068. As you haven't paid any GST yet according to the invoice, I would think you can't claim anything back.