International Retailers Selling to Australia: Start Collecting GST from 1 July 2018

From 1 July 2018, online retailers must start collecting Goods and Services Tax (GST) on goods sold to consumers in Australia valued at A$1,000 or less. This applies to international retailers if they have a GST turnover of A$75,000 or more in a 12-month period.

A simplified system is available for businesses to register, lodge and pay Australian GST. Retailers using this system will only need to report Total Taxable Sales and GST, and pay once each quarter.

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will continue to offer full support to help retailers that are taking reasonable steps to comply. ATO Assistant Commissioner Kate Roff said this includes helping retailers navigate the collection and remittance process.

“Any businesses that are having difficulty meeting their obligations should contact the ATO as soon as possible,” Ms. Roff said. “Businesses that do the right thing and register for GST can be assured that we will, where appropriate, pursue businesses that do not.”

“The ATO has the ability to use financial data tracking, customs data and online investigations to identify those that are not meeting their taxation obligations.”

“Businesses that decide not to comply will face penalties.”

The new taxation measure provides fairer trading for all retailers. It ensures low value goods purchased by consumers in Australia will have the same tax treatment, no matter where they are purchased from.

This also means that re-delivery service providers like mailbox re-delivery and personal shopping services will be subject to similar registration requirements. Consumers using GST–registered re-deliverers will pay the applicable GST to them.

Relevant businesses must register now and start collecting GST from 1 July 2018. Instructions on how to register in the simplified GST systems for international business can be found at ato.gov.au/GSTSimpleReg.

Information about collecting GST can be found by:

• Visiting www.ato.gov.au/AusGST
• Emailing AustraliaGST@ato.gov.au

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