This Australian government initiative allows travelers to claim portions of the goods and services tax (GST) and the wine equalization tax (WET) that they pay on goods purchased while in the country. It can result in a large amount of savings for travelers, and so should be considered whenever purchasing goods, and prior to getting on board the plane and heading home.
In order to qualify for the TRS, you must purchase at least $300 worth of goods, including the GST, at one location and ask the cashier for a single tax invoice. Goods must not be purchased more than thirty days before your departure from Australia. All items that you are claiming must be worn on your person or carried in your carry-on luggage, unless security measures prevent them from being brought on board the plane. Goods and services that have been consumed or used while in Australia (ie chocolate, hotel costs) are exempt from the refund. You must make your claim at the airport at least thirty minutes before boarding the plane.
Upon arrival at the airport, you will first pass through Customs and Immigration, after which you will be able to approach the TRS counter to make your claim. You must have the goods, your single tax invoice, passport, and proof of travel, such as your international boarding pass. The refund will be paid by cheque, deposit to an Australian bank account, or payment to a credit card.
Items such as beer, spirits, and tobacco are not eligible for the TRS, however can be purchased at a duty-free store to save on cost. Wine is acceptable for a refund. Since customs must confirm that the goods are leaving Australia with you, eligible goods must be on your person, therefore items that do not fit into your carry-on luggage or worn on your person are not eligible for a refund.
For more information, contact the Australian Customs Service.
Before heading out on your much anticipated Australian vacation, it is important to have a clear understanding of what to expect when entering and leaving the country. Most importantly, you will need a passport and an Australian tourist visa. When arriving in Australia, you will be asked to declare what you are bringing with you. If you travel with prescription medicine, you will need to check with customs prior to your visit to ensure your medication does not contain a controlled substance currently prohibited in Australia. If your medication is acceptable, you will need to declare it to customs officials and present your written prescription and/or a doctor’s note to them. You should not have more than a three month supply on hand. When leaving the country you must take all medications with you, and also be prepared to present your written doctor’s note to custom officials.
Australia’s quarantine laws protect the country from foreign diseases and insects. Be prepared to declare all food, dairy products, animal products, fruits and vegetables, and seeds or nuts. You will be given a legal document called the Incoming Passenger Card prior to arrival at the airport, and here you must declare any of the above items that you are carrying with you. Once arriving at the airport, quarantine officials will let you know whether your items can safely be taken into the country. If not, you may have several options, including paying for the item to be treated, storing the item at the airport until you are leaving the country, or disposing of the item in a quarantine bin. Your baggage may be x-rayed or subject to detector dogs, and if you are found to have prohibited, undeclared items, you will be subject to an immediate fine and could even risk jail time.
There are also important security measures undertaken at Australia’s airports, as with airports all over the world. Any containers of liquid, gel, or aerosol, must be under 100mg to be taken onboard in your carry-on luggage.
As the sixth largest country in the world, Australia actually has a proportionately small population of about twenty million people. It is the only country to control an entire continent and its islands, and is made up of six states and two territories. Western Australia is the largest state and is about the same size as Western Europe! Australia is also both the flattest and the driest continent in the world. Because it is located beneath the equator, Australia’s summers occur over North American winters, and winter over North American summers. If you want to spend Christmas on the beach, Australia is the place to go!
Prior to western exploration, Aboriginal people lived throughout the continent in culturally diverse groups. The first European contact with Australia came in 1606 with the Dutch explorer Willem Janszoon, however it wasn’t until 1770 when Captain James Cook led a scientific exploration to the area that it was claimed as part of the British Empire. Britain used Australia as a penal colony, sending convicts as indentured labour to the new country. It wasn’t until the 1850s, with the gold rush, that the first settlers of Australia began to make their way there under their own free will. The Commonwealth of Australia was created in 1901 and it gained its independence in 1931. A major civil rights action occurred in 1967 when Australians voted overwhelmingly to allow the government to pass legislation to improve the lives of Aboriginal people throughout the nation.
Australia has a wide variety of climates, with desert, tropics, subtropics, plains, and rainforests, not to mention mountains and snowfields. Tourism is major industry in Australia, and visitors from all over the world are flocking there to enjoy the warm hospitality, tropical weather, and unique natural features. Natural resources are also important to Australia and make up a large proportion of their world exports.
