All Aussie Related Stuff (excluding the old age pension)

[Nemises]

That is a good question ..found this ...

 

Thanks kevvy[emoji106]

But the question remains mate...if you’re caught on one of those (soon to be possibly introduced) new cameras touching a securely mounted phone, in a State/Territory which ALLOWS you to touch the phone’s screen when using a phone app as a driving assistant, how do you prove that you weren’t texting?

 

[ThaiBunny]

Electricity bills consist of three elements - usage is only one of them. If someone gets solar panels then their usage MAY be cost free, especially if they also have battery storage, but while their property remains connected to the grid they’ll continue to receive bills for what’s called the standing charge - roughly $1 a day. Overall they MAY be in front if they’re feeding in more energy to the grid than they’re taking, and that credit can wipe out the effect of the standing charge, but those generous feed in tariffs are being phased out

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

 

[Nemises]

Going back to Aus (NSW) for a hol? Medicare card expired and thinking you can just “do a runner” if you have no travel insurance and require NSW hospital emergency care? Think again...

 

 

“Overseas tourists will be turned away from Sydney hospitals as part of a clampdown on holidaymakers who exploit emergency departments so they can sidestep doctors' fees.

 

The Australian government has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Britain, New Zealand, Ireland, Italy and other European countries which provides their citizens with free ‘‘medically necessary treatment’’ in public hospitals. The arrangement, however, does not extend to treatment provided by general practioners in private practices, sparking a growing trend involving tourists who use emergency departments as a one-stop, drop-in service.

 

Fairfax Media can reveal the problem has escalated to such an extent that NSW Health is currently drafting new ‘‘overseas policy’’ to clarify and tighten the agreement.

 

On Friday, a spokesperson from the NSW Department of Health was cagey about the move, stating ‘‘NSW Health annually reviews this policy.’’

 

However, another source confirmed: ‘‘The existing arrangement is too broad, it’s being increasingly abused ... so the proposal is to divert patients who don’t need to be at the emergency department to the appropriate GP-related service.’’

 

The trend has been witnessed across several Sydney hospitals including St Vincent’s, where last year its emergency ward dealt with 2619 such patient presentations – a 24 per cent increase on the previous year. According to the hospital, a large percentage of those were tourists, including backpackers, who turned up with a range of minor ailments.”

 

 

 

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/tourists-taking-advantage-of-hospital-loophole-20140620-zsgqi.html

 

 

[sceadugenga]

Our residency may be dodgy but I hardly think we fall into the "overseas tourist" category.

 

 

[Nemises]

Our residency may be dodgy but I hardly think we fall into the "overseas tourist" category.
 
 

Article not relevant for some of our partners maybe?
TGF on a tourist visa in Aus is not an overseas tourist?

[ELVIS123456]

On 9/4/2018 at 8:46 PM, faranglopburi said:

Sorry to change the subject but I'm curious what do expats do for medical coverage while on a spouse visa? I don't suppose farangs can join the Thai "gold card" scheme, so I'm assuming you take out some sort of insurance? Is it a policy from a company based in Thailand or Aus?

Travel Insurance provides emergency medical coverage, and can include medical repatriation back to Aus if required.  I use it for both wife and myself when visiting Thailand. You can get the policy for a few weeks or up to 18 months (depending on the company).  I always get the level with bugger all travel related things, like baggage and cancelled flights etc., but the level that covers serious medical (inc repatriation), and liability insurance (in case you are sued for damaging something/someone).  It is a 'once off' deal for things like car accidents etc. and it does not cover minor issues - hospital admisions only.

 

Many companies provide it in Aust and they are all covered under Aust laws, so get it from a reputable Aust company as soon as you have booked your flights.  If you are going to do it every year, then I suggest you use the same company each time and become a regular 'valued' customer.  I pay about $200 for 1-2 months each visit.  I use Woolworths Travel Insurance.

 

Only downside that I have heard about travel insurance is that some hospitals in Thailand might not accept the insurance company as valid and may require you to pay - because the company isnt a recognised medical insurance organisation. I have never had to use it so I am not certain if that is the case.  I have enough in savings back in Aus, so if it was required that I pay first and then get refund when back in Aus, then I am OK. 

 

[sceadugenga]

16 minutes ago, Nemises said:

Article not relevant for some of our partners maybe?
TGF on a tourist visa in Aus is not an overseas tourist?

OK, I see where your coming from.

Something that's never been an issue with me.

[stud858]

Lucky victorian's. Get your free solar now!

It's all a goer now.

 

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/sun-shines-on-labor-s-solar-scheme-as-liberal-energy-war-flares-up-20180914-p503vf.html

[4MyEgo]

On 9/7/2018 at 4:54 PM, ELVIS123456 said:

Travel Insurance provides emergency medical coverage, and can include medical repatriation back to Aus if required.  I use it for both wife and myself when visiting Thailand. You can get the policy for a few weeks or up to 18 months (depending on the company).  I always get the level with bugger all travel related things, like baggage and cancelled flights etc., but the level that covers serious medical (inc repatriation), and liability insurance (in case you are sued for damaging something/someone).  It is a 'once off' deal for things like car accidents etc. and it does not cover minor issues - hospital admisions only.

 

Many companies provide it in Aust and they are all covered under Aust laws, so get it from a reputable Aust company as soon as you have booked your flights.  If you are going to do it every year, then I suggest you use the same company each time and become a regular 'valued' customer.  I pay about $200 for 1-2 months each visit.  I use Woolworths Travel Insurance.

 

Only downside that I have heard about travel insurance is that some hospitals in Thailand might not accept the insurance company as valid and may require you to pay - because the company isnt a recognised medical insurance organisation. I have never had to use it so I am not certain if that is the case.  I have enough in savings back in Aus, so if it was required that I pay first and then get refund when back in Aus, then I am OK. 

 

Hey ELVIS123456 or anyone else for this matter, I would like to ask a question regarding travel insurance back to Australia from Thailand as I am heading back for a week, in about a month.

 

Can anyone recommend a reputable travel insurer to cover me and the family who are (non residents) from Thailand to Australia and back ?

 

You see while a lot of Aussie travel insurers do cover (non residents), there is the catch in the fine print of their policies if you can find it, i.e. if you are a current holder of a current Medicare card, the policy becomes invalid, (got yah), and yes I do still have a current Medicare card, sure I could cancel it, but hey, I'm not a mug, and will keep it going for as long as I can, even though I do have private health cover (emergency only) including Australia for up to 90 days when travelling outside of Thailand, but even though I have a current Medicare card, want to make sure the family has some cover when we are travelling with a current Medicare card.

 

Any recommendations of any travel insurers who don't give a rats if you have a current Medicare card and are a non resident are welcome. 

[ThaiBunny]

1Cover is an Australian insurer that has an “overseas visitors to Australia” policy. I’ve used them previously. You can search for customer reviews online


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[4MyEgo]

9 hours ago, ThaiBunny said:

1Cover is an Australian insurer that has an “overseas visitors to Australia” policy. I’ve used them previously. You can search for customer reviews online


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

Unfortunately if you have a current Medicare card, they won't cover you upon your return to Australia, i.e. as a non resident.

 

Available to those under 74. Must purchase within 14 days of arrival in Australia. Not available for those who are eligible for Medicare. 7 day waiting period for medical claims.

[ThaiBunny]

Unfortunately if you have a current Medicare card, they won't cover you upon your return to Australia, i.e. as a non resident.
 
Available to those under 74. Must purchase within 14 days of arrival in Australia. Not available for those who are eligible for Medicare. 7 day waiting period for medical claims.

So YOU don’t need cover but your family do? What’s the problem?

[4MyEgo]

1 hour ago, ThaiBunny said:

So YOU don’t need cover but your family do? What’s the problem?

The Medicare card that I have has all the family on it, it is current, i.e. Medicare cards have a 5 year expiry date, I will say it again, its current, and when you become a non resident your not supposed to be entitled to Medicare, however I am told by TVF members that as long as you keep renewing it, the card will still work. I used it once after 18 months and it did, I don't know if it will this time, so I want to get cover for the family including myself in case it doesn't work in the event of any of us requiring hospitalisation, that and I want the policy to cover us from here to there and back, for example, cancelled flights, lost luggage, theft, etc etc.

 

I have found one in the interim, they are called Cover-More and the policy is called inbound and it's for non residents spending time in Australia, doesn't say that you are not covered if you have a Medicare card and covers us from the time we leave till the time we get back here. As mentioned, I have private health cover and it covers me for up to 90 days outside of Thailand in the event of an emergency, that's fine, but in the event if its not an emergency and for example, I need an MRI scan after an accident and further check ups, if the Medicare card doesn't work I can guarantee you it will cost more than the cost of travel insurance. 

 

So if there are any non residents out there returning to Australia in the future who want travel insurance which will cover them from Thailand to Australia and back, the name of the travel insurer is above and its the inbound policy, and its cheap as chips, $150 for the family for a week, well worth it for peace of mind.

[Will27]

Laughs and sadness — The life of Australian consular officials in Thailand

 

https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/sa/laughs-and-sadness-the-life-of-australian-consular-officials-in-thailand-ng-6b91eeadb51647064aa998e9c3b70625

 

“My personal favourite was a gentleman who came in to visit us and he had a lady friend with him and they had spent the previous night together but he had run out of money so could we pay her on his behalf? I’m sure as Australian taxpayers you will be pleased to learn the answer was ‘no’. He had to make his own arrangements.”

[4MyEgo]

Hi Guys, if there are any Xpats who are Non Residents for tax purposes and have their principal place of residence back in Oz, I am trying to get a message out to reach all before they cop new legislation that comes into effect as of 1 July 2019 which will have a major impact on their life saving, so if you are one of the above please go to the link below and see my post of today's date.

 

I reckon it would also be worth it if you also know of anyone else who owns a property back in Oz to share the link below with them as you could potentially save them hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional taxes with this new legislation about to come into effect. Now that's got to be worth a few free beers oy.

 

 

[ThaiBunny]

Hi Guys, if there are any Xpats who are Non Residents for tax purposes and have their principal place of residence back in Oz, I am trying to get a message out to reach all before they cop new legislation that comes into effect as of 1 July 2019 which will have a major impact on their life saving, so if you are one of the above please go to the link below and see my post of today's date.
 
I reckon it would also be worth it if you also know of anyone else who owns a property back in Oz to share the link below with them as you could potentially save them hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional taxes with this new legislation about to come into effect. Now that's got to be worth a few free beers oy.
 
 

If they are ex-pats and no longer tax residents of Australia they do not have a “principal place of residence” in Australia, they have an investment property. It may have been their principal place of residence once, but not any longer. However under the Australia Thailand Double Tax Treaty most Australians living in Thailand are still tax resident in Australia so these rules you mention do not apply to them

[ThaiBunny]

The Medicare card that I have has all the family on it, it is current, i.e. Medicare cards have a 5 year expiry date, I will say it again, its current, and when you become a non resident your not supposed to be entitled to Medicare, however I am told by TVF members that as long as you keep renewing it, the card will still work. I used it once after 18 months and it did, I don't know if it will this time, so I want to get cover for the family including myself in case it doesn't work in the event of any of us requiring hospitalisation, that and I want the policy to cover us from here to there and back, for example, cancelled flights, lost luggage, theft, etc etc.
 
I have found one in the interim, they are called Cover-More and the policy is called inbound and it's for non residents spending time in Australia, doesn't say that you are not covered if you have a Medicare card and covers us from the time we leave till the time we get back here. As mentioned, I have private health cover and it covers me for up to 90 days outside of Thailand in the event of an emergency, that's fine, but in the event if its not an emergency and for example, I need an MRI scan after an accident and further check ups, if the Medicare card doesn't work I can guarantee you it will cost more than the cost of travel insurance. 
 
So if there are any non residents out there returning to Australia in the future who want travel insurance which will cover them from Thailand to Australia and back, the name of the travel insurer is above and its the inbound policy, and its cheap as chips, $150 for the family for a week, well worth it for peace of mind.

If the Medicare card “doesn’t work” it means you don’t have a Medicare card. The insurance policies you have dismissed exclude those who don’t have a VALID Medicare card

[ThaiBunny]

Yes it did. However, I'm a bit cheesed off if I was classed as a non-resident, I would not get that lovely tax refund on the franking credits. If I was king of Australia, the first thing I would do is execute 90% of the bureaucrats. Not the original meaning of decimation, but OK by me.

Why would you be classed as “non-resident” as the Australia-Thailand double tax treaty clearly states that if you live in Thailand and your sole income is from Australia then you are a tax resident of Australia??

[stud858]

1 hour ago, ThaiBunny said:

Why would you be classed as “non-resident” as the Australia-Thailand double tax treaty clearly states that if you live in Thailand and your sole income is from Australia then you are a tax resident of Australia??

I too would like to hear when Australian citizens are forced to be non residents of Australia.

There seems only a few rare things that would cause that. E.g. you bring your whole family over while working a job os and have closed your bank and utility accounts in oz. That would be fairly strong grounds for ato to class you as NR even though you are Australian citizens with a house.

Good to hear practical situations. Cheers.

[Peterw42]

3 hours ago, ThaiBunny said:

Why would you be classed as “non-resident” as the Australia-Thailand double tax treaty clearly states that if you live in Thailand and your sole income is from Australia then you are a tax resident of Australia??

 

Yes, that would be my understanding of the following from the tax treaty.

 

"ARTICLE 4 RESIDENCE 1. For the purposes of this Agreement, a person is a resident of one of the Contracting States: (a) in the case of Australia, if the person is a resident of Australia for the purposes of Australian tax; and (b) in the case of Thailand, if the person is a resident of Thailand for the purposes of Thai tax. 2. A person is not a resident of a Contracting State for the purposes of this Agreement if the person is liable to tax in that State in respect only of income from a source in that State." 

3. Where by reason of the preceding provisions, an individual is a resident of both Contracting States, the status of the person shall be determined in accordance with the following rules, applied in the order in which they are set out: (a) the person shall be deemed to be a resident solely of the Contracting State in which a permanent home is available to the person;

 

Its legal goblegook but essentially says you are a tax resident of the place you earn the money in, if you dont earn money in Thailand, you are not a tax resident of Thailand. You are a resident where a permanent house is "available" to you.

[4MyEgo]

5 hours ago, ThaiBunny said:

If they are ex-pats and no longer tax residents of Australia they do not have a “principal place of residence” in Australia, they have an investment property. It may have been their principal place of residence once, but not any longer. However under the Australia Thailand Double Tax Treaty most Australians living in Thailand are still tax resident in Australia so these rules you mention do not apply to them

 

I will have to disagree with you on your comments.

 

An X-pat who is no longer an Australian resident, i.e. he/she is a non resident for tax purposes, can actually have a "principal place of residence" and return to it when and if he/she wishes, i.e. to return their tax status to an Australia resident.

 

Yes their "principal place of residence" becomes an investment property from the day they start producing an income and they will pay 32.5c in the $ tax with no $18,200 threshold, so its straight tax from the 1st $ earned.

 

The above said, if they sold their "principal place of residence" or investment property as you state while they live overseas as a non resident, they would pay the capital gains tax on the increased value of it from the date they became a non resident, i.e. the actual date they left the country and wouldn't be entitled to the 50% CGT discount for holding the property as an investment property for more than 12 months, as the 50% CGT doesn't apply to non residents, that said if they rented it out and lived in another property in Australia for 12 months prior to moving overseas, they would be entitled to the 50% CGT discount when they sell the property.

 

Trying not to make it to complicated, but the CGT I am assuming would be around 32.5% of the increased value from the date they left the country, but what is about to change is the CGT will be raised to 45% as opposed to usual 32.5% CGT, and on top of that, this is the scary part, if the non resident doesn't dispose of his/her "principal place of residence" prior to 1 July 2019 (once the legislation is passed) and they are at that stage now, just making the last amendment to please Pauline Hanson, the CGT will be from the very 1st day they actually purchased the property, i.e. if Joe Bloggs purchased his property in 2000 and lived in for 10 years, i.e. 2010, and then went and lived overseas and rented it from say 2010 to 2020 when he sold it, his CGT would be 45% from the very 1st day he purchased his property as opposed to when he 1st rented it in 2010.

 

The old way it would attract 32.5% CGT on half of the property as he had it for 20 years in total, lived in it for 10 and rented it for 10, so it would be 32.5% CGT on the 50% capital gains, if that makes sense, a quick example not making any other deductions, is when he purchased it, he purchased it for 1 million dollars, then sold it for 2 million, deduct 50% as he held it for 10 years so the gain was 1 million, so split it in half and then apply 32.5% to it, i.e. $162,500 capital gains tax would be payable.

 

Doing it the new way it would be $450,000, that's 45% of the million capital gain having only deducted the original purchase price of $1,000,000 from the capital gain, that's an increase of $287,500 in capital gains tax for selling it after 1 July 2019, yes our politicians have lost the plot and just grabbing at what they can to penalise non residents. 

 

Sounds very very very unfair, but it's about to happen, this is why Australia has gone to the dogs !

 

EDIT: I would be looking at that tax treaty in detail as I believe it doesn't apply.

[4MyEgo]

2 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

Its legal goblegook but essentially says you are a tax resident of the place you earn the money in, if you dont earn money in Thailand, you are not a tax resident of Thailand. You are a resident where a permanent house is "available" to you.

 

Goblegook, yes it is, however, I am a little confused as to your last comment above.

 

I earn some coin doing some contract work from Australia and the money gets paid into my Australian bank account, I get taxed at 32.5c in the $ as my source of income is from within Australia.

 

I also have shares in the Australian Stock Market and do not pay any tax on the capital gains or dividends as the tax is already paid on the dividends.

 

From my understanding, I am a non resident for tax purposes, my permanent about is here in Thailand.

 

Are you suggesting that under the tax treaty between Australia and Thailand, I am not a non resident based on the above ?

 

Like I said, the goblgook from you last comment has confused me, as much as the legal goblegook confused us both ???? 

[Peterw42]

25 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

 

Goblegook, yes it is, however, I am a little confused as to your last comment above.

 

I earn some coin doing some contract work from Australia and the money gets paid into my Australian bank account, I get taxed at 32.5c in the $ as my source of income is from within Australia.

 

I also have shares in the Australian Stock Market and do not pay any tax on the capital gains or dividends as the tax is already paid on the dividends.

 

From my understanding, I am a non resident for tax purposes, my permanent about is here in Thailand.

 

Are you suggesting that under the tax treaty between Australia and Thailand, I am not a non resident based on the above ?

 

Like I said, the goblgook from you last comment has confused me, as much as the legal goblegook confused us both ???? 

 

Not really saying its definitive, just another interpretation of the resident/non-resident situation.

Its a quote straight from the Thai/Australian tax treaty

 

"the person shall be deemed to be a resident solely of the Contracting State in which a permanent home is available to the person"

 

I read that as meaning, between Thailand and Australia, I am a tax resident of the country where a permanent home is available. (a permanent home is always available for me in Australia, unless I have PR, a permanent home is not available to me in Thailand)

 

The treaty talks more in terms of where you earn an income, nationality, permanent home "available", as to the definition of tax resident.

 

I suppose it comes down to what legislation, interpretation etc, overrides the other.

 

[4MyEgo]

7 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

 

Not really saying its definitive, just another interpretation of the resident/non-resident situation.

Its a quote straight from the Thai/Australian tax treaty

 

"the person shall be deemed to be a resident solely of the Contracting State in which a permanent home is available to the person"

 

I read that as meaning, between Thailand and Australia, I am a tax resident of the country where a permanent home is available. (a permanent home is always available for me in Australia, unless I have PR, a permanent home is not available to me in Thailand)

 

The treaty talks more in terms of where you earn an income, nationality, permanent home "available", as to the definition of tax resident.

 

I suppose it comes down to what legislation, interpretation etc, overrides the other.

 

 

I just had a read of it myself, confusing enough as it more or less is going against what the ATO says in its general description on the website, especially if you look at what you are saying:

 

"The treaty talks more in terms of where you earn an income, nationality, permanent home "available", as to the definition of tax resident".

 

The above said, if I pay the higher tax, i.e. the non residency, and no tax from the shares, there can be no argument from the ATO at a later date.

[4MyEgo]

5 hours ago, ThaiBunny said:

If the Medicare card “doesn’t work” it means you don’t have a Medicare card. The insurance policies you have dismissed exclude those who don’t have a VALID Medicare card

 

Some insurers will only insure you if you don't have a current Medicare card, those are the ones I am talking about, i.e. Cover-more and QBE, the 1st two in the link: https://www.comparetravelinsurance.com.au/travel-insurance-tips/visitors-to-australia-travel-insurance

 

Sure, I have a current Medicare card which I haven't used in 17 months, suffice to say, the date expires in 2023, but how do I know if its expired, hence the reason I will pay $150 for the travel insurance, in case they have cancelled it, remembering a Non Resident loses their Medicare entitlements as they do not pay the Medicare levy.

 

This way by taking the travel insurance, I am covered both ways, i.e. if I need to go to a hospital and Medicare has been cancelled, the travel insurance will kick in, no argument, and if it works, well the $150 for the travel insurance was worth having just in case as a back up plan, you know Plan B and all that.

[Peterw42]

4 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

 

I just had a read of it myself, confusing enough as it more or less is going against what the ATO says in its general description on the website, especially if you look at what you are saying:

 

"The treaty talks more in terms of where you earn an income, nationality, permanent home "available", as to the definition of tax resident".

 

The above said, if I pay the higher tax, i.e. the non residency, and no tax from the shares, there can be no argument from the ATO at a later date.

 

Yes, there are 3-4 things in the treaty that would seem at odds with the ATO definitions/interpretations. 

If I ever get the huge tax bill because the ATO says I was a non-resident, the treaty would be one of the documents I would take to court, lol

[4MyEgo]

 

5 hours ago, ThaiBunny said:

Why would you be classed as “non-resident” as the Australia-Thailand double tax treaty clearly states that if you live in Thailand and your sole income is from Australia then you are a tax resident of Australia??

 

I wouldn't be backing that statement to be a winner, as the ATO and past court rulings clearly state that if you reside overseas and earn an income from Australia, then you are a non resident which is totally different to what you are saying, that said, if you would like to pinpoint the exact wording to that effect, and post it here, I will take it on board.

 

4 hours ago, stud858 said:

I too would like to hear when Australian citizens are forced to be non residents of Australia.

There seems only a few rare things that would cause that. E.g. you bring your whole family over while working a job os and have closed your bank and utility accounts in oz. That would be fairly strong grounds for ato to class you as NR even though you are Australian citizens with a house.

Good to hear practical situations. Cheers.

 

If you do have a house and are considered a non resident, what outcome 1 July 2019 when the capital gains tax jumps to 45%, and the capital gains starts from the day you purchased your "principal place of residence", not the date you left the country, just in case you didn't know.

[ThaiBunny]

 
Yes, there are 3-4 things in the treaty that would seem at odds with the ATO definitions/interpretations. 
If I ever get the huge tax bill because the ATO says I was a non-resident, the treaty would be one of the documents I would take to court, lol

Tax Treaties trump legislation and always have

[Will27]

1 hour ago, 4MyEgo said:

 

 

I wouldn't be backing that statement to be a winner, as the ATO and past court rulings clearly state that if you reside overseas and earn an income from Australia, then you are a non resident which is totally different to what you are saying, that said, if you would like to pinpoint the exact wording to that effect, and post it here, I will take it on board.

 

 

If you do have a house and are considered a non resident, what outcome 1 July 2019 when the capital gains tax jumps to 45%, and the capital gains starts from the day you purchased your "principal place of residence", not the date you left the country, just in case you didn't know.

 

Yep, a direct link would be handy.

[4MyEgo]

30 minutes ago, Will27 said:

 

Yep, a direct link would be handy.

 

There lies the problem, you get people making comments and stating that they are qualified accountants without disclosing any information which is contrary to what some of us read and pass on for the benefit of other TVF members.

 

The above said, I always advise people to check with their qualified accountants before taking action, it's the only responsible advice someone can give them after supplying the link/evidence one has.

 

Fortunately there are some of us that do so, others take the advice of people who say they are qualified to suit themselves, unfortunately come undone down the track.

 

Each to their own then ????