The Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS) allows you to claim a refund of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Wine Equalisation Tax (WET) that you pay on certain goods purchased in Australia.

The TRS located in T2 departures is after customs in the main tax and duty free store. It is operated by the Australian Border Force (ABF). TRS is open to all overseas visitors and Australian residents, excluding operating air crew.

To make a claim, you must:

• have spent $300 or more (including GST) with a single business at a store or a chain of stores covered by the same Australian Business Number (ABN)
• purchase goods no more than 60 days before departing Australia
• wear or carry the goods as hand luggage on your flight (excluding liquids, gels or aerosols, or oversized or bulky goods that may need to be checked in) and present them along with your tax invoice, passport and international boarding pass to the TRS office
• have paid for the goods yourself
• have original tax invoices for the goods.

It’s recommended that you clear immigration at least 90 minutes before your flight to allow enough time to make your claim.

Note that there are different conditions for claiming a refund on liquids, aerosols, gels and oversized items. These must first be sighted by the ABF office in T2 arrivals and then checked in with your baggage. Refunds for these goods are then made at the TRS booth using your receipts. More information can be found on the Department of Home Affairs website.

To speed up the process, you can use the ABF mobile and web TRS applications to lodge your claim. Simply enter your travel information and the details of the goods you are claiming, and choose how you would like to receive your TRS refund.

Your information will be stored in a QR code that you will need to present with your purchased goods and original tax invoices at the airport. If you have completed the process successfully, you can use a dedicated queue at the TRS office. Please note that completing the app does not mean you have submitted your claim, you MUST still present to an ABF officer to have your QR code scanned and your claim lodged.

More information is available here.