There is nothing more satisfying than to start a holiday with a tax break before you jump in your plane. The Tourist Refund Scheme provides people leaving Australia the opportunity to get their GST back on purchases made in Australia where GST is payable.
You can claim back the GST on items up to AUD$900 (ie get AUD$90 back), take the goods out of Australia and bring them back in. It’s a no brainer.
To get your tax back requires organisation and preparation. I try to get some tax back on each trip, whether it is a new phone or some Icebreaker travelling clothes.
Goods you want to claim the tax on need to be taken to the airport and you need to leave Australia with them.
Tip: You can only claim tax back for items purchased sixty (60) days before your departure.
In this post:
Get to the Airport early to get your tourist refund tax back
You just don’t know who is going to be in front of you, how efficient the processing crew are or even how many staff are on duty. I once saw a bride turn up with all her wedding dresses only to have to leave the queue in tears as she missed the cut off.
You need to have the claim processed 60 minutes prior to departure. This is different to getting in the queue!
On my recent trip to Singapore, I booked a transit via Brisbane. I only gave myself 90 minutes to get from Domestic to International blithely forgetting I was planning to claim some tax back for my new Pixel 3 XL phone.
To get to the TRS office in Brisbane from the domestic airport you need to catch a shuttle bus to the international terminal. Between the plane being delayed and the transfer bus being late I missed the cut off by 15 minutes. I was more worried about missing my refund and time in the lounge than missing my connection!
The great news about Brisbane is the TRS counter is immediately on your right as you go through customs.
The TRS counter in Brisbane was totally different from previous Sydney experiences. Even though I missed the cut off (and had not finished entering the claim in the app) they processed the paper for the new Pixel phone and refunded to my Westpac Amex Black card.
Getting your tourist refund tax back on bulky items
If you turn up with bulky items e.g. snow boots or a bicycle then you will need to go to TRS before you check your bags in. In Sydney its bang in the middle of the terminal. Just look out for the large replica of the Charles Kingsford Smith airplane. I don’t know how this would work if you transited in Brisbane or Perth.
Download the TRS app before you leave
Available on the Android and Apple app stores. Just search for Tourist Refund Scheme. Obviously its a free app!
This is a relatively simple to use app. You will need to ensure that your invoice has an ABN and that is for something you can claim tax back on. Alcohol is not on the list.When using it for a second trip you will need to delete all your old invoices and start again.
Tip: Bring a physical copy of the invoice, even for purchases made online.
Don’t be greedy, there is no upside
There are limits as to how much you can take. For an individual the tax free amount per adult is AUD900 and for under 18 is AUD450. So if you are a family of three you can claim 900+900+450=2250. This means you can get AUD225 back. You have my attention!
I have heard of people claiming a very expensive diamond suitable for an engagement ring on the basis they wont bring it back to Australia “cough”. While they got their tax back they were also given the third degree on their return to Australia.
My view is you will be flagged for further investigation. Not something you want on your CV.
Consolidate your invoices
You can consolidate invoices if you want to get over the magical $300 limit. This is such a simple hack. So if you do multiple trips to David Jones or Icebreaker just bundle them together, its a no brainer.
Summary
With just a minimal amount of planning you can claim back up to $90 in taxes. As Kerry Packer famously said: “if anybody in this country doesn’t minimise their tax, they want their heads read”
