Papillon Boutique owner Dale Cooley says she wants to see GST introduced on imported goods in this week's Budget. Photo / Supplied
Papillon Boutique owner Dale Cooley says she wants to see GST introduced on imported goods in this week's Budget. Photo / Supplied
A Havelock North retailer is hoping this year's Budget will add GST to imported goods to ease competition with foreign websites.
Dale Cooley owns Papillon Boutique, which sells high-end New Zealand clothing.
She said there was only one thing on her wishlist for this week's Budget, which will be unveiledby Finance Minister Bill English tomorrow - a GST on all products shipped into New Zealand from overseas websites.
"My biggest thing is GST on all imports - any online sale coming into this country should be charged GST," she said.
Consumers currently pay no GST on imported goods under $400, which can make foreign websites appear the cheaper buying option when compared with local stores.
"It just puts us on a level playing field," Ms Cooley said of the proposed tax. "It allows us to compete fairly. If we're selling a like good, and to buy it overseas you have to add 15 per cent, then it wouldn't seem as cheap."
The concept had garnered a groundswell of support from New Zealand retailers, and had been pinned with the hashtag "#efairnessnz".
"It's something that has been talked about, the New Zealand Retail Association are backing it, and it was something that was mentioned by the Government as possibly being in the budget."
