barry_passaris Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 Are there any Aussies who know if purchasing goods from a US/UK website will incur tax additional to GST (Goods and Services Tax)? I'm considering purchasing equipment either from Robert White in the UK or B&H in New York and prices for some EOS lenses are much cheaper than in Sydney even with FedEx delivery charges. If anybody has previously purchased any goods in this way, could you please let me know if I will be charged any additional costs. I'm sure this will be happening more frequently now that the Oz dollar is much stronger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_sala1 Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 Try this http://www.customs.gov.au/site/index.cfm?nav_id=670&area_id=5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_sala1 Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 Ooops. I didn't realise that that wasn't a direct link. Go to import/exports then general imports. Customs policy should be outlined fairly clearly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james green Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 Doing a bit of this myself (from HK also). If you can talk to the person packing the goods and have them marked as gift or product sample of zero commercial value you might skip the tax completely. Otherwise you take a chance. On one occasion Au Customs Service called me & I had to fork over the extra before they would release the goods to me, on another occasion I had no such hitch. Essentially, you skip the 10% GST but some items can attract a 17% (iirc, anyone have it on better authority?) import duty if they pick you out. Just my experience, YMMV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbo oz Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 I did have a few purchases (lenses) from B&H online. You will have to pay a custom duty before your equipment being delivered from Sydney Airport. However, some stuffs may be still cheaper after paying the duty fee than buying in Australia. Good luck............... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron c sunshine coast,qld,a Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 Anything under au$400 (incl delivery charges) won't attract any tax,but i've heard they can ignore it if it's abit over Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
les Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 In my case (on several occasions) it was only 10% GST plus whatever fees FedEx put on the top of it (shipping from US). Other than that - nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steven_raynor Posted January 14, 2004 Share Posted January 14, 2004 I have bought from 17th Street Photo in NYC in the past and their service, delivery speed and prices have been very competitive when you compare them to Sydney or Australia prices generally. If you are buying expensive gear you will have to pay 10% GST before your goods are released, but its much cheaper than being from an local shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter brown - www.peterbro Posted January 14, 2004 Share Posted January 14, 2004 Hi Barry,<br><p> I've been buying my photographic equipment (among other things) from overseas outlets for years - who wants to pay the inflated prices Australian photographic distributors charge? It's a simple procedure and 70-80% of the time the items come through customs without any GST charged. Remember though, that the customs guys are not stupid and they are aware of all the tricks with marking things as gifts or at lower values, etc. They also have a pretty good idea of the value of photo gear.<br>If you do get asked about the value of the goods, be honest, show what you actually paid (invoice/receipt/credit card statement, etc) and pay the 10% GST.<br>On the few occasions that I have had to pay the 10% GST it has only delayed delivery a few days and the item was still far cheaper than buying here.<br><p>Items which are valued over A$1,000 need a formal clearance, which involves some paper work but you can do this yourself. <br>There is an administration cost for this of around A$40 and the GST is calculated on the cost of the item (you will have to show proof of purchase), plus the shipping and insurance costs, so be prepared for the extra amounts over and above the item cost. With the Aussie at around 78 cents to the green back, there is even more incentive to buy overseas.<br><p>I just bought a new G4 powerbook last week at less than half the price of retail here so it's got to be good. I have had good dealings with Robert White, 17th st photo and also two Hong Kong dealers, as well as through eBay. I always try and get the items sent via the international postal express mail service courier (EMS), as this is very reliable, cheaper than UPS or FedEx and most of the time the items get through without duty. There is also tracking and insurance facilities available. <br>UPS and FedEx always declare the item to customs and you WILL be charged GST!<br><p>Most photographic items are free of duty and only GST is charged but check the Aust Customs web site for the latest info.<br<p>Good luck with your purchases - do your homework on prices and I'm sure you'll be very pleased with the amount saved, especially with some of the higher priced gear where savings are considerable.<br><p> Kind regards<br>Peter Brown - Cairns</br></p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barry_passaris Posted January 14, 2004 Author Share Posted January 14, 2004 Dear All, Thanks for your insights, especially yours Peter which were quite detailed. It's interesting that some couriers will declare the items to customs whilst others don't. Peter, you mentioned EMS (What does this stand for?). Did you organise shipping independently of the store as 17th St Photo and B&H do not offer the shipping via this company on their sites. Out of interest, does anybody bother to insure their purchases? In addition, why is it that photographic equipment has such a high mark up price in Australia? The photo stores are just bleeding us! Maybe I should look into a photo retail business, rather than taking photos, as there is obviously demand for selling at a reasonable price, which is a void in the current Oz retail market! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barry_passaris Posted January 14, 2004 Author Share Posted January 14, 2004 Oops! I should learn to read..Express Mail Service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter brown - www.peterbro Posted January 14, 2004 Share Posted January 14, 2004 Hi again Barry,<br><p> Yes, you are right, B&H and 17th st won't send EMS so there is not much alternative. 17th st do have some excellent prices though, and this can offset the extra cost of UPS and the GST costs.<br> A friend of mine bought a new Canon 300D, 17-40L and 70-200L f4 zooms, 50mm 1.8 and 1.4x converter through 17th st in early December and the all up cost, including warranty, insurance, UPS delivery and GST was just over A$3,800. Not a bad deal, considering that the camera alone would cost around A$1900 here in Australia.<br><p> Only thing is, UPS are crap to deal with. He had problems tracking the items and after telling him that they wouldn't deliver to a PO Box and him driving to the depot on two occasions to collect the parcel, it eventually ended up in the PO Box two days earlier than the date they said delivery would take place. Customer service were rude as well and he sent a written complaint. I've had similar problems myself with UPS.<br><p> EMS is far better if the store or seller will send this way and many will but sometimes only UPS or FedEx are offered. As far as insurance is concerned, I think for items in excess of US$500, insurance is a good idea but it really depends on how it's being shipped and from whom. The Post Office, contrary to popular belief, is actually very safe and so far I have never had any problems shipping through EMS or registered mail. Items travel by secure means and are checked at each transfer point.<br><p> Greed! That's why we've been ripped off for so many years. There can't be any other reason - can there? As soon as something is marked as being "photographic" suddenly the price goes up - maybe they know that we photographers are very rich. Some people (photographic dealers) will try and tell you it's more expensive to buy here because you get the support and knowledge of professional staff - yeah right! Have you ever tried to get something fixed under warranty here (it usually gets sent overseas anyway) or asked a "professional sales person" a question and got an intelligent answer? I haven't. <br> I, for one, will continue to buy from overseas dealers until the Australian dealers get their act together and either offer better service or lower prices. <p> I hope the above info helps Barry and good luck with your purchases.<p> Kind regards<br> Peter Brown - <i>www.peter-brown-photographer.com</i></br></p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whayne_padden Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 I have purchased several thousand dollars of stuff over the last year from the US and the only tax that is levied on camera equipment is 10% GST. Given the strength of the dollar and the fact Australia prices are more indicative of being 50c US, I can never see a time when I will actually purchase any major camera goods in Australia. I even have to buy slide film from B&H due to it being 4x the price here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barry_passaris Posted January 15, 2004 Author Share Posted January 15, 2004 Dear all, Thanks again so much for your feedback. The info. has been very valuable and it sounds like the US websites are 'the way to go' for both equipment and film. Regards, Barry. PS: Peter, nice work on your website!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason_eadie Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 Hi Barry, I have purchased from both retailers with no dramas. Customs fees and GST have been the only hit. The only issue is warranty. I do not think Canon Aus will provide "no cost" warranty support for gear bought overseas? I decide the saving was worth the risk. J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whayne_padden Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 Barry only stick to the reputable stores. A short list of the really good ones are B&H Adorama Badger Ritz Roberts (UK) great for Gitzo tripods Samy's If you find one your not sure about check it out at www.resellerratings.com it could save you a lot of hassle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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