OFF: Oz Prices (was Re: OFF: online CD prices)

[Soniqué]

On 9 Jun 99, at 9:48, Peter Sondergeld wrote:

> An interesting twist on this has emerged recently here in Oz. Our
> illustrious federal government is forging ahead with a Goods & Services
> Tax (10%), and if you believe some commentators, it looks like making
> internet shopping a cheaper alternative to buying some products locally.

In fact, CD's will become cheaper in Australia as a result. Currently all CD
imports attract a 22% sales tax which is payable at the point of entry (ie -
customs clearance if imported, payable to wholesaler if local release). This
sales tax will be dropped, so the 10% GST will make them cheaper locally than
they are now.

Of course, if you order small quantities online from abroad you won't get hit
with the sales tax at the moment anyway, and as payment of GST will become
the retailer's responsibility (rather than the current system of collecting
the tax at customs unless you have a sales tax exemption), you probably won't
get hit by the 10% slug when it's introduced.

In the meantime, be careful if ordering CD's online .... if the total
shipment is over $A200 in value you could get slugged the 22% sales tax (even
on personal purchases)

Soniqué
(still bemoaning all the pending extra hassle of handling GST for Sonic Bilby)

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