[chbot] GST on AliExpress orders

[Andy Gardner]

On 9/01/20 8:34 pm, Volker Kuhlmann wrote:

> It started 1 Dec 2019, not unexpected. It was like that by 12 Dec.
> 
> It's less to do with ripping off the poor and more with levelling the
> playing field for local businesses against overseas corporations.
> 
> That aliexpress would pull out of the NZ market I put into the urban
> myth / wishful thinking basket. They already had to do something similar
> for a number of other countries. Given the loads they're raking in from
> NZ they're far better off to do a little programming. Amazon just didn't
> have their act together in time; I didn't get any impression they'd quit
> the NZ market. As long as they can squeeze us because we want something
> from them, they'll be here.
> 
> Volker
> 

Yeah. The GST was always payable, but because of the paperwork hassle they deemed it not worth collecting.

With huge electronic retailers overseas shipping so much stuff in, it became worthwhile doing so, and overall it's good for NZ. Public health and education can't run on fumes.