Yeah you're right I should say it's unfair to Aussie online retailers as well, but that's the point the Aussie retailers have to pay GST on any goods they sell you. It's nice not to pay tax, but it would also be nice to have a tax system not structured in such a way that it puts Australian businesses at a disadvantage over their overseas competitors and potentially forces them and the jobs they create off shore.
Either you're charging GST on every purchase or your not.
For the record I don't think this will rescue Harvey Norman or Myer or anyone. They're price gouging arseholes, but I don't think the government should be taxing some business and not others.
The problem is it isn't the consumers who really pay the tax, it's the retailers. How exactly do you propose that the government tax overseas retailers. I can think of a few options but each one of them forces me to think be careful what you wish for . What you and the retailers seem to support is not good for anybody at all except for the government.
My only thought is that I sympathise with the small retailers for example people like Umart and the likes, but what gets up my goat is that someone small like Umart will sell a product for say $70 when Harvey Norman is selling it for $100. Then HN still have the nerve to bitch and moan when we go on eBay and the likes and order our product for $60. I do honestly feel for the small guys who are missing out because of the competitiveness of the overseas sales coming through but I can't feel the same way towards the big guys. And yet they are the only ones the Media care to listen to. I try to support the smaller guys all the time and I find it sad that they sell stuff dirt cheap to get turn over because not only are they competing with the Harvey Normans but they are also competing with Overseas. cheers
Who do you buy your gasoline from?
Couldn't agree more. I am a massive Apple fan and I love their products but this attitude really disappoints me. That would be like telling people they can't install firefox on their iMac's and can't use the provider they have for internet. I agree get a grip.
"Take that, you hostile sons-of-bitches!" -- James Coburn, in the finale of _The_President's_Analyst_
