I just received an AliExpress order in the mail. I had obviously paid the extra 10% gst that the store now applies on check out but my package has been marked as gift.
Do you think this mean that I’ve been charged GST while the seller has dodged the new import tax?
Chinese sellers have always been sending items as gift.
nah, aliexpress pay gst to australia gov directly. remember the seller is not aliexpress?
That might make the most sense I guess. that AliExpress organises all the admin duties, gst etc and the seller just has to ship it off.
No difference whatsoever. Contrary to popular belief, customs do not check if GST has been paid if the value is under $1000 AU.
Chinese sellers have had a long history of marking packages as gifts as ways to avoid the customer paying tax in EU countries. Customs in those countries are smarter these days and the tactic doesn't really work.
Contrary to popular belief, customs do not check if GST has been paid
OK but after the GST legislation came into effect all my Chinese parcels started arriving in Australia and not moving for weeks before being delivered to me.
There are a lot of factors that go into why delays occur. My 40+ packages from Chinese sellers who do not charge GST since the legislation change have not had an impact whatsoever.
And as a Chinese store rep for several companies here on OzBargain I can say for certain they're not checking.
I'm always curious about this. I order a lot of Aliexpress stuff, and some will be here ridiculously quick, others land in AU and sit…and sit… and sit…. and then magically turn up a month later.
Correct on both accounts. Customs briefly check the value on larger articles. These articles come in bulk, thousands to a bag with hundreds of bags checked daily.
Delays can happen due to weather, strikes with airline carriers, staffing etc. These packages are one of the lowest priority mail so it is the first service to be delayed due to staffing.
Source; I work for aus post with customs
while the seller has dodged the new import tax?
Presumably the seller was based in China. Last time I checked the Australian Government did not have tax jurisdiction in China, they only had the ability to seize your items at the border to screw their own citizens. You cannot dodge tax obligations when you have no obligation to pay tax.
Not sure what the point of this comment is. Australia doesn’t have jurisdiction in China, sure. However theoretically if you claim an extra 10% of the purchase under the assumption you are using that to pay customs but you instead pocket the money and mail it as a gift, what would you call that other then dodging the gst?
You will never know.