Importing electrical goods into Australia from UK

[james14]

Hi all,

We are moving from UK to Australia in 2 weeks and were planning to take our american fridge/freezer, range cooker + hood, dishwasher, washing machine and microwave.  The international removal company hasnt given us a strong indication that we may pay tax for these items, which is ambiguous at best, but a friend told us it's to be expected.   Can we ask for advice on whether we'd pay any tax on these items, and/or on a tv etc?  It may change our minds on whether to take them if so, and/or our moving costs.  Any help or advice very much welcomed.

Many thanks

[rammygirl]

If you have had them for 12 months then no import tax is due.  To be honest if they are your normal household goods as opposed to something bought especially to import you don’t need to declare value except for insurance.

For migrants personal and household effects (except alcohol) are not taxed on import.  

[Marisawright]

As Rammygirl says, if you've owned them for less than 12 months, you are officially supposed to declare them, and then you're liable to pay tax on them.  If they're older, no tax is payable if you are a migrant.

I'd say the removalist is being ambiguous because, let's face it - even if they're less than 12 months old, how will Customs know?  Provided they look as though they've been used, there's no way they can tell the difference.  Obviously the removalist can't say that because they have to be seen to do the right thing.

Edited September 14, 2019 by Marisawright

[NickyNook]

Unlike the rest of your stuff, I'm not sure you'd get much use in the short term from bringing a cooker and range hood.

All kitchens here come with an oven/cooktop and mostly a range hood. Usually built-in. They're not things you remove from your house and take with you when you move so you don't need to bring your own.

You'd probably find the ones you bring will sit in a garage for years until you move into a place that happens to need a new kitchen.

 

Edited September 14, 2019 by NickyNook

[rammygirl]

I do agree with the cooker.  Although they are more expensive here you would probably need to design a new kitchen around it.

We certainly left ours and I don’t think the new owners would have expected us to take it!  TBH I now have a small steam oven, a standard oven and an induction hob.  I cook and bake a lot and they work better for me than my old range and are easier to clean too. Although they are greedy on power and my solar isn’t usually producing enough for the evening meal especially in winter!

 

[Drumbeat]

52 minutes ago, NickyNook said:

Unlike the rest of your stuff, I'm not sure you'd get much use in the short term from bringing a cooker and range hood.

All kitchens here come with an oven/cooktop and mostly a range hood. Usually built-in. They're not things you remove from your house and take with you when you move so you don't need to bring your own.

You'd probably find the ones you bring will sit in a garage for years until you move into a place that happens to need a new kitchen.

 

And the dishwashers are usually built in too. It's very different here from the UK, windows, blinds and light fittings are normally left in the house when you move except if specified in the contract. Buying a new fridge/freezer might be more expensive but there's a large range and at least it would be under warranty.

[james14]

Thanks all for the replies.  The rationale is that we have easily over £10k invested in the Britannia oven, fridge, washer, dishwasher, microwave and dont want to leave them to be trashed by tenants over the next few years.  Also dont want to spend more on similar goods in Australia with a salary thats not on par with a London salary.  We dont mind if they sit unused for a while prior to buying a house, but we do need to consider the decision in full context, which this thread is helping. 

Appears to come down to:

• they may be taxed but shouldnt by the book, somewhat ambiguous but understand this simply cant be guaranteed (or can it, dont original purchase receipts help with this?)
• its unlikely a rental can accommodate them, as most come with integrated everything
• electrics need plugs changed over (cant see what else is required?)
• gas needs conversion from a certified gas engineer (not clear on this either)
• units cost a lot more in australia, and many for that reason elect to take their own, many who dont call it out as a regret

Not clear cut as I see it...

[Marisawright]

If you are migrating and they are your personal effects which are more than  12 months old, they are not liable for tax. No ambiguity. Ask the removalist to explain what they mean

[Marisawright]

appliances (except the fridge) will already be installed in a rental AND in any house you buy, unless you decide to build new So you won’t have to budget to buy in Oz unless you are fussy and want to throw out what’s already installed 

From memory, you’ve done your research, so you know it won’t be economic to buy a house until you get PR so that could be some time away

 

Edited September 14, 2019 by Marisawright

[Marisawright]

Just now, Marisawright said:

appliances (except the fridge) will already be installed in a rental AND in any house you buy, unless you decide to build from scratch. So you won’t have to budget to buy in Oz unless you are fussy and want to throw out what’s already installed 

From memory, you’ve done your research, so you know it won’t be economic to buy a house until you get PR so that could be some time away

 

 

[james14]

Thanks. I've asked the shipper to confirm where tax will be expected across our inventory. I'll share the response, hopefully it'll be helpful to others. 

We have decided to take the range cooker and fridge/freezer, but not other goods like washing machine, dishwasher and fancy microwave etc. Bit of a compromise and with luck it'll be worthwhile on balance. We expect the range will be stored for some time, but the fridge more likely to see use. In the coming 1-2m I'll write back to inform others on whether we found it worthwhile or simply an expense. Prompt me if I forget...

[Metoo]

Do not bring any gas appliances.

Or gas b b q , gas fitters here won’t touch them.

 

 

[james14]

1 hour ago, Metoo said:

Do not bring any gas appliances.

Or gas b b q , gas fitters here won’t touch them.

 

 

I read on here that gas engineers can be found with experience of converting some small parts on range cookers and certifying.  I dont know the details of it and the post on here didnt share them, but it appears possible to do it.  I'll find the post later.

[ali]

14 hours ago, james14 said:

Thanks. I've asked the shipper to confirm where tax will be expected across our inventory. I'll share the response, hopefully it'll be helpful to others. 

We have decided to take the range cooker and fridge/freezer, but not other goods like washing machine, dishwasher and fancy microwave etc. Bit of a compromise and with luck it'll be worthwhile on balance. We expect the range will be stored for some time, but the fridge more likely to see use. In the coming 1-2m I'll write back to inform others on whether we found it worthwhile or simply an expense. Prompt me if I forget...

I'd have brought the washing machine and micro - you can start using them right away (a rental won't have them).  As others have said,  you might find you won't be able to use your cooker until you get a place of your own, many properties has 'alcoves' built in for fridges and will have to set this us elsewhere.

[Metoo]

I read on here that gas engineers can be found with experience of converting some small parts on range cookers and certifying.  I dont know the details of it and the post on here didnt share them, but it appears possible to do it.  I'll find the post later.

 

Yes it can be done but oh boy it's expensive if you can actually find anyone who will touch it.

While in NSW our caravan gas appliances were fine but once we moved to QLD they all had to be adapted and certified and all I can say is never again.

We took our brand new, still in box Webber b b q to our local gas supplier and they told us to throw it away. They wouldn't even look at it because it didn't have an Aussie certification sticker on it. We asked them if they knew anyone who could do it and they just said 'no, don't bother' 

 

 

Edited September 16, 2019 by Metoo

[james14]

This is the thread I referred to.  NSW seems easier than QLD.

 

[Hugh]

It can be worth bringing a lot of the electrical goods you mention - especially even the firdge and microwave.

This article gives a lot more information of what electrical appliances are worth taking from the UK to Australia.

Whilst the cost difference is not as big as it used to be, it's still cheaper shipping your goods than having to replac ethem all.

https://blog.pssremovals.com/using-uk-electricals-in-australia/

[welljock]

On 17/09/2019 at 06:19, james14 said:

This is the thread I referred to.  NSW seems easier than QLD.

 

That thread is 9 years ago and the only person who said they managed to do it did it 6 years before that, so if I was you I wouldn't be banking on that.

Personally I would bring the fridge/freezer, washing machine and microwave and dump (sell) the range cooker + hood and dishwasher.

[Marisawright]

23 minutes ago, welljock said:

.

Personally I would bring the fridge/freezer, washing machine and microwave and dump (sell) the range cooker + hood and dishwasher.

Me too

[kaakhai18]

On 16/09/2019 at 08:24, james14 said:

Thanks. I've asked the shipper to confirm where tax will be expected across our inventory. I'll share the response, hopefully it'll be helpful to others. 

We have decided to take the range cooker and fridge/freezer, but not other goods like washing machine, dishwasher and fancy microwave etc. Bit of a compromise and with luck it'll be worthwhile on balance. We expect the range will be stored for some time, but the fridge more likely to see use. In the coming 1-2m I'll write back to inform others on whether we found it worthwhile or simply an expense. Prompt me if I forget...

Hi James14,

 

I am in a similar situation and would like your views please.

so we have got our visa and are. Ow planning our big move. I’m contemplating taking the American fridge freezer as it is quite new yet couple years old and was expensive to just leave behind. 
did you move with yours eventually? How did you find it? 
also if I could kindly request for removal company you used. This will help me a great deal.

Thank you,

k

[rammygirl]

The main issue can be fitting in in a kitchen. Most have alcoves designed round a tall narrow fridge freezer not American style side by side ones. We didn’t bring ours as the buyers of our house wanted it and paid us a good price!  When we settled here in our own home I wanted an American style one and had to get a new kitchen to fit it in properly.

They are more common now. And new builds seem to incorporate them in the design.  You may find it sits in the garage for a while, always useful though.

[james14]

Don’t take any of them over. Gas range was near impossible to sort out. Fridge freezer was too large for any house we stayed in and wouldn’t cool enough for the Sydney summer heat. Units are cheap in Aus and made different, and work better for the climate. Strongly advise, sell it all in the uk and buy new, save yourself a lot of grief. 

[Lavers]

On 23/10/2021 at 06:35, kaakhai18 said:

 

On 23/10/2021 at 06:35, kaakhai18 said:

Hi James14,

 

I am in a similar situation and would like your views please.

so we have got our visa and are. Ow planning our big move. I’m contemplating taking the American fridge freezer as it is quite new yet couple years old and was expensive to just leave behind. 
did you move with yours eventually? How did you find it? 
also if I could kindly request for removal company you used. This will help me a great deal.

Thank you,

k

What you bring can depend on how much room you have in your container/movecube.

If you have the room then bring as much as you can.

Fridge/freezers here tend to be bigger than what you'd get in the UK, although most houses have a fitted space already for them so may not take an American style, but if you where to build your own house you could put it in that.

When you sell things you don't get much for them so if your appliances aren't that old I would be bringing them if you have the room.

Maybe not your oven & hood though.

[Quoll]

15 hours ago, james14 said:

Don’t take any of them over. Gas range was near impossible to sort out. Fridge freezer was too large for any house we stayed in and wouldn’t cool enough for the Sydney summer heat. Units are cheap in Aus and made different, and work better for the climate. Strongly advise, sell it all in the uk and buy new, save yourself a lot of grief. 

LOL we did try and tell you. Good advice though at you've learned the hard way. 

[james14]

Possibly like @kaakhai18, we had expensive appliances that were of value to us, and selling would have lost a lot of money - and we had space to take such items in the container - so its incredibly easy to just take them and see what happens.  However, (applicable if you're going to Sydney, expect other cities may be similar) most of the Sydney houses (even the thousands of square looking modern ones) have tiny apertures for small appliances, and built in cookers - so most of what you bring will sit in the garage - and people don't want to touch foreign goods.  You're moving to a country thats far from anywhere else, expect the mindsets there to be inline.  

Edited October 25, 2021 by james14