NZ's system is a universal Goods & Service Tax of 12.5% on all goods and services ... Australia's system ....is unbelievably labrynthineJust
how labyrinthine was demonstrated amply at Malbun airport the other day. We bought two boxes of chocolates (total price A$27.50). The sales assistant, sweet girl, asked us if we wanted to claim the GST back since we were leaving the country. SWMBO - an accountant, remember - agreed that it would be a good idea. I suspiciously commented that we shouldn't bother if it was going to take some effort. I've done this in Singapore. We were talking about A$2.75's worth of GST, remember.
The girl said brightly that it was no bother at all. Okay, so here was the process:
1. She produced a foolscap form which had dunnamany blocks to fill in. She had to write down SWMBO's name and passport number. A detailed description of the goods and the pre-GST and GST-inclusive price followed. SWMBO then had to fill in her address in New Zealand and the date of departure from Oz.
2. Sales girl then had to sight and write down the number of SWMBO's air ticket, the flight number, the destination and the time of departure. Not from the boarding pass, but the ticket itself. This caused a rapid rummage through a shoulder bag.
3. Sales lady and SWMBO then both had to sign the form.
4. Sales person then filled out yet
another form, kinda the opposite of a GST invoice. An un-GST invoice, presumably.
5. The goods then went into a special plastic bag that had "GST Exempt - keep in sight at all times" plastered all over it. A copy of the un-GST invoice went in with the chocolates.
6. Another copy of the un-GST invoice was then sealed (stapled) into a small plastic bag which was
then stapled to the larger plastic bag.
Groovy, huh? A simple process.
Oh, and there was a (7). On our way down the jetway to the plane, a woman grabbed the big plastic bag from SWMBO and tore off the smaller plastic bag with the un-GST invoice in it. That appeared to be her entire job.
I didn't say a word through any of this. One knows when to keep one's mouth firmly shut after 17 years ...
New Hampshire is currently the only state in the Union which has neither a sales or income tax.Sponging off neighbouring states, eh, Wow? That's the ticket!
