I have done some reading in the trs scheme and I'm still a bit confused by it. Apparently I can claim tax back if I buy something in Australia and claim it at the airport, but I have to declare it and pay tax on the way back? Is that right? What's the point then? When I was working in jewellery I was told to tell customers that they can claim back the get no problems.
The tax back is for people who purchase the goods and take it out of the country. For people who actually reside here, you are technically meant to declare it on the way back and hence be a zero-benefit exercise. What most people actually do is pretend they actually used the item and don't declare it - carry it with you through the airport, stuff the box with other things, hide the receipts, ect. The moral dilemma is up to you.
Only declare it if its value is over $900
If there are two of you traveling, then it's $900 each so in that case you only declare it if it's over $1800
Technically I think you need to be family/related, but I once emailed them and asked if I could pool with my girlfriend who I was not living with at the time and they said yes (I took a copy of the email with me just to be on the safe side).
Ah ok good to know! Thanks!
I got the tax back when leaving aus on a 2 carat diamond engagement ring as we were being married overseas in 2009
I got a pretty similar situation as well. I bought off a few things at TGG recently, one receipt exceeding $300 and another few all below $50. Now I know it's not all that important, but unexpectedly TGG's invoices are in different ABNs (I bought them online for delivery, some for C&C). Just wanna know if the ACN is the same, would it be good for TRS claims or I'd have to go to TGG to ask them if they can reinvoice them with same ABN.
hi there, just wondering if you managed to get an answer for your question? thanks
Reinvoice with TGG wasn't a possibility. Same ACN but different ABN wouldn't help according to the TRS guys.
You can bring them back into Australia but their value must be below the passenger concession ($900 for Adults, $450 for children). This passenger concession includes anything you may have purchased overseas. If the value exceeds the passenger concession, you will need to declare it and pay back the GST. If you are travelling in a family, you can combine your passenger concessions together.