Australia GST Refund 2026: Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS) Guide

Australia’s sales tax is GST, charged at 10%. The Tourist Refund Scheme, or TRS, lets you claim it back on goods you take out of the country. It is unusual in two ways. The government runs it directly through the Australian Border Force, with no refund company taking a cut, so you get the full GST. And despite the name, it isn’t only for tourists: Australian residents heading overseas can claim too.

Australia GST Refund Calculator

Enter what you plan to spend to see the GST inside the price.

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Total spend (shelf price)

GST inside your purchase · 10% rate

A$136.36reclaimable

Border Force TRS (official)100% of the GSTA$136.36

Minimum spend in Australia: A$300.00, from one business. Australia refund rules

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Estimate only. Uses the standard tax rate and a typical operator commission; your refund depends on the goods, the retailer and the refund operator.

Who Can Claim a GST Refund in Australia?

Anyone leaving Australia, visitor or resident.
Crew working on the departing flight or ship are excluded.
You paid for the goods yourself and have the original tax invoice.
The goods travel with you. Services such as hotels and tours don’t qualify.

Minimum Purchase Amount

You need to spend A$300 or more, GST included, with a single business. “Single business” means the same Australian Business Number (ABN), which is printed on every tax invoice. Several invoices from the same ABN can be added together, even on different days. Invoices from different businesses can’t.

Any registered retailer counts. There is no special tax-free shop, no form to ask for and nothing to tell the cashier.

The 60-Day Window

The goods must have been bought in the 60 days before you leave. Something you bought three months ago doesn’t qualify, even if you never used it.

Step 1: Keep the Right Tax Invoice

The invoice must say “tax invoice” and show the retailer’s name and ABN, the date, what you bought and the GST-inclusive price. For any invoice of A$1,000 or more, your name has to be on it and has to match your passport, so ask for that at the register.

Step 2: Enter Your Claim in the TRS App

This step is optional and saves a lot of time. Enter your invoices and payment details in the official TRS app or web form before you get to the airport. It gives you a QR code, and there is usually a faster queue for people who have one.

Step 3: Claim at the TRS Counter

The TRS counter is after passport control in the international terminal. Bring the goods, the original invoices, your passport and your boarding pass. You must claim at least 30 minutes before your flight’s scheduled departure, or 60 minutes before for a cruise.

Carry or wear the goods on board. If something can’t go in the cabin, such as wine, large items or anything caught by liquid limits, show it to Border Force before you check it in.

Refunds are paid to a credit card, an Australian bank account or by cheque. There is no cash option. Card and bank refunds generally arrive within 60 days.

How Much You Actually Get Back

All of it. GST is one-eleventh of the price you pay, and there is no fee. On a A$1,500 purchase that is A$136.36.

Wine also carries Wine Equalisation Tax, and the TRS refunds that as well.

Deadlines and Common Mistakes

Arriving late. The 30-minute cut-off is strict, and queues in Sydney and Melbourne can be long.
Checking the goods in without showing them first.
Adding up different shops to reach A$300.
No name on a A$1,000+ invoice.
GST-free goods. If no GST was charged, there is nothing to refund.
Bringing the goods back. If you return to Australia with them, you may have to declare them and repay the GST.