Guide me in shipping and GST costs

[Sparksinspace]

I haven't brought much stuff from overseas before and certainly not anything of high cost.

I'm going to be purchasing A APM 20mm 100deg eyepiece a couple of filters and a coma corrector.

All up these will be over the $1000 mark.

How does shipping and GST work? do i need to do 2 separate orders or just do one and pay the tax?

If i do 2 separate orders Ill be charged for shipping twice.

Also what is easier shipping from Germany or shipping from America?

I'm a bit nervous about forking out all of this money to be stung a hole lot of import taxes. I'm also nervous about my purchase being broken when it gets here.

If anyone can guide me in the process and ease my stress let us know.

Cheers

[The_bluester]

The $1000 mark is not a magic figure any more, smaller amounts commonly seem to slip through the cracks where they probably reckon it is not worth the effort and cost to charge GST on entry but more than a couple of hundred you can probably rely on having to pay it.

I can't comment on US shipping in general apart from saying avoid USPS in the way that people are failing to avoid COVID 19. That probably applies to any service that does not operate their own aircraft and uses available space on commercial flights. It took almost three months for an adapter from Agena to arrive for me (So long I don't need it any more) and they have to admit that it is not currently atypical for them trying to get stuff to AU. While they will be busy and slower than we might be used to, at least DHL and the like who operate their own flights will probably not leave it sit at an LA airport for eight weeks like my bit did.

[Sparksinspace]

Ok so it's just 10% that gets put on? is there any more import tax or any other charge that i would have to pay for?

[casstony]

Two separate orders is best. You won't be charged anything extra if the AUD amount is under $1000 for a given order, provided the orders aren't from the same shop coming in at the same time. Either order from two different shops or put the order in a couple of weeks apart.

If you go over $1000 you'll be charged 10% gst on the total including shipping plus a handling fee.

You can can check the latest import rules at the ATO website.

[The_bluester]

I can't comment on the handling fee, when my scope came in I knew I was up for charges at the border, when the invoice was broadly what I expected I just paid up without looking too closely.