Should I advise the Aussie Embassy when I get married?

[mogo51]

if you are a pensioner and you inform aus embassy you will lose 200dollars a fortnight,and if you didn't inform centerlink within 14 days of marriage you will be billed for overpayment for the time you were married until the time you tell them. i know from experience.

I'm not clear on why I would lose money from my OAP. I don't get a full pension anyway because of Super payments and interest from bank savings. They cut me to $750 a month.

You are getting good advice, listen to what you are being told or pay the consequences.

[4u2mad]

Bloody bastard place that Oz. So many of my friends have had trouble with Centrelink. A couple of them had to move back for 2yrs before they could get their pension!

[Stevemercer]

I envy the UK expats. whom, I understand, get the pension when they turn 65 regardless of whether they live overseas and it is not means tested. The Australian flat 33% tax rate for non residents favours the rich (those getting more than 75,000 AUS per year), but discriminates and penalises severely those who have scrimped and saved for a modest retirement.

[giddyup]

if you are a pensioner and you inform aus embassy you will lose 200dollars a fortnight,and if you didn't inform centerlink within 14 days of marriage you will be billed for overpayment for the time you were married until the time you tell them. i know from experience.

I'm not clear on why I would lose money from my OAP. I don't get a full pension anyway because of Super payments and interest from bank savings. They cut me to $750 a month.

You are getting good advice, listen to what you are being told or pay the consequences.

I am listening, I can ask questions can't I? I was unclear as to why Centrelink would take off $200 a fortnight, heybuz didn't explain that.

[giddyup]

I envy the UK expats. whom, I understand, get the pension when they turn 65 regardless of whether they live overseas and it is not means tested. The Australian flat 33% tax rate for non residents favours the rich (those getting more than 75,000 AUS per year), but discriminates and penalises severely those who have scrimped and saved for a modest retirement.

Yes, but the British pension is frozen at the time you leave the country, whereas the Aussie pension is adjusted with the CPI twice a year at least.

[Saan]

Well,you have to be more"creative".I have been looking into this for years and i still got 4 years to go.My "friend"is fully supportive of us not getting married,because of losing 12k baht/month.They got me another way though the bastards.As a non-resident i am taxed 32.5% on my measly $300/week rental income,yet as a working Australian it is tax free up to $18200.When i have to return to do my 2 years penance they will certainly know about me.I'll bloody live at CES for 2 years,they will be glad to piss me off.

Spend your 2 bullshit years getting made into a new man. Get yourself checked out medically for everything that could conceivably go wrong or is wrong - a full grease and oil change. If you have worked all your life and paid taxes you are entitled to what is available because when you leave Australia you become a second rate citizen.

Centrelink tends to treat aged pensioners as bludgers who are trying to rort the system without any entitlement.

[tassieman]

Hi all, yes, COMPLETE NEWBIE and usual derision etc OK lol. About to do-the-do-the next week in BKK with my fiancée...am 53, have a professional job in Australia and good super....so what's life REALLY like in the LOS for the aussie expat? Surely someone has negotiated the rapids successfully....any advice very much appreciated, mattP

[DoctorG]

This has always been a good excuse for me when the girl wants to get married. I just say that I will lose my pension.

[giddyup]

Hi all, yes, COMPLETE NEWBIE and usual derision etc OK lol. About to do-the-do-the next week in BKK with my fiancée...am 53, have a professional job in Australia and good super....so what's life REALLY like in the LOS for the aussie expat? Surely someone has negotiated the rapids successfully....any advice very much appreciated, mattP

You would be better off checking out the General Forum or Pattaya Forum to ask that kind of question. Perhaps your question needs to be a bit more specific than asking who has negotiated the rapids.

[Time Traveller]

if you are a pensioner and you inform aus embassy you will lose 200dollars a fortnight,and if you didn't inform centerlink within 14 days of marriage you will be billed for overpayment for the time you were married until the time you tell them. i know from experience.

I'm not clear on why I would lose money from my OAP. I don't get a full pension anyway because of Super payments and interest from bank savings. They cut me to $750 a month.

the rule governing couples is that they can live more cheaply than one through the pooling of resourses obtaining economy of scale,also they will want to know your wifes bank accounts and any property ,cars motor bike or any other assets. mine even got a centerlink id and does not live in aus

Getting married is sounding more and more like a no go. I probably should have done more research before I went to the Aussie embassy, had my stat dec translated and approved etc, but I never even considered that Centrelink might reduce my pension. My partner is totally supported by me in Thailand and has no assets to speak of, and yet they are going to take money off me? They already only pay me half of a full single pension because I had the temerity to pay into a Super fund and had savings to invest (@ 3%), no way they are going to take another dollar from me.

Should the Australian taxpayer care? After all that money came from them, not the government.

[giddyup]

Should the Australian taxpayer care? After all that money came from them, not the government.

Who mentioned anything about the Australian taxpayer?

[Tassie Norm]

if you are a pensioner and you inform aus embassy you will lose 200dollars a fortnight,and if you didn't inform centerlink within 14 days of marriage you will be billed for overpayment for the time you were married until the time you tell them. i know from experience.

Thats why i am single,as far as they are concerned.

18 months ago I advised my government (Dept Vet Affairs) that I am married. Financial mistake. Because of residency requirements (my wife, that is) I was advised she is ineligible for the spouse service pension (service pension amount is same as 'aged' pension). They then advised me my service pension would be reduced as I am married! I copped a big hit. I could appeal it they said on the grounds of 'hardship'. Didn't have a hope as I had just sold my house in Oz - cash in bank.

I have always tried to abide by the rules but in this instance I do regret it. Walk your path...........

[AlexRRR]

Well,you have to be more"creative".I have been looking into this for years and i still got 4 years to go.My "friend"is fully supportive of us not getting married,because of losing 12k baht/month.They got me another way though the bastards.As a non-resident i am taxed 32.5% on my measly $300/week rental income,yet as a working Australian it is tax free up to $18200.When i have to return to do my 2 years penance they will certainly know about me.I'll bloody live at CES for 2 years,they will be glad to piss me off.

Spend your 2 bullshit years getting made into a new man. Get yourself checked out medically for everything that could conceivably go wrong or is wrong - a full grease and oil change. If you have worked all your life and paid taxes you are entitled to what is available because when you leave Australia you become a second rate citizen.

Centrelink tends to treat aged pensioners as bludgers who are trying to rort the system without any entitlement.

I think its pretty stupid complaining about the OAP tests that retired/ing need to go through, some good old fashioned common sense would tell you to get all the info before you do anything, its called Retirement Planning, there even are people who specialise in it.

Centrelink has rules, and there made by governments both Labor ( the working mans party) and the Liberals and now the new players on the block The Greens, written in black and white for all to see, if its to much for you use a centrelink specialist, plenty around, can advise you what to do what not to do where to put your money to maximise etc.

Think its pointless blaming an organisation like centrelink because you don't have the sense to plan or seek advice before doing anything. Nothing is free in Au even if your a worker so why should it change when you retire?

[heybuz]

except for politicians

[TigerandDog]

A friend had his pension reduced after telling them he was married. He later explained that he was the sole support for his wife and child (and parents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, half the village and a soi dog or two) and his full pension was reinstated. But he might just be one of the lucky ones.

I'd probably be in the same category as your friend, but why take the chance? We've been together over 5 years so the relationship will remain the same, just no gold ring.

There's another problem you have to consider. Although you're not married, you've been together for 5 years, that constitutes a de facto relationship. Your pension will be reduced if Centrelink get wind of this, whether you're fully supporting your lady or not. Centrelink consider a de facto relationship to be exactly the same as a marriage. Your pension rate would be adjusted to that of an individual in a couple rate. Also if they get wind of this, they will deduct all overpayments for the last 2 years. SO TELL THEM NOTHING, and keep this information off social media at all costs.

[giddyup]

A friend had his pension reduced after telling them he was married. He later explained that he was the sole support for his wife and child (and parents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, half the village and a soi dog or two) and his full pension was reinstated. But he might just be one of the lucky ones.

I'd probably be in the same category as your friend, but why take the chance? We've been together over 5 years so the relationship will remain the same, just no gold ring.

There's another problem you have to consider. Although you're not married, you've been together for 5 years, that constitutes a de facto relationship. Your pension will be reduced if Centrelink get wind of this, whether you're fully supporting your lady or not. Centrelink consider a de facto relationship to be exactly the same as a marriage. Your pension rate would be adjusted to that of an individual in a couple rate. Also if they get wind of this, they will deduct all overpayments for the last 2 years. SO TELL THEM NOTHING, and keep this information off social media at all costs.

I've already decide that getting married is a bad idea, pension wise. I'll just make sure my lady is taken care of financially via my will.

[saroq]

How has this person managed to survive long enough to get married. Get a Thai and English language Will.

[giddyup]

How has this person managed to survive long enough to get married. Get a Thai and English language Will.

If you'd taken the time to actually read the posts instead of firing from the lip you'd see that the will has been already done. Both a Thai will registered at the Amphur office and an Aussie will in the hands of a solicitor. Happy?

[harrry]

Do not forget that both wills are void if you get married. You have to do both again.

[giddyup]

Do not forget that both wills are void if you get married. You have to do both again.

Not relevant, decided against marriage.

[simple1]

Well,you have to be more"creative".I have been looking into this for years and i still got 4 years to go.My "friend"is fully supportive of us not getting married,because of losing 12k baht/month.They got me another way though the bastards.As a non-resident i am taxed 32.5% on my measly $300/week rental income,yet as a working Australian it is tax free up to $18200.When i have to return to do my 2 years penance they will certainly know about me.I'll bloody live at CES for 2 years,they will be glad to piss me off.

Spend your 2 bullshit years getting made into a new man. Get yourself checked out medically for everything that could conceivably go wrong or is wrong - a full grease and oil change. If you have worked all your life and paid taxes you are entitled to what is available because when you leave Australia you become a second rate citizen.

Centrelink tends to treat aged pensioners as bludgers who are trying to rort the system without any entitlement.

Hope OP doesn't mind a response...

if you're talking about using Medicare & not private medical insurance, Medicare funded resources for non critical medical treatment, requiring a specialist, is now nigh on impossible to access. I need treatment for medical issues for my legs & eyes - the waiting list just to see the specialists funded by Medicare is way beyond two years.

I also require surgery for one of my hands, GP has advised me will never be treated as not category one. I rang the surgeon as he had previously done a similar procedure on my other hand under private cover & will cost a minimum of $6k dollars, so will have to wait until I return to Thailand.

Upon return to Oz from Thailand last year I was diagnosed with life threatening cancer, for which I received prompt treatment and ongoing care funded by Medicare.

Lesson is don't let your private cover lapse. BTW if you do have private cover many specialists are opting out of providing no gap services.

[bamukloy]

if you are a pensioner and you inform aus embassy you will lose 200dollars a fortnight,and if you didn't inform centerlink within 14 days of marriage you will be billed for overpayment for the time you were married until the time you tell them. i know from experience.

I'm not clear on why I would lose money from my OAP. I don't get a full pension anyway because of Super payments and interest from bank savings. They cut me to $750 a month.

the rule governing couples is that they can live more cheaply than one through the pooling of resourses obtaining economy of scale,also they will want to know your wifes bank accounts and any property ,cars motor bike or any other assets. mine even got a centerlink id and does not live in aus

Getting married is sounding more and more like a no go. I probably should have done more research before I went to the Aussie embassy, had my stat dec translated and approved etc, but I never even considered that Centrelink might reduce my pension. My partner is totally supported by me in Thailand and has no assets to speak of, and yet they are going to take money off me? They already only pay me half of a full single pension because I had the temerity to pay into a Super fund and had savings to invest (@ 3%), no way they are going to take another dollar from me.

Well,you have to be more"creative".I have been looking into this for years and i still got 4 years to go.My "friend"is fully supportive of us not getting married,because of losing 12k baht/month.They got me another way though the bastards.As a non-resident i am taxed 32.5% on my measly $300/week rental income,yet as a working Australian it is tax free up to $18200.When i have to return to do my 2 years penance they will certainly know about me.I'll bloody live at CES for 2 years,they will be glad to piss me off.

what was the deciding factor that had them class you as a non resident?

Havent you got any family you can use as an address or place to stay?

I think you would be better of going back to Aus for 6 months after every 2 years in thailand and get on benefits for six months. Keep voting and finding evidences that you INTEND to remain an aussie citizen.

I have been doing this for quite some time and they havent bothered me. Im sure the flights home and dole money would work out better for you.

If you have rented your major place of residence out for longer than 6 years your f#cked though.

Was facing all these dramas myself and it nearly did my head in. Even though they more or less forced me to sell my house out of neccessity of not letting them <deleted> me over, i am a lot happy for it.

Good luck to you mate and all other aussies on here battling with the ars$ehole aus government.

[ozzieovaseas]

Yes, i quite naively assumed taxes were for provision of goods and services used.

Consider an average Australian expat living outside Australia (under pension age) :

-doesnt get any government assistance or benefits, therefor is not a drag on the welfare system.

-doesnt use any government services whatsoever...roads, sewerage, ect

-doesnt use medicare or health services.

-doesnt use medicare card, therefor not asking for subsidized medications ect (if unemployed)

-doesnt need to work in Australia, so theoretically leaving a job opening for someone more needy.

But dont worry about all that.

Aus gov gives you NO taxfree threshhold, like every other Australian is entitled to.

Aus gov demands over 30% tax from ANY income earned from Australia. Interest on savings, rent of home ect ect

They even get the banks to automatically deduct an "overseas" tax on money spent on your credit cards.

WHY: because you don't vote.

easy to get angry, but better to get even by beating the system