Hi All
If I purchase a P30 Pro, claim TRS when travelling overseas and bring it back - am I likely to get caught?
If not - what's the process I should follow?
Thanks in advance!
TRS for Huawei P30 Pro
pixpotato on 27/03/2019 - 12:46
Comments
actually, you'll be barred from re-entry back to Australia and have to live like Tom Hanks in that Terminal movie
You won't get "caught" if you declare the item on re-entry to Australia.
Follow the law.
You can bring it back but you must declare it and pay duty on items greater than your allowance.
If you're travelling with family on the same flight or voyage you may combine (pool) your individual duty free concession limits.
I wonder how they can check that you have brought back the phone to Australia.
Customs Officers can, and do, stop and question lots of passengers.
Actually the website is a tad confusing.
https://www.abf.gov.au/entering-and-leaving-australia/touris…
"You can claim a refund if:
you purchased the goods in the 60 days before you leave Australia your purchases are from a single business with the same Australian business number (ABN) and total AUD 300 (GST inclusive) or more. For example, if you bought items from one business, even on separate invoices, that together total AUD 300, these items could be eligible for a tax refund under the TRS you, as the travelling passenger, paid for the goods you have an original tax invoice for the goods. If you do not have an eligible tax invoice you cannot make a claim. If you are unable to present a valid tax invoice for or present some or all of your goods to an officer on request, or cannot provide evidence that an ABF officer has sighted your goods, some or all of your claim could be rejected.""
Bringing goods back into Australia for which you have already claimed a TRS refundIf you are aged 18 years or over, you can bring up to AUD 900 worth of goods into Australia duty-free, or AUD 450 if you are younger than 18. Families travelling together can pool this allowance (a couple with one child can bring in a total of AUD 900 + AUD 900 + AUD 450 = AUD 2250 worth of goods into Australia without paying duty or GST). This is called your passenger concession.
If the total value of the goods you are bringing into Australia that you purchased overseas or for which you have claimed a refund under TRS is greater than your passenger concession:
you must declare all of the goods you will need to repay the GST refund back on the goods you claimed under the TRS duty and GST will apply to all items purchased, not just goods over the limit of your passenger concession.Penalties can apply if you don't declare that you have goods in excess of your passenger concession.
"To me that says you can claim TRS on the way out and not have to declare it when you come back unless the value is over $900?
Seems clear to me, and I agree with your final summary.
I have no idea how much a Huawei P30 Pro is.
Me either. Though I just bought an LG V30 so I will claim that when we go to China. Claims have to be over $300 AUD.
Does mum and me (40 year old man) count as family?
I am flying with her to China on 14/4/2019, how likely I will receive the phone before then? lol
…err the phones releases on 16/4/19
I was grilled by a customs officer for claiming TRS on an item valued $920 then declaring it on the way back in. The crux of his issue with it is that it's meant for tourists who aren't re-entering the country, but he didn't make me pay the tax.
$1400 is significantly more than $900. You can claim the TRS, declare it on the way back and hope for the best, but unless you can pool allowance with someone or argue depreciation in value after being used (requiring a customs officer who's having a good day) you'll likely be paying the GST again.
if you have friend or anyone you trust could bring it back for you.
You will get caught and be branded a "smuggler" for life. It will be on your permanent record and will affect your future career/social life etc…
:)