I found Zenmarket but was disappointed that they collect GST even for sub 1000aud purchases. That's so disappointing and unnecessary and a deal breaker despite their reputation and decent pricing. Looking for an alternative - anyone got any suggestions of a forwarder service that doesn't charge GST for sub $1000 purchases?
Buying from Japan Using a Forwarder - GST Collection for Sub 1000AUD
echelon6 on 06/06/2025 - 16:17
Comments
Only if they sell over $75k pa into Aust.
they collect GST even for sub 1000aud purchases
That's the law…
Stop it or cop it
Gerry's Law.
It's 10% FFS. You are happy to pay a freight forwarder more money just so you can dodge a few bucks on GST.
Pay a forwarder $30 just so you can dodge $20 in GST…
i need a forwarder anyway because buying from jp
some forwarders charge gst, some dont
i just care about total cost, hence asking for suggestions on other forwarders
anyone got any suggestions of a forwarder service that doesn't charge GST for sub $1000 purchases?
Mate its basically the law these days………… Thank jerky Norman for that.
Why shouldn't you pay GST on those items?
Why shouldn't you pay GST on those items?
Because in a majority of cases, it cost the government more to process that tiny amount of "GST" than what the GST that is payable on that item. It's a time and money wasting exercise. That's why the $1000 threshold existed in the first place, because it was harder to police and keep in check than what it earned. It has a negative gain…
The law was set up to appease a bunch of narcissistic retail oligarchs who were the heads of failing businesses who were blaming the loss of their monopolisitc profits to overseas sellers not having to pay GST but failing to realise that their $1,200 phone was only $300 out of China and that the 10% was not the actual issue, but it was their greed. So, instead of competing with sellers overseas, these arseholes, like Gerry Harvey, paid off the LNP (as is the fashion at the time) to introduce a tax that would take more to police than it would earn just to protect the profits of some retail giant and his (fropanity) race horse syndicate.
This was Australia's equivalent of the US music industry giants going after MP3/digital music in an effort to protect their aging sales model of physical media instead of adapting and competing with the emerging technology. Why compete if you can just buy politicians.
Because in a majority of cases, it cost the government more to process that tiny amount of "GST"
No. The cost is on the business.
@jv: No, the "cost" is on the "consumer" and "tax payer".
The cost for the "business" to track/remit GST is just shuffled onto the consumers (via "overheads"). The cost for the government to check the GST is being paid is pushed onto the tax payers (via "tax").
Ergo, putting a requirement to pay GST onto a $2.38 plastic replica dog turd just increases prices for consumers AND tax payers for a net loss. It would cost more to check the GST is paid on that plastic dog turd than the $0.21 cents worth of GST that is payable.
That's why.
I really want that "new and improved" jv back, and not the shitposting troll one…
How can you get "tariffs" so right, but drop the ball so bad on collecting GST on items that the GST doesn't even cover the cost of collecting that GST, just so Gerry Harvey can keep lining his pockets. My god, oligarch boot lickers are insufferable.
No, the "cost" is on the "consumer" and "tax payer".
The cost of managing the GST is on the business…
The cost of managing the GST is on the business…
Which is then passed onto the consumers…
The cost of making sure it was paid and passed onto the Australian government is conducted by the ATO, that is funded by the "tax payer".
Anyway, you know very well how this works, so at this point, you are just shit posting for the sake of trolling and pumping your monthly post count numbers. And on that note, I'm not indulging you any further on the matter.
Which is then passed onto the consumers…
Can't always pass the cost on in a competitive market…
Not sure when the last time you purchased something overseas, but rule were changes ages ago(at least 5 yrs ago), where they need to collect GST on everything including under 1kAUD.