Hints for Australian visitors

Press, 14 December 1977, Page 37

Hints for Australian visitors

As the majority of the Duty Free Shop’s customers are Australians, and almost 100 per cent of its customers are travelling to Australia, travellers will be interested to know how Australian Customs will greet them on their arrival. Australian Customs offers many concessions which allow passengers to land most goods free or at little charge. Excluded goods are generally subject to high rates of duty and sales tax. Items that you must declare are listed on an information paper that all arriving passengers receive shortly before their arrival. Personal concessions offered do not cover articles “that you have purchased overseas on behalf of persons resident in Australia, or articles that a person overseas has asked you to deliver to a person in Australia.” Duty free personal effects are defined as goods which are “your own exclusive property, are or have been in your possession, are suitable and intended for your own use, are not intended for

commercial purposes and are not imported in commercial quantities.” Duty free personal effects include clothing (not fur apparel); personal articles like jewellery, toiletries, wrist watch and cigarette lighter (not electric entertainment appliances); binoculars; portable typewriters; exposed films of your travels, and photographic cameras. Passengers arriving in Australia who are over 18 are allowed 200 cigarettes or 250 grams of cigars or 250 grams of tobacco, and one litre of liquor, including wine and beer. There are general concessions for gifts, souvenirs, new. household articles and other dutiable goods. Each passenger over 18 years, or each passenger under 18 travelling alone, is allowed duty free goods up to SA2OO in value. There is a duty rate of 20 per cent on further goods up to the value of SAI6O. (These amounts are halved for passengers under 18 years travelling with a parent.) These concessions only apply to goods brought to Australia as part of per-

sonally owned and accompanied baggage. Goods exempt from general concessions include ■‘articles of fur apparel, tobacco products, alcoholic liquor, television receivers and articles incorporating television receivers, goods intended for sale, hire or trade, goods in commercial quantities and goods carried on behalf of other

Tourists' may import goods without payment of duties or sales tax, “but a security or undertaking must be lodged to the satisfaction of the Customs for payment of duty and sales tax, in the event that the goods are not exported within 12 months or such further time as may by allowed.”