To those interested, I received a reply from Aussie customs on the
importation of a wine collection:

"Dear Michael,

Thank you for your email.

There is no concession available for migrants wanting to import their wine
collections.

The import rates are 5% customs duty, 10% GST and 29% Wine Equalisation
Tax, total being about 49% of the value of the wine. This rate applies to
both private and commercial importations.

You will need to declare the wine on your "Unaccompanied Personal Effects
Statement" and show a value, if no receipts are available then an estimate
of the value.

Please contact me if more information is required.

The information above is provided as a guide only and should be clarified
by either lodging a formal advice request with the appropriate section of
Customs or employing the services of a licenced customs broker, if
appropriate."

*sigh*
Mike

--
Am I the only one who's noticed that the discovery of the accelerating
expansion of the universe coincides with the discovery that more than half
of email, and rising, is now spam?

Hi Michael,

So the options are 1. sell it or 2 drink it. If option 2, when's the party?

Strange that in this era of free trade and global markets they can still
carry such a massively protectionist tariff. Have you tried the WTO?

Cheers

George Lombard
--
www.austimmigration.com.au


You should try for a position with the "Michael Hoffman"
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > To those interested, I received a reply from Aussie customs on the
    > importation of a wine collection:
    > "Dear Michael,
    > Thank you for your email.
    > There is no concession available for migrants wanting to import their wine
    > collections.
    > The import rates are 5% customs duty, 10% GST and 29% Wine Equalisation
    > Tax, total being about 49% of the value of the wine. This rate applies to
    > both private and commercial importations.
    > You will need to declare the wine on your "Unaccompanied Personal Effects
    > Statement" and show a value, if no receipts are available then an estimate
    > of the value.
    > Please contact me if more information is required.
    > The information above is provided as a guide only and should be clarified
    > by either lodging a formal advice request with the appropriate section of
    > Customs or employing the services of a licenced customs broker, if
    > appropriate."
    > *sigh*
    > Mike
    > --
    > Am I the only one who's noticed that the discovery of the accelerating
    > expansion of the universe coincides with the discovery that more than half
    > of email, and rising, is now spam?

Sounds like you're gonna have to drink it! We'll all be round!!

"George Lombard" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

    > Hi Michael,
    >
    > So the options are 1. sell it or 2 drink it. If option 2, when's the
    > party?
    >
    > Strange that in this era of free trade and global markets they can
    > still carry such a massively protectionist tariff. Have you tried the
    > WTO?

Well, as you probably know Australia and the US are currently negotiating a
free trade agreement.

I'm not sure if I should cheer or jeer for that though. It mostly seems to
be following a pattern of "we are America, we are bigger, you accept our
conditions, otherwise you are against free trade". Especially when it comes
to pharmaceuticals... anyone here want Australia to get rid of PBS and pay
US prices for medications? No? Didn't think so, neither do we.

Otherwise, you pay for your own ticket, George, and we'll talk about the
party date. I hope you're good at lugging mover's boxes, too!

Mike

--
Am I the only one who's noticed that the discovery of the accelerating
expansion of the universe coincides with the discovery that more than half
of email, and rising, is now spam?

Pollyana <member7609@british_expats.com> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

    >
    > Sounds like you're gonna have to drink it! We'll all be round!!
    >
    >

Why can't I shake the suspicion that every regular on this group actually
CALLED customs and told them "don't let them bring it along, we want to
guzzle some of it!" ?


Mike

--
Am I the only one who's noticed that the discovery of the accelerating
expansion of the universe coincides with the discovery that more than half
of email, and rising, is now spam?

wow

you might try getting several hundred of your friends to mail you a gift of a few bottles of wine...

If we ever get to NZ we won't have a wine collection to take, my husband will have drunk it all first, ready for a fresh start