KhunHeineken

I have never once suggested pension portability would be scrapped. What I have suggested is it MAY be possible that EVERY expat, that's everyone from Paul Hogan to someone on an old age pension in Thailand, will be deemed a non resident for taxation purposes because the new laws, if passed, simply classify everyone outside of Australia for 183 as a non resident, with no grey areas to argue. I have posted the non resident tax brackets previously, and they are very high, with the first bracket being $0 to $120,000, which would scoop up most expats. Note it's from $0. The first $18,500 is not exempt. ANY and ALL income, including pensions, MAY be taxed at non resident rates. That's Paul Hogan's income, and that's the old age pensioner's "income" of the pension. Discussion about means testing, pensions being exempt etc have been posted, but losing portability, completely, has never been suggested, and I doubt that would ever happen. Currently, a lot of money is leaving Australian shores, legally, because the old criteria of resident / non resident had a lot of grey area one could manoeuvre around. The new criteria, if passed, is simple, with no grey area. In Australia 183 days, resident. Outside Australia 183 days, non resident. Why wouldn't the tax man want a piece of that action?

"She'll be right, mate." ????

What forms of ID do you still posses from Australia?

Just saying, with Australia's debt increasing faster than its repayments, at some stage in the not too distant future Australia may lose its AAA rating, which will hit the Aussie Dollar, and that massage could cost $30AUD in the future.

This is a policy most of us have been implementing for years, but should the proposed changes be passed, this will allow the Government to straight away classify you as a non resident for taxation purposes, with nothing you can do about it because you have been outside Australia for 183 days. What happens after that is the unknown. Let me say that again for those who think it is scare mongering. The immigration department will know you are outside of Australia for 183 days, therefore you will be classified as a non resident for taxation purposes. What Centerlink and the tax office do with this information, and what the proposed changes will allow them to do, and its impact on you, is unknown at this stage.

The proposed changes are not my opinion, they are fact. You have links to them from many sources. The proposed changes are about residency for taxation purposes and clearly sets out that the Government wishes to simplify the criteria for classification by using 183 days inside, or outside, of Australia. They are proposed changes. What more proof of proposed changes do you need? Should they be passed into legislation, the way it reads to me is anyone inside Australia for 183 days will be deemed a resident for tax purposes, and therefore anyone outside of Australia for 183 days will be deemed a non resident for tax purposes. That's the simplification the Government wants. I have no idea if pensions or pensioners will be effected. I have only ever said they "could be" or "may be" or "it's possible" these changes effect expats. It was only a heads up to keep an eye on it and because it may upset the apple carts of members I have been personally attacked. Do with the information as you please, or in your case, do nothing, I couldn't care less, but the proposed changes are fact, not opinion.

Some like to plan ahead. I don't see anything wrong with hoping for the best but planning for the worse. The valid proof is the proposed changes are real. A lot of links to them have been provided by me and others. They are not fictitious. No one knows if they will be passed, and if they do get passed, how they will be implemented, but I don't see anything wrong with considering what impact, if any, they may have on expats.

Can you view the sim card's account online and get the call history that way?

If you have no assets or income in Australia and Thailand, it sounds like you are a tax resident of of third country. Unless you moved all your money to Thailand and bought some type of income producing asset in a Thai's name. Are you a dual national? Clearly you are not a resident of Australia for tax purposes, and to state you are is an offence. You may or may not risk the consequences of doing so. What address does the bank have for you?

Australia's debt clock. https://australiandebtclock.com.au If we lose our AAA rating, watch what happens to the Aussie Dollar, which effects all expats.

What about the hospital waiting list? https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/overdue-elective-surgeries-to-triple-after-pandemic-backlog-analysis-shows-20220406-p5abau.html#:~:text=There are almost 95%2C000 people,waited longer than clinically recommended. If the new proposed residency laws are passed, there will be no rods for backs to be made. It will be as simple as 183 days inside Australia, you are a resident for tax purposes. 183 days outside of Australia, you are a non resident for tax purposes.

Do you think the deal you are on will never change, ever?

PM sent.

Centerlink only administers the laws and policies of the government of the day. Let's hope the new government does not admit into legislation the new proposed tax residency laws.

Those migrants have skills that Australia require, or studied in Australia in a field that Australia requires workers, so get a visa or PR after they finish uni.

I don't see it as being negative. I see it as the Australia government doing nothing positive for Australians who don't live in Australia.

The Big 4 all offer bank accounts to international students. Here's a link to Westpac. https://www.westpac.com.au/personal-banking/bank-accounts/transaction/choice/international-student/ The university will probably have some form of student accommodation, and it will range in price. Or, there are various noticeboards on campus advertising for share accommodation. She would probably be able to find some ads online as well. The best advice I could give here is, bring warm clothing. ????

Or Telly Savalas. ????

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This was the link, again. Basically freeze pensions. It would mean you don't lose 32.5%, but it would mean you don't get any increases whilst outside of Australia. We copied them with Job Keeper. Was that La La Land? Who knows, they may copy this as well. Probably an easier sell to the Australian public, for those of the opinion nothing will change because of a backlash, outrage, protests, riots, flag burning, political assassinations, domestic terrorist attacks, petitions, and so on. ????

What government would you be talking about? Would it be the government about to be elected out of power? Where's the opposition's promise to repeal these laws, should they take government? I didn't see any backlash or noise from the opposition when these proposed changes were put forward. Did you? If you did, please post a link. Likewise from pensioner associations, even the RSL. The silence has been deafening. I posted a link from one company setting up a fighting fund to challenge the details, but that would be for more wealthy individuals. Just how many people do you think retiree overseas? Do you think it's enough to influence the government? As asked before, how many expats make their way to an Australian Embassy to vote at election time? As I have said, pensions may be exempt, and I hope they are, but "income" is income, and 183 days is 183 days, and they very well may not be. We will have to wait and see, but I certianly don't put any hope in some type of push back, backlash, petitions, riots, flag burning, protests and so on, changing these laws, because there would have been noise already. If anything, they will do like they do when they push their own pay rises through, 5 mins before midnight, unopposed.

You are not the only one. Many are in the same boat. Nothing stays the same for forever. We have had a good run. Our country is in massive debt. (I didn't use the word broke, for your benefit) Expats will not be the only demographic of Australian the government will be chasing money from. Who knows, maybe they will do like the British system in the link I posted from another thread and just stop CPI increases to those outside of Australia for 183 days. It's not kind, but kinder than a 32.5% hit. It would mean guys like yourself will be reasonably fine, but it would stop the exodus of Australians retiring overseas on a pension in the future. One thing is for sure, they didn't go to all the trouble and expense to draft the legislation for no reason. They already know when they will bring it in, and how it will be implemented and enforced. All we can do is wait and see. Good Luck to all of us.

There's a difference between tax avoidance and tax minimization. Most on this forum would be "clean skins." It's not about absconding from debt to the ATO. It's also not about avoiding tax, it's bout minimizing tax, as seen in the Kerry Packer clip I posted. Minimizing tax is not a crime. The ATO is just another bill to pay. No one here is talking about fraud. Minimizing tax is a hell of a lot more difficult to do when you want to be an Australian resident for taxation purposes, but don't live in Australia. If the 183 day law comes in, it's impossible to request a review or appeal of your non resident tax bill because immigration records show Australian citizens as being outside of Australia, and for how long. They have you on toast. As a pensioner, IN MY OPINION, if pensions are not exempt, your pension MAY simply decrease by 32.5%. Yes, should the unthinkable happen and the 183 day law comes in, and is strictly enforced, with no exemptions, you, me, and the vast majority of retired expats will be knocked for 6. Members were posting like the government gives a sh*t, or pensioners back home would be outraged and it would be in the papers and there would be riots and they would be burning the Australian flag in the streets. ???? The reality is, not the government, nor pensioners back home, and certainly not the tax payers, give a rat's a** if this comes in, and pensions are taxed as well. Why would they? Due to the geographical location we chose to live in, we are at the mercy of these new changes, and how they will be implemented, and it costs the government no votes, and nets them billions of dollars. I posted the changes as a head up. Do with the information as you please.

No link for that comment. If I posted a link, you wouldn't believe what's in the link anyway. It's all "p*ss and wind. Bubbles and froth. Bubbles and squeak. Farts and froth." Right up until the part where it become law in Australia. ????

Should what you describe happen, Australia becomes a Banana Republic, virtually over night, then we have a real prospect of defaulting on our debt, as China is our biggest trading partner. The Australian Dollar would be near worthless, forcing huge lifestyle changes for expats, perhaps forcing many of them home. It's well know China has been stock piling its imports for years and years. The strategic time for them to gain world superpower status would be to cripple the world's economy and have countries beg them for a seat that their table. Either that, or World War 3. Imagine for a moment everything that has "Made in China" either costing 20 times more, or not being available, for years. China has been indebting small countries over the last several years with their Belt and Road policy. Move on Taiwan, and invoke sanctions, they will send the west broke, and they know it. They could pull the trigger any day. Note: the above is only my opinion, making stuff up, suggestion, advice, gut instinct, vibe, suspicion, and so on. I DID NOT say "China WILL invade Taiwan."