Travel advice in general….

I know its a bit general but Ive just started packing for New Zealand and was thinking this would be the ideal spot for everyone’s little travel tips that they’ve learnt over thier years of travel.
So everything welcome from packing tips to tips for keeping yourself and your gear in check whilst away.

I’ve posted this in another thread before but it definitely applies here too.

Tax back at the airport:

Every country is different in terms of procedure for tax back, but the following applies to taking goods out of Australia…

Any purchase over $300 on a single receipt (you can have 10 items totalling $301, doesn’t matter as long at the receipt total is over $300) is elegible for tax back at the airport. Tax is calculated at 9.09% of the total amount. The receipt needs to be within 30 days prior to travel (you can even use the goods until you leave).

There is a lot of money to be saved if you are buying boards etc… It doesn’t matter if the board was purchased at half price, you still get your tax back.

This applies to ANY goods bought in Australia.

What you need:

- A normal tax receipt with goods listed, totalling $300 or more on the one receipt. The date on the receipt must be 30 days or less to the date of departure.

- The goods.

- Your passport.

That’s it.

How to claim it:

It is very easy and doesn’t take more than a few minutes.

- If the goods are small and being carried in your hand luggage (carry on), you go through security and immigration as normal. As you pass immigration just follow the signs to the Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS). It is usually right there on the way to your departure gate. Pop in, show the receipt and the goods, and they will credit the tax straight onto your credit card or into your bank account (if you want it into your bank account you need your account number and BSB handy).

- If the goods are large and in your checked luggage (boards, boots etc…), you need to have the good sighted by Customs prior to checking in your luggage. As you get to the airport, go straight to Customs Client Services and show them the goods and receipt. They do a very quick inspection to make sure you have the goods and they stamp the receipt that it’s been checked. Check your bags in as usual. As you pass immigration just follow the signs to the Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS). It is usually right there on the way to your departure gate. Pop in, show the receipt and they will credit the tax straight onto your credit card or into your bank account (if you want it into your bank account you need your account number and BSB handy).

Problems, and ways around it:

Just say it’s end of season in Australia, there are good sales and you want to buy a sale board for overseas travel in a few months. You want to buy it now because sale boards are selling quickly. How do you purchase the board now and still get your tax back?

Easy… put your gear on layby. That way you have secured all your equipment at the sale price, you have a few months pay it all off, and you get your tax back. As long as the final payment is made within 30 days of travel, the final receipt will have the date of final payment, meaning you’re all good! This way as well, you can keep adding on little items to your layby and pay it all off at the final payment, so you get your tax back on everything.

I know it sounds complicated, but it’s not. It doesn’t take more than a few minutes to do everything. If you have any questions just let me know.

free cash !!!!!!!!!!!
awesome thanks Rider. Just finnished buying $1500 worth of gear so that will prove to be a nice little refund !

I posted some stuff here:

https://www.boardworld.com.au/forums/viewthread/256/

Hope that helps.

Jeremy, I wonder if I should make the linked one a sticky?

Good idea. Done.

The frustrating thing with airline travel that I have experienced lately…
To get through security, you not only have to take off your shoes and jackets and put your bags through the xray, and empty your pockets etc… you also have to take off your belt.
I’ve just stopped wearing pants or shorts that need a belt when flying. it is just that one extra thing I dont have to do.

Can someone answer me this, I wouldn’t have thought that tax back would be applicable if you’re an Australian resident or is it the same as duty free shopping.  To put it simply, can I buy a snowboard within a month of going to NZ and get my GST back on it?  If I buy it within a month of travelling can I use it before I travel or does it have to be in the original packaging or something like that?

Yes it’s for Australian residents, or anyone leaving the country. It’s exactly the same as duty free shopping. As long as you leave within 30 days of purchase and take the good with you, yes you are entitled to use the goods within that time before you leave. It doesn’t need to be in the original packaging. If you have a tax receipt totaling more than $300 and the goods are leaving the country, you will get your tax back.

Excellent, I might leave my purchase of a new board till August then, might as well leave the new camera till then as well!

You can put the items on layby now if you want, to avoid it being sold. Just make sure you do the last payment within the 30 days before you leave.

Yeah only problem being I am moving to Sydney at the end of this week so not point laybying anything in Melbourne, might drop past Balmoral Boards when I’m back and do it there.  Alternatively, If I wait till August prices might be a tad lower or shops may at least look into discounting somewhat.