How a tax resident can be a non-resident

Tax law was complex enough about the issue of tax residency. But since 1st July 2017 it just got more expensive and complex for compliance.

But there are two taxes that now affect RESIDENT taxpayers who are outside of Australia for as short as 183 days.

1. Non-Resident withholding tax on sale of a CGT asset if it is a residential property. The taxpayers must obtain a clearance certificate from the ATO if the sale value is $750K or more.

and the second one is the surprise.....

2. If a taxpayer with a HELP debt or a student supplement debt leaves Australia for 183 days or more they are going to hate this one.....They must advise the ATO within SEVEN days of their departure if they have a HELP debt. Failure to do so incurs a $3600 fine. Yes thats right a on the spot fine. (Non deductible of course)

The ATO require this process to be followed so that the taxpayer reports WORDWIDE income and makes arrangements to pay their HELP debt while absent whether short or longer term. And they need you to use MyGov to do it. Bizarrely MyGov cannot be accessed outside Australia except with special changes. If the travel is short term and not working etc and low income then its likely just a reporting issue but failure to do it will be expensive so take care.

Read about it here
Overseas repayments