I've bought a camera and tablet under my name that I'm hoping to get the GST back on when my wife goes on her annual overseas holiday with her sister but I think I read somewhere that the receipts need to have the name (on the receipt/tax invoice) of the person who is actually traveling.
Is this correct - will she be allowed to claim the GST back at the airport if the receipts are in my name, not hers?
Thanks
Are you sure? It says the name of the purchaser and not the name of the claimant. Have you tried this and been rejected?
For supplies of $1,000 or more, a tax invoice must also contain the name and either the address or ABN of the purchaser.
You only require the name of the purchaser if it is over $1000.
Thanks for your quick replies.
Had to look twice but here (FAQ's from the TRS website) at the bottom:
What's the difference between a tax invoice and a receipt?
A tax invoice lists the Australian Business Number (ABN) of the retailer, the GST paid, and provides all the evidence needed by Customs and Border Protection to verify the sale, identify the goods and pay the refund. Some retailers provide tax invoices as their normal receipts. If not, you must ask the retailer for a tax invoice when you make your purchase.
A tax invoice must contain the following information:
The ABN of the supplier
The GST-inclusive price of the goods
The words "tax invoice" stated prominently
The date of issue of the tax invoice
The name of the retailer
A description of each good; and
A statement similar to "the total price includes GST"
"For supplies of $1,000 or more, a tax invoice must also contain the name and either the address or ABN of the purchaser".
The camera and tablet were bought at the same time and add up to over $1000 - is the above referring to an individual item being over $1000 of the total of the receipt being over $1000?
The camera and tablet were bought at the same time and add up to over $1000 - is the above referring to an individual item being over $1000 of the total of the receipt being over $1000?
I'm pretty sure it's the total. Might be worth seeing if you can get the name changed.
or get two receipts. each under $1000.
@PissLUR:
If he's trying to avoid the $1000 limit for needing personal details I would expect they would have to each stand on their own (i.e. be over $300 each). If you end up combining them again to meet the minimum spend requirements then I don't see the difference from having a single invoice and I expect he'd need the name etc. on them. I could be wrong though…
You know that the tablet and camera need to be present when claiming?
Two over 300 receipts total over 1000 both - do not need name on both
Two under 300 receipts if added together over 300 is fine (same retailer)
Cool - in that case it sounds like splitting them would work as well.
Thanks for all your replies.
I contacted Customs/TRS and was told that as long as the receipt is under $1000 then my name does not need to be the receipt. Although both the camera and tablet add up to over $1000, I luckily have a separate receipt for each so should be OK claiming the GST back.
Don't forget that she will be exceeding the $900 allowance if reimporting the goods. If so, then I would either just claim for total value $900, or declare upon reimportation. If it is just a few dollars that need to be repaid, then I doubt that customs will charge you as they have a limit below which they do not bother. TSD (Too Small for Duty). However as she is travelling with her sister, the duty free concession can be averaged out over all in the group! What the sister purchases may then affect the outcome.
no one redeclares upon return
I am just pointing out the legal situation. What people do is up to them. Small amounts over = small risk. People have been flagged and caught re-entering with big purchases on which they have claimed the TRS. I doubt that $1000 TRS transactions would be flagged, but if you do happen to have your bags searched, then you might be asked a few questions about purchases, TRS etc.
I would have asked your wife to claim GST, then get her sister or someone else to bring the goods back (better if they are not traveling together) :)
They do flag the passport. When it happens, upon your return, passport control mark G on your arrival card for top to bottom search.
The rule is simple. You declear, pay only what you owe. You dont and they found it through the search, pay double. (And i bet your name will be registered in blacklist)
Maybe 'G' on the day you went thru. Codes change otherwise they would be useless.
Someone used to tell me to make that returned item part of your "personal effect".
Not sure how it works but I know it seems to be working.
Laptop brought out and brought in duty free (not me though, can't be bothered bringing heavy stuff overseas).
once upon a time you could bring in person effects plus your duty free allowance. Now all new goods are included in your $900
what if you brought back the same item but its in used condition?
I would say its not new. There are many ways to prove it if you know what I mean.
Again I never tried it as yet. We will see when I am leaving for overseas in 3 mths time.
Just found this thread,
I've purchased some items for a friend to take overseas to hand it over to my parents and when he tried to claim the GST off AUD$600 he was told that the tax invoice had a name that was not his, so it was rejected.
No argument could sway the officer despite referencing the TRS site, her point was that if it a tax invoice made out to "Cash" it would have been fine, but once it's got a name it needs to match the name of the travelers passport.
what if we remove the name from the invoice and leave the rest there. is this a fraud?
Sorry to reignite this thread but would anyone know if its a problem to have office address but correct name in the invoice for a purchase over $1000. Wife got a new phone but she put her office address in both billing and delivery address and so that is what is shown on the invoice.
I don't think that's an issue. Reason being is because your passport doesn't have your address on it.
I just bought an iPhone XS Max from Myer and got my usual Tax Receipt from the sales person. The item costs ~$2,400 and there is no name or (more importantly) address on this receipt. Is there a way to get this receipt reissued with my proper details on it for TRS purposes or will this be allowed by the Tax man when I line up at the TRS in the airport?
Just got back home and it looks like the Myer guy put in my details on the receipt. Phew. As an FYI, I had spoken to a Myer rep about it and they said they could re-print the receipt for me and add in the details.
yes that is correct; take it back and ask nicely to put it in her name