The (now former) Treasurer recently announced that the States and Territories had unanimously agreed in principle to reduce the GST threshold on imported goods and services (currently at $1,000) to zero.
The new arrangements will apply from 1 July 2017.
He said that he had put forward a proposal that relies on a vendor registration model as a method of collecting the GST.
As goods would not be stopped at the border, administering a vendor registration model would have a relatively low cost. Non-residents (overseas suppliers) will be the ones who charge, collect and remit the GST for digital and physical products.
As is the case in Australia, only vendors with an Australian turnover of at least $75,000 will need to register and charge the GST.