KhunHeineken

It's been discussed for months, and you only no just realize the possible impact? Yes, wait and see, but as it stands, there are no exemptions, no new tax free threshold added to the non resident tax brackets, and no means testing to the proposed changes. What does this tell you? The government is well aware of thousands of pensioners retired overseas. If they didn't want some of their pension money back, they would have included one or more of the above in the proposed changes. They didn't.

I agree with your summary, and you are correct. It really is as simple as that, and that's because the government needs it to be. After so much discussion, links, Youtube clips etc etc, some people still don't get it. Amazing Thailand.

Exempt for Australian residents for tax purposes. No exemption for non residents for tax purposes. Non resident tax rates start at $0 for 32.5%. There is no tax free threshold for non residents, no matter what the source of the income is.

Tax File Numbers are like driving license numbers. You get one, and it's yours for life. Most Aussie expats have lived and worked in Australia at some stage, thus, they have a TFN. You could open a bank account and stuff all your money in that account, and not tell the bank your TFN, but all the bank does then is tax the interest at the highest marginal rate, which is something like $0.48 in the dollar, on every account where a TFN hasn't been supplied. So, how would you suggest an Australian lives, works, banks, and retires, without a TFN?

I appreciate your honesty. Can you name one thing, pick anything, that you miss about Australia?

It took you 5 years to create the illusion you were home for good, and you could have done the same in 2 years. Ahh, yes, but you know a lot about this issue.

Do you? Really?

I didn't ask for links. I asked for examples. Should be easy enough, on your own thread.

The price of having a beer in a pub or club is now at the point where is it changing Australian culture. Sad days indeed.

That's not sad news to me, coming from a troll who offers no content to this thread other than personally attacking every post I make. Water off a ducks back for me, and I have never reported anyone else's posts, ever.

Must spend 2 years living in Australia. Well documented and discussed.

Possibly because you give up some rights once you chose to live in another country, after all, you are not a citizen of that country. Obviously this should be taken into account become deciding to live abroad, but for many, the reality hits home once they settle in, and then they start to complain. Can you give some examples of the complaints you are referring to?

I can see you are having another dig at me, yet, aren't you scaremongering when you say, and by your own calculations, pensioners MAY lose $240 per fortnight? Why is it when you say it, and back it up with calculations, it's fine, but when I simply alert members to the proposed changes, and their possible impact on pensioners, it's "scaremongering?" Ahhhh, the hypocrisy. As for the "SLAMDUNK" the only slam dunk I see is from either the Australian government, the Thai government, or both.

One post you are a veteran on a services pension, and previously living in housing for veterans in Australia, and then on another post you are on an aged pension and ringing Centerlink. You can't have both pensions. Can you state, once and for all, what pension you are on?

They should have geared up for the aging population, but no.

Many pensioners are hoping you are right, and their pension is tax free, no matter where they chose to live in the world, so please post a link to "the Act" with the relevant clause of information that sets this out so the champagne can start flowing.

I agree, and well said.

You quoted "the Act" so you should link it, and highlight the relevant information in your narrative.

Once again, irrelevant, as immigration knows we are outside of Australia for 45/183 days. If only it was as simple as moving money offshore once a year.

Eagerly awaiting "the Act" link.

We are not living in Australia. We are living in Thailand. The game changes. Another member has asked you for a link to "the Act" and so will I. Please post the act saying that a pension, which is deemed an income, is exempt from non resident tax for those choosing to live abroad in retirement. No, taxation laws for non residents have been the same for 90 years. That 90 year old legislation has a lot of holes in it, and that's why we have all got away without paying. The proposed changes are not a new tax. The proposed changes just close the holes that many, including myself, have slipped through for years.

How much detail does it give the immigration department to unravel - ZERO. They will be the ones to inform Centerlink / ATO you have been outside of Australia for 45 / 183 days. All done by a computer.

You are correct, the service pension is tax free, but, many recipients of a service pension also worked. Their total income, which includes their service pension, goes into the mix for the ATO and treated as combined income. We have already establish a pension, of any sort, is deemed to be an income. A veteran living outside of Australia is still a non resident for tax purposes, thus, their services pension will be classified as any other pension and taxed at non resident rates. It's all about tax residency, not what type of pension it is.

As per the calculations of another member, it's a loss of $240 a fortnight. This may put some pensioners in some financial hardship, causing a decline in lifestyle, or, a return home to qualify for tax resident status every year.

The proposed legislation is a fact. That's all we have ever discussed on this forum. I have never stated that they have been passed into law. You can sit back and do nothing until they are passed, or thrown in the bin, or, plan for the possibility they do get passed and the consequences thereof, but to say the proposed changes are not a fact is laughable.