I moved here ages ago and informed the ATO of my non residence for tax purposes. I still basically fill out a nil return every year online. I sold my IPs and paid taxes on them etc. 

 

Now I have WP / job here and earning high salary. I fully pay my taxes here to the Thai rev dept.  I therefore dont report this income to oz when I do my return. Is this correct what Im doing?

It would be ridiculous to pay double taxation and assume this is not necessary?

 

If you have experience on this topic please make your opinions below

thanks

Has the ATO confirmed you are a non-resident for tax purposes? Have you done their self-assessment to confirm?  Check all that out and make sure.  But if you are a non-resident for tax purposes, then you do not have to declare any income earned overseas. 

 

If/when you return, make sure you do so at the 'right' time of year to ensure you have no potential tax obligations in Australia. July is a good time to 'start again'. 

1 hour ago, TroubleandGrumpy said:

Has the ATO confirmed you are a non-resident for tax purposes? Have you done their self-assessment to confirm?  Check all that out and make sure.  But if you are a non-resident for tax purposes, then you do not have to declare any income earned overseas. 

 

If/when you return, make sure you do so at the 'right' time of year to ensure you have no potential tax obligations in Australia. July is a good time to 'start again'. 

Thanks for your reply. It was a long time ago. I cannot remember. But Im too afraid to call and check actually. 

 

I think I will just let it go. I 100% paid taxes on selling the IPs and all is good I think. No income in oz to report. I will just let it sleep

8 hours ago, ubonr1971 said:

I moved here ages ago and informed the ATO of my non residence for tax purposes. I still basically fill out a nil return every year online. I sold my IPs and paid taxes on them etc. 

 

Now I have WP / job here and earning high salary. I fully pay my taxes here to the Thai rev dept.  I therefore dont report this income to oz when I do my return. Is this correct what Im doing?

It would be ridiculous to pay double taxation and assume this is not necessary?

 

If you have experience on this topic please make your opinions below

thanks

The tax residency in Australia is a complex topic, but if you don't have any substantial connections to Australia, like family, house, businesses , cars and bank accounts with fair bit of money you should generally be ok. If you are non resident you don't have to submit tax return, there is a checkbox in the return to notify ATO you won't be submitting returns. 

 

If you want to be 100% sure you can apply at the ATO for a private ruling. 

Just now, ubonr1971 said:

Thanks for your reply. It was a long time ago. I cannot remember. But Im too afraid to call and check actually. 

 

I think I will just let it go. I 100% paid taxes on selling the IPs and all is good I think. No income in oz to report. I will just let it sleep

Take the ATO online test - https://www.ato.gov.au/single-page-applications/calculatorsandtools#DORSLA/questions

 

I recommend never call ATO or Centrelink unless you know exactly what you are calling about.

They keep everything on record and can (and will) use it against you in the future.

The days of impartial off-record call advice is over - they will ask questions anmd keep your answers.

 

The online tool above is however anonymous so answer the questions and see what they say.

If the answer is 'not sure you need to contact us - dont unless you want to risk having them chasing you for back taxes.

Go back on website and answer questions differently to see if that affects the outcome.

If the answer is what you want/expect then keep a copy of that webpage result and file it away somewhere.

 

10 hours ago, gearbox said:

If you are non resident you don't have to submit tax return,

Even if you are a tax resident with income below the threshold you can check a box on their website that you do not need to submit a return. The confirmation was very quick so I have not submitted a return for about 5 years.

19 hours ago, ubonr1971 said:

 informed the ATO of my non residence for tax purposes. I still basically fill out a nil return every year online

If you have informed ATO you are non resident for tax purposes I would have thought there's no need for you to do a yearly tax return. 

 

30 minutes ago, GreasyFingers said:

Even if you are a tax resident with income below the threshold you can check a box on their website that you do not need to submit a return. The confirmation was very quick so I have not submitted a return for about 5 years.

Thanks for your reply. If I do that this year and then say in 5 yrs the inheritance comes in and I invest it in an oz bank or whatever.... can I then start to do tax returns again?

27 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

If you have informed ATO you are non resident for tax purposes I would have thought there's no need for you to do a yearly tax return. 

 

Thanks for your reply. If I do that this year and then say in 5 yrs the inheritance comes in and I invest it in an oz bank or whatever.... can I then start to do tax returns again?

9 minutes ago, ubonr1971 said:

Thanks for your reply. If I do that this year and then say in 5 yrs the inheritance comes in and I invest it in an oz bank or whatever.... can I then start to do tax returns again?

Do not see why not but as a non resident you will pay 32.5% tax on all income, not just that above the threshold. No idea how you become a tax resident again while living outside the country.

On 7/9/2025 at 1:40 AM, GreasyFingers said:

Do not see why not but as a non resident you will pay 32.5% tax on all income, not just that above the threshold. No idea how you become a tax resident again while living outside the country.

Slight correction. 

 

It's 30% for $0 to $135,000.

 

Foreign resident tax rates for 2019–20 to 2025–26.

Foreign resident tax rates 2025–26

Taxable income	Tax on this income
0 – $135,000	30c for each $1
$135,001 – $190,000	$40,500 plus 37c for each $1 over $135,000
$190,001 and over	$60,850 plus 45c for each $1 over $190,000

On 7/9/2025 at 1:27 AM, ubonr1971 said:

Thanks for your reply. If I do that this year and then say in 5 yrs the inheritance comes in and I invest it in an oz bank or whatever.... can I then start to do tax returns again?

If it's a rather large inheritance, you will have to work out is it financially beneficial for you to re-establish Australian tax residency, or remain a non resident for tax purposes.  

 

The main things to consider will be the amount of inheritance, where and how that inheritance is invested and its return, the amount of salary you have in Thailand, and the 30% non resident tax, should that inheritance earn in Australia.