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TRS on suitcases at Sydney cruise terminal?


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I'm looking to buy a new luggage set before setting sail to the South Pacific from Sydney.

 

Does anyone know if i'll be able to claim the GST back on them? From what i can understand we won't be able to go through TRS until after we have we have done the bag drop with the bigger luggage. This will probably just leave us with smaller carry on and the receipt for the set.

 

Any constructive advice is appreciated.

 

Thanks!

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I'm looking to buy a new luggage set before setting sail to the South Pacific from Sydney.

 

Does anyone know if i'll be able to claim the GST back on them? From what i can understand we won't be able to go through TRS until after we have we have done the bag drop with the bigger luggage. This will probably just leave us with smaller carry on and the receipt for the set.

 

Any constructive advice is appreciated.

 

Thanks!

 

with any purchase you buy that you want to claim the GST you have to show customs the items and receipt so not sure how'll go if you cant carry them on yourself and put them thru the xray scanner

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Thanks... I've never tried to carry on larger luggage... Do you think they'll let me get away with it? lol

 

you have to lift them up yourself and put them on the conveyor belt to go thru the xray scanner.....i have a case 35cms x 55cms which fits thru ok but anything bigger may not

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I've read that at the airport you can present things that you plan to put into your check in luggage and then go and check in. I was hoping that I could do that at the cruise terminal...

 

And yes i'm pretty sure that they'll believe that i'm taking the suitcases out of the country, and it doesn't have to be a permanent removal...why would anyone present suitcases (not to mention lugging them to a different state) before an international trip and then not use them? Also they won't spend ages interviewing me if they knock me back, they just won't give me the refund ... and maybe submit my name for a future tax audit lol.

 

 

I'll bring the reciept and the smaller suitcase with my fingers crossed and hope for the best. I'll probably buy the luggage regardless of if i cant get the GST refund it would just be a nice bonus if i can get it.

Edited by Lazy_Whovian
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I've read that at the airport you can present things that you plan to put into your check in luggage and then go and check in.

 

Don't know that that's true. The Sydney airport TRS counter is in 'international territory' ie after immigration & customs, certainly way after you check-in your luggage. So unless there is another TRS counter out in the airport terminal that i don't know about, it's not possible. And the same of course at the cruise terminal.

 

Of course as you say, you do not have to remove goods you claim the refund from Australia permanently, else some one OS would have a nice video camera with videos of my family & friends :D That said, i think that is the intention of the scheme ie it is to return the GST paid by visitors on their departure from Australia.

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I don't think you would get the traveller scheme refund unless you show the customs officer the item. You would not be able to show them the luggage then immediately turn around and try to take it back into the country (so you could check it in). You would have to carry the luggage on board yourself. Doable. By the way, TRS items don't have to be taken permanently out of the country - just for a short time. After all, anything people buy is going to come back with them when they come home from their trip.

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Don't know that that's true. The Sydney airport TRS counter is in 'international territory' ie after immigration & customs, certainly way after you check-in your luggage. So unless there is another TRS counter out in the airport terminal that i don't know about, it's not possible. And the same of course at the cruise terminal.

 

Of course as you say, you do not have to remove goods you claim the refund from Australia permanently, else some one OS would have a nice video camera with videos of my family & friends :D That said, i think that is the intention of the scheme ie it is to return the GST paid by visitors on their departure from Australia.

 

There are very clear instructions on the website about how to go about claiming on oversized goods at the airport. If anyone else is interested you can find them here https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Ente/Tour/Are-you-a-traveller#claimingtrsliquids

 

I just don't know how i can make this happen at the cruise terminal. As i'm not sure that there will be an australian border force office there. It looks like i'm going to have to make some phone calls to track down the answer of how to make this work by boat instead of by air.

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You'll need to claim that you are permanently removing the items from Australia. Will the TRS staff believe you? If you make that claim and they don't believe you how long do you think they will spend interviewing you?

 

 

 

Sorry but that is 100% incorrect. There has never - in the entire existence of the TRS scheme - been that requirement.

 

I claim items every year such as laptops or cameras, iPhones etc. Whatever I have upgraded pre trip. When re-entering I show the TRS receipt to show I have already claimed the refund and am not charged additional duty on the items.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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There are very clear instructions on the website about how to go about claiming on oversized goods at the airport. If anyone else is interested you can find them here https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Ente/Tour/Are-you-a-traveller#claimingtrsliquids

 

 

Thanks for that - you learn something new every day! If you can work out how it would work with checked 'luggage' at the cruise terminal, then next time I need a new fridge, on the cruise with me it will go - slap on a luggage tag & Bob's your uncle :D

 

Now maybe someone can explain why our government has a scheme where they employ people & spend on affiliated resources to refund GST to people, including Aussies, for goods they buy, just because they are going overseas, either temporarily or permanently.

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I'm looking to buy a new luggage set before setting sail to the South Pacific from Sydney.

 

Do they cost more than $300 to start with.

 

Given that they have / will be taken way before you get to the TRS desk in the Departure area... I guess you will more or less be somewhat 'not able' to claim.............

 

... unless you take a pic of them, and have your receipt... and hope that the TRS 'accepts' your pic.

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Do they cost more than $300 to start with.

 

Given that they have / will be taken way before you get to the TRS desk in the Departure area... I guess you will more or less be somewhat 'not able' to claim.............

 

... unless you take a pic of them, and have your receipt... and hope that the TRS 'accepts' your pic.

 

I was looking to purchase a set so yes...

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Sorry but that is 100% incorrect. There has never - in the entire existence of the TRS scheme - been that requirement.

 

I claim items every year such as laptops or cameras, iPhones etc. Whatever I have upgraded pre trip. When re-entering I show the TRS receipt to show I have already claimed the refund and am not charged additional duty on the items.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

You may want to have another read of the conditions of TRS, in particular the section titled 'Bringing goods back into Australia for which you have already received a TRS refund' Any item brought back into Australia counts towards your duty free limit, if you exceed the limit you are required to pay the duty and repay the gst on all items.

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OK, that makes some sense ie that it is included in your duty free allowance on return but I still don't know why our government has a scheme where they employ people & spend on affiliated resources to refund GST to people, including Aussies, for goods they buy, just because they are going overseas, either temporarily or permanently.

 

So I buy a camera for $1100 at say Harvey Norman, and thus pay $100 in gst. A few weeks later I travel to NZ for business, take the camera & receipt to airport, fill out a form at the TRS counter and then get refunded $100. Later that week I return and use my camera for the next 10 years just as i would have if I never went overseas again in my life. Why is the government subsidising my purchase?? And spending money to do so - the TRS dept only exists to give taxpayers money back to travellers. WHY?

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OK, that makes some sense ie that it is included in your duty free allowance on return but I still don't know why our government has a scheme where they employ people & spend on affiliated resources to refund GST to people, including Aussies, for goods they buy, just because they are going overseas, either temporarily or permanently.

 

So I buy a camera for $1100 at say Harvey Norman, and thus pay $100 in gst. A few weeks later I travel to NZ for business, take the camera & receipt to airport, fill out a form at the TRS counter and then get refunded $100. Later that week I return and use my camera for the next 10 years just as i would have if I never went overseas again in my life. Why is the government subsidising my purchase?? And spending money to do so - the TRS dept only exists to give taxpayers money back to travellers. WHY?

 

The intent of the scheme is for people who are traveling out of the country to purchase items duty free (ie refund the GST) it is aimed at TOURISTS hence the name Tourist Refund Scheme. However they made it available for Australians to use it for outbound goods, gifts etc (non commercial). As a traveler you are allowed to take a reasonable amount of items out of the country and be refunded the GST as the items will no longer be part of our economy. However if you bring those or some of those items back into the country you are only entitled to $900 duty free exceed that and you are required by law to refund the GST as the items are now part of our economy again which was the reason they had the GST on them in the first place.

 

A tourist on the other hand is probably never going to bring the item back to this country just as the items you purchase in other countries are not likely to return either which is what the scheme is intended for. Unfortunately there are loopholes which means easy money so guess what, that's what people do.

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OK, that makes some sense ie that it is included in your duty free allowance on return but I still don't know why our government has a scheme where they employ people & spend on affiliated resources to refund GST to people, including Aussies, for goods they buy, just because they are going overseas, either temporarily or permanently.

 

So I buy a camera for $1100 at say Harvey Norman, and thus pay $100 in gst. A few weeks later I travel to NZ for business, take the camera & receipt to airport, fill out a form at the TRS counter and then get refunded $100. Later that week I return and use my camera for the next 10 years just as i would have if I never went overseas again in my life. Why is the government subsidising my purchase?? And spending money to do so - the TRS dept only exists to give taxpayers money back to travellers. WHY?

 

 

do you not THINK about all of those shops at the airports that are (supposedly) selling goods GST free ????(granted - the prices @ the airports are pretty high - you need to know your prices)

 

why should THEY alone be allowed to sell goods there without any competition ? Simple.. we have a system for GST refunds that has been in operation since the GST came into force - it allows you to buy stuff from other shops rather than being gouged by the ones at the airports, hence 'competition'.

 

 

you are not obliged to use the TRS system - however, whenever I travel, I take advantage of any recent purchases over $300.. one looks out for deals before hand... the odd iPad discounts on top of the GST refunds make it worthwhile.

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You may want to have another read of the conditions of TRS, in particular the section titled 'Bringing goods back into Australia for which you have already received a TRS refund' Any item brought back into Australia counts towards your duty free limit, if you exceed the limit you are required to pay the duty and repay the gst on all items.

 

Thanks for pointing that out. I'm not planning on purchasing anything while away and i'm travelling as a family unit so am able to pool our duty free allowances.

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why should THEY alone be allowed to sell goods there without any competition ? Simple.. we have a system for GST refunds that has been in operation since the GST came into force

 

It's been for longer than that; though before it was just generally known as 'duty free refund.'

 

As for why: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duty-free_shop

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  • 1 month later...

I didn't end up buying the luggage but I was claiming the TRS on something else so I asked about claiming it on bigger items. Apparently you approach the staff downstairs and they'll ask one of the customs guys to come downstairs and sight the oversized goods in question. Apparently it is up to their discretion as to whether they'll give you the refund so I doubt you'll be able to claim in on a fridge :)

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OK, that makes some sense ie that it is included in your duty free allowance on return but I still don't know why our government has a scheme where they employ people & spend on affiliated resources to refund GST to people, including Aussies, for goods they buy, just because they are going overseas, either temporarily or permanently.

 

So I buy a camera for $1100 at say Harvey Norman, and thus pay $100 in gst. A few weeks later I travel to NZ for business, take the camera & receipt to airport, fill out a form at the TRS counter and then get refunded $100. Later that week I return and use my camera for the next 10 years just as i would have if I never went overseas again in my life. Why is the government subsidising my purchase?? And spending money to do so - the TRS dept only exists to give taxpayers money back to travellers. WHY?

I agree.
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I didn't end up buying the luggage but I was claiming the TRS on something else so I asked about claiming it on bigger items. Apparently you approach the staff downstairs and they'll ask one of the customs guys to come downstairs and sight the oversized goods in question. Apparently it is up to their discretion as to whether they'll give you the refund so I doubt you'll be able to claim in on a fridge :)
Glad you sorted it out for the larger items. cheers.:D
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I didn't end up buying the luggage but I was claiming the TRS on something else so I asked about claiming it on bigger items. Apparently you approach the staff downstairs and they'll ask one of the customs guys to come downstairs and sight the oversized goods in question. Apparently it is up to their discretion as to whether they'll give you the refund so I doubt you'll be able to claim in on a fridge :)

Thanks for getting back to us.

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