Manually Adjust GST for Imported Goods

Sometimes a bill contains a GST amount that does not match the normal 10% calculation. This usually happens when importing goods from overseas.

A freight company (such as DHL or FedEx) may send you a small invoice for their service, but the GST on the bill may be very large. This is because the GST is charged on the value of the imported goods, not just the freight cost.

Since the GST does not match the usual percentage of the invoice amount, you need to manually adjust it when recording the bill in Gimbla.

🌍 Global Note: This guide uses Australian GST as an example, but the same method works anywhere in the world. You can use this 3-line trick to adjust import taxes such as VAT in the UK and Europe, or GST in New Zealand, Canada, and Singapore.

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👣 Walkthrough

Example: You receive a freight bill for $15, but it includes $10 of Import GST.

If you simply enter $15 and apply 10% GST, the system will only calculate $1.50 in GST. To record the correct $10 GST amount, we use a simple 3-line trick.

1 Go to your Bills dashboard and click Add Bill.

2 Tick Amounts are tax inclusive, then enter the bill using these three lines:

• Line 1 — Dummy Value
  Enter a value that produces the GST amount you need.
  Example: To create $10 GST, the tax-inclusive amount must be $110. Enter $110 and select GST 10%.
• Line 2 — Reversal
  Enter -110.00 and select Free for the tax. This cancels out the cost but keeps the GST recorded.
• Line 3 — Actual Service
  Enter the real charge from the freight company (for example $15) and select Free for the tax.

3 If you check the journal entry behind the bill, you will see that the dummy values cancel each other out. The final result is a $15 expense and $10 GST.

4 In your Tax Transactions report, the purchase will appear as $15 while the GST amount is correctly recorded as $10. This ensures you claim the correct GST when lodging your BAS with the ATO.