The Customs Lottery – how can we get around it?
Jun 18th 2010, 5:42 am
#1
Truth is the safest lie.
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2008
Location: @ the beach.
Posts: 7,243
The Customs Lottery – how can we get around it?
Hypothetically speaking. My understanding is that for goods where less than $50 is owing in GST (charged at 12.5%) they don’t bother collecting, correct? So as long as the purchase price of the product (not including shipping) is under $400 no tax will be collected?
However as many products that we might want to ship cost more than $400 (frankly there hasn’t been much good stuff for sale under this price since the 1970s) is there an easy way around the customs GST lottery?
Luckily we don’t live on an island out in the pacific somewhere and a limited selection of products or this would be really annoying...o wait...we do. Want to buy a cell phone thats not available here
.
However as many products that we might want to ship cost more than $400 (frankly there hasn’t been much good stuff for sale under this price since the 1970s) is there an easy way around the customs GST lottery?
Luckily we don’t live on an island out in the pacific somewhere and a limited selection of products or this would be really annoying...o wait...we do. Want to buy a cell phone thats not available here
.
Jun 20th 2010, 3:16 pm
#2
It is what it is Member
Joined: Feb 2010
Location: Blockhouse Bay, Auckland
Posts: 2,797
Re: The Customs Lottery – how can we get around it?
That is the figure for the import of personal goods for migrants, I´d be surprised if NZ customs forgoes that amount routinely on any and all individual imports under that value....
No sensible and legal ways around it unless you are travelling abroad AND want to forgoe any warranty (or make the warranty realistically unworkable), if not an international warranty.
No sensible and legal ways around it unless you are travelling abroad AND want to forgoe any warranty (or make the warranty realistically unworkable), if not an international warranty.
Jun 23rd 2010, 11:40 am
#3
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jan 2009
Location: South Auckland
Posts: 2,228
Re: The Customs Lottery – how can we get around it?
A slightly different question occured to me reading your original post. If I decided to buy up large in the UK, say, where VAT is 20%, is there any way to buy ex-VAT and pay the GST in NZ (I would be travelling NZ)? In other words, I guess, export to NZ. Is this doable, or even worth the effort?
Jun 30th 2010, 5:29 am
#4
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jun 2005
Location: In a large village called Auckland
Posts: 5,249
Re: The Customs Lottery – how can we get around it?
Buy it in the UK and have shipped to UK address of a friend or family member and then have them post it to you as a gift. Still they have to state the value of the item on the customs declaration and for insurance purposes. You could of course ask them to state a lower figure and run the risk if it gets lost you will only be insured to the value that was shown.
Simonsi, they do check the parcels and routinely request GST before they will release the item to the recipient. There's been a lot of talk recently around reducing the limits because local businesses are screaming 'not fair' to competition from online shopping overseas.
Simonsi, they do check the parcels and routinely request GST before they will release the item to the recipient. There's been a lot of talk recently around reducing the limits because local businesses are screaming 'not fair' to competition from online shopping overseas.
Jul 1st 2010, 8:24 am
#5
Truth is the safest lie.
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2008
Location: @ the beach.
Posts: 7,243
Jul 1st 2010, 8:30 am
#6
Truth is the safest lie.
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2008
Location: @ the beach.
Posts: 7,243
Re: The Customs Lottery – how can we get around it?
A slightly different question occured to me reading your original post. If I decided to buy up large in the UK, say, where VAT is 20%, is there any way to buy ex-VAT and pay the GST in NZ (I would be travelling NZ)? In other words, I guess, export to NZ. Is this doable, or even worth the effort?
. It seems in the U.S. you don't pay VAT for foreign online purchases though sometimes?
