Sale telescopes

[Mamba]

I am attempting to buy a Gemini 2 upgrade and have come across this company who appear to be based in Jakarta. They seem to sell very high end equipment but does anyone know if they are a reliable company to deal with.
A second question, the item I wish to purchase is Aus $937 but shipping will bring the total to Aus $1130. What tax will I be liable for, l'm in Victoria if that makes any difference
Thanks for any replies.
Mamba

[The Mekon]

Search this forum Mamba, and stay away from this sham company.

[Eggmoon]

10% GST as your total value, which does include transportation costs, exceeds $1000. Under that limit you currently don't pay GST when buying from overseas. So in your case it would be GST of $113.

State location doesn't matter.

I believe the laws are changing so that ALL imported good, regardless of value, will attract GST from July next year.

Geoff.

[Mamba]

Thanks Mekon, Credit Card now under the matress
Mamba

[MortonH]

It's appalling that the website is still operating.

[gary]

Previous thread about the www.sale-telescopes.com scam web site is here -
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=109885

Never buy anything online out of countries such as Indonesia and never ship
to a buyer there unless you know them personally and trust them.

[mental4astro]

Leaving the sham company aside, you would not be liable for GST as the item's value is $937 - you do not include the cost of delivery into the GST amount as there is no product value there. The cost of the item (yes, ghost item here) is below $1000. The cost of delivery has nothing to do with the item value. Sorry Geoff, I believe you are mistaken. I have never paid GST on an imported item base on the item value and cost of delivery combined. Always only on the item's value.

If in any further doubt, contact Australian Customs.

[OICURMT]

Sale Telescopes
Jalan Gajah Mada 104-107
Jakarta 11140
Indonesia


Shares the same address as Gramedia Toko Buku (Indonesia's largest book store). http://www.gramedia.com/
The book store is very reputable. I suspect that Sale Telescopes are using the address in hopes of scamming people into thinking it's part of Gramedia.

Google Street View (https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-6.1541841,106.8176653,3a,75y,258.42 h,98.43t/data=%213m6%211e1%213m4%211svFdfdLF Qy0u2LQpX0tqLQA%212e0%217i13312%218 i6656)

Toko Buku Gramedia
Address: Jl. Gajah Mada No. 104-107, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 11140, Indonesia
Phone:+62 21 2601234
Hours: Open today · 9:30am–8:30pm

I lived in Jakarta for four years and know the book store well...
OIC!

[gary]

Hi Alex,

The price of the goods is referred to as the "custom's value".
If the customs value is below $1000, no GST is payable.

If the custom's value is $1000 or more, the GST payable is 10% of the
value of the taxable importation.

The value of taxable importation is the sum of:
•the customs value of the goods
•any customs duty payable
•the amount paid or payable to transport the goods to their place of consignment in Australia
•the insurance cost for that transport

[mental4astro]

Ta Gary, for more info.

Ah, GST - the tax that feeds itself...

[Eggmoon]

I'm wondering if Customs and the ATO (My ex-employer.... redundancies do give so much more time for star gazing...) are playing from the same song book.

Customs may have a different interpretation of the rules. If they make you pay on the lesser amount, I wouldn't argue with them!!! ;)

In any event, I do believe the import limit is going mid next year.... order up big, but in amounts of less than $1000 at a time, before then guys! :D

Geoff.

[gary]

Hi Geoff,

They are in that Customs is responsible for calculating and collecting
GST on behalf of the Australian Tax Office (ATO) based on the ATO
algorithm.

These days registered entities deal with Australian Customs through
a secure electronic portal but the online import declaration form still
takes on the name of the original paper form - a "Nature 10" or "N10"
for short.

It calculates the Value of the Taxable Importation (VoTI) for GST purposes
in the way I described in my previous post.

If you ever import with a courier such as FedEx, they will do the custom's
brokerage (i.e. filling out the N10) on your behalf and they will compute
the amount of GST and collect it on behalf of your previous employer
with ruthless efficiency.