Australia
The Right Visa. Zero Foreign Tax.

Australia is a continental nation of 26 million people, occupying the world's sixth-largest country by land area — roughly the size of the contiguous United States, but with its population concentrated in a coastal fringe around the southeast and southwest. The capital is Canberra, which functions primarily as an administrative centre. The cities that define Australian life are Sydney — the financial capital, occupying one of the world's great natural harbours — Melbourne, the cultural capital with a tram network, a serious coffee culture, and a rivalry with Sydney that both cities take more seriously than the rest of the country; Brisbane, growing rapidly as a subtropical gateway to Queensland; and Perth, isolated on the Indian Ocean coast, operating in a timezone between Southeast Asia and the Australian east, and driven by the mining sector that underpins much of Australia's resource wealth. Australia is a wealthy, stable parliamentary democracy, a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, and the world's 13th largest economy.

For permanent residents and Australian citizens, the tax system is worldwide: personal income tax at progressive rates reaching 47% (including the 2% Medicare Levy), applied to all income from all sources. Capital gains are included in taxable income at progressive rates, with a 50% discount for assets held over 12 months. This makes Australia a high-tax destination for those who become permanent residents.

The relevant tax advantage for internationally mobile individuals is the temporary resident concession. Under this rule, individuals who hold a temporary visa — one that is neither a permanent resident visa nor a special category visa — and who are not Australian citizens, and whose spouse is neither an Australian citizen nor a permanent resident, are taxed only on Australian-source income. All foreign-source income is completely exempt from Australian tax, whether the money is remitted to Australia or not. The concession applies automatically to qualifying individuals for as long as they hold the right visa. It ends when permanent residency is obtained, citizenship is acquired, or the visa expires without renewal.

Australia has no inheritance tax, no estate duty, no wealth tax, and no gift tax at the federal level. Individual states levy stamp duty on property transfers, but there is no federal tax on the transfer of wealth between generations. The combination of no inheritance tax and the temporary resident concession on foreign income makes Australia structurally interesting for certain HNW profiles — provided the right visa can be obtained.

Clive James — the Australian writer and broadcaster who spent most of his adult life in England — described his homeland with the particular clarity of someone who has stood at a distance. In The Complete Unreliable Memoirs he wrote that when he was young he never believed Australia was anything other than blessed — he thought it dull only because he was a snob. Coming from someone who spent decades in London, this reads as genuine tribute.

Sydney occupies one of the world's great harbour settings. Melbourne presents a different character: denser, more European in feel, with a tram network that works and a coffee culture of genuine seriousness. The continent beyond the capitals opens into scale difficult to comprehend from outside. The Outback covers more than 60% of the land area. The Great Barrier Reef extends 2,300 kilometres along the Queensland coast. The Kimberley in Western Australia is a landscape of gorges, waterfalls, and ochre rock. The Daintree Rainforest in Far North Queensland is among the oldest on earth.

Australia is further from Europe than almost any other developed country — 22 hours from London. This is the single most material practical fact for Europeans with family or business ties elsewhere.

"When I was young I never believed that Australia was anything else except blessed. I thought it was a little dull when I was young, but that was because I was a snob."

— Clive James, The Complete Unreliable Memoirs, 2013

"Australia is a lucky country run mainly by second-rate people who share its luck."

— Donald Horne, The Lucky Country, 1964

"Australia has a saying — the lucky country. I've always thought that was a bit unfair, because most of what Australia has achieved, it has worked very hard for."

— Paul Keating, Prime Minister of Australia 1991–1996

Australia is a high-tax country for permanent residents and citizens — combined federal and state-equivalent marginal rates reach 47% above $190,000 — but for holders of qualifying temporary visas, the position is genuinely exceptional. Under the temporary resident concession in Subdivision 768-R of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997, foreign-source income is exempt from Australian tax regardless of whether the money is remitted to Australia. Australia has no inheritance tax, estate duty, or gift tax at federal level. For the right profile, on the right visa, this combination is one of the most generous in the developed world.

• ›0% on all foreign-source income for temporary visa holders — covering foreign dividends, interest, capital gains on assets held outside Australia, foreign rental income, royalties, and foreign business profits. The exemption is unconditional; you can remit the money to Australia and pay no Australian tax on it.
• ›0% inheritance and estate tax at federal level. Federal estate duty was abolished in 1979 and no state duties have applied since. Wealth transfers at death are not taxed as a separate event (CGT Event K3 may apply to certain inherited assets; superannuation death benefits have their own rules and may attract 15%–17% on the taxable component when paid to non-tax-dependants).
• ›0% wealth tax. No annual levy on net assets.
• ›50% CGT discount for assets held longer than 12 months — applies to Australian-source gains for residents; foreign capital gains are exempt entirely for temporary residents.
• ›Superannuation at 12% — Australia's mandatory employer-funded retirement system reached its final scheduled rate of 12% of ordinary time earnings on 1 July 2025. Contributions are taxed at 15% inside the fund, earnings at 15%, and pension-phase withdrawals after age 60 at 0% — making super one of the most tax-favoured retirement vehicles available anywhere.
• ›Stage 3 personal tax cuts — from 1 July 2024 the bottom marginal rate dropped from 19% to 16%, the second bracket from 32.5% to 30%, the third bracket threshold rose from $120,000 to $135,000, and the top 45% bracket threshold rose from $180,000 to $190,000. A further cut to the bottom bracket — to 15% from 1 July 2026 and 14% from 1 July 2027 — has been legislated.
• ›Extensive double tax treaty network — over 45 active DTAs covering all major economies, providing reduced source-country withholding on income flowing to Australian residents.
• ›Stable, English-speaking, common-law jurisdiction with strong rule of law, deep capital markets, and high quality of life — features that matter to families relocating, not just to tax planners.

Australian tax residency is not determined by a single simple rule. The ATO applies four separate tests in sequence, and residency is established if any one of them is satisfied. Understanding which test applies — and which it does not — is essential for planning the timing of your arrival and departure.

• ›The resides test. The primary test asks whether you “reside” in Australia — whether Australia is your ordinary place of abode in a settled and habitual sense. Physical presence combined with the intention to remain creates residency under this test. This is the most subjective of the four tests and turns on a facts-and-circumstances analysis of your entire situation.
• ›The domicile test. If your domicile is in Australia — the country to which you have the most permanent personal connection — you are an Australian tax resident unless the Commissioner is satisfied that your permanent place of abode is outside Australia. This test can catch people who have left Australia but who have not demonstrably established a permanent home elsewhere.
• ›The 183-day test. If you spend 183 days or more in Australia during a tax year, you are an Australian tax resident — unless your usual place of abode is outside Australia and you do not intend to take up residence in Australia. The 183-day test is a secondary test; it does not apply if the resides or domicile tests already establish residency.
• ›The superannuation test. Members of certain Commonwealth public sector superannuation schemes are Australian tax residents regardless of any other factor. This is a narrow test affecting a small category of individuals.
• ›The temporary resident concession — separate from residency. You can be simultaneously an Australian tax resident (under one of the tests above) AND a temporary resident (by holding a qualifying temporary visa). These are not mutually exclusive. Residency establishes that Australia has the legal power to tax your income; temporary resident status then exempts foreign-source income from that tax. This is a critical distinction — many people assume you must be a non-resident to benefit from the concession, but that is wrong.
• ›Ceasing Australian tax residency. When you leave Australia and cease to satisfy the residency tests, CGT Event I1 deems most of your assets to have been disposed of at fair market value on the day before you cease to be resident. This triggers a capital gains liability on unrealised appreciation — even though you have not actually sold anything. The timing of your departure date relative to your asset disposals must be planned carefully. Assets that have appreciated significantly should generally be sold before departure if the CGT Event I1 liability would otherwise be large.

Key point: The temporary resident concession and Australian tax residency are separate concepts. You can be Australian tax resident AND a temporary resident simultaneously. Residency determines that Australia can tax you; temporary resident status exempts foreign-source income from that tax. You do not need to be a non-resident to benefit from the zero tax on foreign income — you simply need the right visa.

Australia has one of the most comprehensive double tax agreement networks in the world — over 45 active DTAs covering all major economies. The network includes the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, France, Japan, China, New Zealand, Singapore, Canada, India, South Korea, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and most other OECD member states.

• ›For temporary residents, the DTA network is largely irrelevant for foreign income. Because the temporary resident concession exempts all foreign-source income from Australian tax regardless of its source, there is no Australian tax on that income against which treaty provisions need to operate. A UK national holding UK shares and receiving UK dividends in Australia on a temporary visa pays zero Australian tax on those dividends — not because of the UK-Australia DTA, but because of the temporary resident concession. The DTA does not need to do the work.
• ›The DTA network becomes critical when you become a permanent resident. At that point, the temporary resident concession ends and Australia’s worldwide taxation applies. The DTA between Australia and your home country then determines: how much withholding your home country can levy on income it pays to you as an Australian permanent resident; the tie-breaker rules if there is a residency dispute; the treatment of pensions; and the allocation of taxing rights on specific income types.
• ›The UK-Australia DTA is particularly relevant for British nationals. Under this treaty, UK private pension income paid to an Australian resident is generally taxable in Australia (and exempt from UK tax). UK state pension paid to an Australian resident: specific provisions apply — take advice. UK-source dividends paid to an Australian resident benefit from reduced withholding under the treaty.
• ›Withholding taxes on foreign income flowing to Australian residents. Even during the temporary resident period — when Australia does not tax foreign income — the source country may withhold tax at source. UK dividends paid to an Australian resident face UK domestic withholding unless the DTA reduces it. The DTA provides reduced withholding rates (typically 5–15% on dividends, 10% on interest) that limit the source-country tax on income flowing to Australia. This source-country withholding is a real cost even when Australian tax is zero.

The temporary resident concession only delivers its benefit if you have genuinely ceased tax residency in your home country. The concession reduces Australian tax on foreign income to zero — but if you remain a tax resident of your home country, your home country will tax that foreign income regardless of what Australia does.

• ›United Kingdom. The Statutory Residence Test governs when you cease to be UK-resident. The most common failure mode for UK nationals moving to Australia is retaining a UK home that remains available for their personal use — this is a statutory tie under the SRT and can keep you UK-resident regardless of how much time you spend in Australia. Sell or lease your UK property commercially before departure. Manage your UK day count carefully in the year of departure and subsequent years.
• ›Germany. Germany’s domestic rules determine cessation of German tax residency. The Germany-Australia DTA provides a tie-breaker for dual-residency cases. Exit tax under §6 AStG applies to unrealised gains on shareholdings of 1% or more at the point of departure — take specific German tax advice before leaving if you hold significant German company shareholdings.
• ›Canada. The CRA’s residential ties analysis determines continued Canadian tax residency. A Canadian dwelling available for your return, a spouse remaining in Canada, and Canadian bank accounts and provincial health insurance are all indicators of continued Canadian residency. Departure tax (deemed disposition at market value) applies to most property on the date of emigration.
• ›The physical presence requirement. Most home countries require 183+ days elsewhere to establish non-residency. Australia’s genuine lifestyle and physical presence requirement actually assists — you cannot be a nominal Australian resident and maintain a primary life elsewhere. The concession demands genuine Australian presence, which aligns with home-country exit requirements.

Before you relocate to Australia, you need to understand what tax consequences arise in your current country of residence at the point of departure. These rules vary significantly by country and must be assessed individually.

The tax treatment on departure from your home country is entirely separate from your Australian tax position. Each home country applies its own departure rules.

• ›United Kingdom. The SRT determines your precise UK departure date — get this date right, because CGT on gains realised while still UK-resident applies in full. The temporary non-residence rules mean that gains on assets held at the time of UK departure can be clawed back into UK tax if you return to the UK within five years of leaving. The UK-Australia DTA applies to ongoing UK-source income paid to Australian residents — UK pension income, UK dividends, and UK rental income paid to you while you are an Australian temporary resident are governed by the treaty.
• ›Germany. Exit tax under §6 AStG applies to unrealised gains on shareholdings of 1% or more at the point of departure — these gains are treated as realised on the date you cease to be German tax-resident. The Germany-Australia DTA applies to ongoing German-source income. German pension income (Rente) paid to Australian residents is governed by the DTA’s pension article.
• ›Canada. Departure tax applies — most property is treated as disposed of at fair market value on the date of emigration, triggering capital gains on unrealised appreciation. The principal residence exemption applies to your primary home. The Canada-Australia DTA applies to ongoing Canadian-source income. Canadian CPP and OAS payments to Australian residents attract 25% non-resident withholding, reduced to 15% under the DTA.
• ›United States. US citizenship-based worldwide taxation applies regardless of Australian residency or visa status. Moving to Australia does not reduce your US tax obligations. See Section XIX for US-specific detail.
• ›Australia departure (for those who later leave Australia). CGT Event I1 deems most assets disposed of at market value on the day before you cease to be an Australian tax resident. This is an Australian CGT event that operates independently of your home-country departure tax — it applies when you leave Australia, not when you arrive. Planning the timing of asset sales relative to your departure from Australia is as important as planning the timing of your departure from your home country.

Australia's corporate tax has two rates: 30% for large companies and 25% for base rate entities. To qualify for 25%, a company must have aggregated turnover under AUD 50 million AND no more than 80% of its assessable income from passive sources (dividends, interest, rent, royalties, net capital gains). For internationally mobile entrepreneurs on a temporary visa, the question is usually how to structure the foreign entity rather than whether to incorporate in Australia.

Is a local company always the right answer? Not necessarily.

For temporary visa holders whose foreign-source income is exempt at the personal level, maintaining income in a well-structured foreign company is typically more efficient. Australian corporate tax at 25–30% applies to Australian-source profits — but foreign profits flowing through a non-Australian company to an Australian temporary resident remain exempt.

Popular structures:

• ›US LLC (single-member, disregarded entity): No US corporate tax for non-US persons. Income flows to the individual and is exempt in Australia under the temporary resident concession.
• ›Singapore company: 17% headline with SME exemptions. Strong regional credibility.
• ›UAE company: 0% on qualifying income. Distributions exempt in Australia for temporary residents.

We help clients design the right international structure. Learn more about our company setup services →

Australia’s visa system is complex and points-based for permanent residency pathways. For internationally mobile individuals seeking the temporary resident concession, the relevant categories are:

• ›Skilled Temporary Visas (subclass 482 — Temporary Skill Shortage): Employer-sponsored temporary work visa. The most common route for skilled professionals transferred to Australia by an international employer. Requires a sponsoring employer and a position in an eligible occupation. Renewable. Qualifies for the temporary resident concession.
• ›Business Innovation and Investment Visa (subclass 188): Temporary visa for investors and business people. Investment categories include the Investor Stream (minimum AUD 2.5 million investment in state and territory bonds for at least four years) and the Business Innovation Stream (business ownership and turnover requirements based on the applicant’s prior business). Qualifies for the temporary resident concession.
• ›Global Talent Visa (subclass 858): For highly distinguished individuals in targeted sectors — technology, financial services, health industries, energy and mining, agri-food and agtech, advanced manufacturing, defence, aerospace. Can provide a pathway directly to permanent residency, which would end the concession.
• ›Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417 / 462): Available to citizens of eligible countries (UK, EU, Canada, US, Japan, South Korea, and others) aged 18–35. Limited to 12 months initially, extendable in some circumstances. The temporary resident concession applies, but most WHV holders earn primarily from Australian sources and therefore receive limited benefit from it.
• ›Student Visa (subclass 500): Full-time students at Australian institutions. Qualifies for the temporary resident concession for any foreign-source income received during the period of study.
• ›Permanent residency pathways — employer nomination (subclass 186), skills assessment through state nomination (subclass 190 or 491), and the investor permanent visa (subclass 888) — all terminate the temporary resident concession on grant. The moment you receive permanent residency, Australian worldwide taxation applies.

Australian citizenship requires four years of lawful residence including at least one year as a permanent resident. Dual citizenship permitted. Australian passport: visa-free access to approximately 185 countries.

Australia's banking sector: Commonwealth Bank (CBA), Westpac, ANZ, NAB, plus digital challengers (Macquarie, ING, Up). All operate under APRA supervision.

For a relocation to Australia, the local account is normally the operational account: rent, utilities, cards, domestic transfers, tax or residence registrations, and evidence that the move is real. It should not automatically become the main wealth-management account unless the local banking system offers the depth, multi-currency capability, private-banking service level, and long-term stability required for the client’s assets.

Account opening in Australia should be treated as a compliance exercise, not as an administrative formality. Expect passport checks, proof of address, residence or visa documentation where applicable, tax-identification details, source-of-funds evidence, and sometimes in-person attendance or a local phone number. The easiest applications are those where the residence story, income source, and banking purpose are consistent before the first form is submitted.

Where to hold your main accounts

For internationally mobile individuals on temporary visas whose income is primarily foreign-source, maintain primary banking outside Australia. Australian banks are excellent for domestic use; not designed as primary hubs for internationally mobile HNW clients.

• ›Switzerland — private banking, multi-currency, asset protection. Switzerland-Australia combination: Australia for lifestyle and tax concession; Switzerland for investment management.
• ›Singapore — Asia-Pacific hub. 8 hours from all major Australian cities.
• ›United States — USD accounts. For US-denominated income and investments.
• ›Georgia (Caucasus) — easy non-resident opening, low fees, useful secondary account.

Learn more about our offshore banking services →

Australia is attractive when it is judged as a complete relocation platform, not as a slogan. The point is not that Australia is perfect for everyone. The point is that, for the right person, the combination of tax position, residence practicality, lifestyle, geography, banking, language, and long-term stability can produce a genuinely coherent base.

• ›High-quality life with serious rule-of-law depth. Australia is not a low-tax destination, but it is attractive because it offers legal certainty, deep capital markets, strong property rights, and a developed-country operating environment. For the right profile, the stability is worth the tax cost.

• ›The lifestyle case is not cosmetic. The lifestyle case is obvious: climate variety, beaches, space, excellent food, sport, English language, and some of the world’s most liveable cities. Sydney and Melbourne are expensive, but Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and regional centres can be more balanced.

• ›It can function as a real operating base. Australia is a real business base, not merely a lifestyle destination. It has sophisticated banking, reliable courts, strong professional services, and access to Asian markets from an English-speaking jurisdiction.

• ›It rewards the right profile. It suits founders, executives, families, and investors who prioritise safety, education, healthcare, and long-term certainty over tax minimisation.

• ›The attraction has to be handled honestly. The weakness is cost and tax. Anyone moving to Australia needs to model worldwide taxation, capital gains, pension/superannuation, and departure-tax consequences before arrival.

Australia is a high-cost jurisdiction, but the calculation must be made after tax and after considering visa status. Sydney and Melbourne can feel expensive even for successful entrepreneurs; Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide are more forgiving.

Typical monthly costs for an internationally mobile professional or family in Australia (2026 planning ranges):

• ›Comfortable single professional (no children): AUD 8,360–13,680/month (£4,300–7,000 / $5,500–9,000)
• ›Family of four with private schooling: AUD 18,240–30,400/month (£9,350–15,600 / $12,000–20,000)

These figures are planning ranges, not promises. The actual budget in Australia depends heavily on housing quality, neighbourhood, school choice, healthcare needs, car ownership, travel frequency, and whether you are trying to live like a local or maintain a Western expatriate standard.

Buying real estate in Australia can be useful for lifestyle, residence planning, and long-term anchoring, but it should not be treated as a simple shortcut to tax residence. Property is a factual tie; it can support a relocation story when used properly, but it can also create tax, inheritance, financing, and exit issues if bought before the wider plan is clear.

For internationally mobile buyers, the main points in Australia are:

• ›Ownership rules: Foreign buyers are heavily regulated and usually need Foreign Investment Review Board approval unless they are permanent residents or fall within an exemption.
• ›Transaction costs: Stamp duty, foreign-buyer surcharges, land tax, and vacancy charges can make Australian property expensive for non-residents.
• ›Market and rental profile: Rental markets in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth can be strong, but yields are often modest once taxes, strata fees, insurance, and maintenance are included.
• ›Residence and tax angle: Property ownership does not by itself create a tax-efficient residence position; visa status, temporary-resident concessions, and capital-gains rules matter more.

The practical approach is to decide first whether the property is primarily for living, residence support, rental yield, asset protection, or lifestyle. Those are different purchases. A good real estate decision in Australia begins with title due diligence, tax-residence planning, inheritance review, and a realistic exit strategy — not with glossy developer brochures.

Transaction cost table (Australia):

Australia is not typically structured as a retirement destination for foreign nationals who have not previously lived and worked there — the income tax rates for permanent residents are high, and there is no standard retirement visa available to new applicants.

The retirement framework is most relevant for those who built significant superannuation during working years in Australia. Pension-phase superannuation withdrawals after age 60 are generally tax-free for Australian residents, and investment earnings inside the fund in pension phase are also tax-free. For those who accumulated substantial superannuation over a long working career in Australia, this represents one of the most tax-efficient retirement vehicles available anywhere.

• ›Foreign pension income received during a period of temporary residency — UK state pension, German Rente, Canadian CPP and OAS, US Social Security — is exempt from Australian tax under the temporary resident concession. This exemption ends when the individual becomes a permanent resident, at which point foreign pension income becomes taxable at Australian progressive rates (up to 47%).
• ›No standard retiree visa. The Investor Retirement Visa (subclass 405) was discontinued for new applicants in November 2018. For retirees seeking to relocate to Australia, the most accessible current pathway is typically through a family sponsor visa, or for those with qualifying skills, the Business Innovation and Investment stream. Alternatives include working holiday visas for those within the eligible age range, or study visas for those pursuing formal qualifications.
• ›Healthcare. Medicare provides universal public healthcare for eligible residents. The UK-Australia Reciprocal Health Care Agreement entitles UK nationals to access some Medicare services. Private health insurance is strongly recommended for faster access to specialists and elective procedures — approximately AUD $2,500–6,000 per year for comprehensive cover.

US citizens and long-term green card holders are taxed by the United States on their worldwide income, regardless of where they live. Relocating to Australia does not end US tax obligations — it changes the picture, but does not eliminate it.

Key considerations for US citizens in Australia:

• ›Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE): US citizens who qualify as bona fide residents of Australia or pass the physical presence test can exclude a significant amount of foreign earned income from US federal income tax. This applies to wages and self-employment income — not passive income such as dividends, interest, capital gains, pensions, or rental income.
• ›Foreign Tax Credit: Income tax paid in Australia can generally be credited against US tax on the same income, reducing or eliminating double taxation. The credit is particularly important for income not covered by the FEIE and for taxpayers whose income exceeds the annual FEIE threshold.
• ›Treaty position: The United States and Australia have an income tax treaty and a separate totalization agreement. A treaty does not automatically remove US filing obligations, and most treaties contain savings-clause rules that preserve US taxation of citizens.
• ›FBAR: US persons with bank accounts in Australia exceeding $10,000 in aggregate must file FinCEN Form 114 (FBAR) annually. Failure to file can carry severe penalties, even when no tax is due.
• ›FATCA: US citizens may also need to report foreign financial assets on Form 8938. Banks in Australia may separately identify US account holders under FATCA procedures and report account information through the relevant channels.
• ›Social Security and self-employment tax: The FEIE reduces income tax but does not automatically eliminate US self-employment tax. Whether US Social Security tax applies depends on employment status, entity structure, and any applicable totalization agreement.

US citizens considering Australia should work with a qualified US international tax adviser alongside local counsel. The interaction between US tax law and Australia tax law is manageable, but it requires careful planning before the move, not after the first filing deadline arrives.

How far in advance should I start planning?

Twelve months minimum. Australian visa processing times for employer-sponsored and investor categories can run 6–18 months depending on category and departmental workloads. CGT Event I1 on departure from your home country requires advance planning — if you hold appreciated assets, the timing of your departure date and any pre-departure asset sales needs to be structured carefully before you trigger the event.

What is the right visa for the temporary resident concession?

This depends entirely on your personal profile — your professional skills, your investment capacity, your business ownership history, your age, and your nationality. Engage an Australian registered migration agent (MARA-registered) before making any decisions. The visa category determines whether the concession applies, and the wrong category can result in standard Australian worldwide taxation from day one.

What is the recommended order of steps?

1. 1.Engage an Australian MARA-registered migration agent to identify the correct visa category for your profile.
2. 2.Commission a home-country departure tax analysis — specifically covering CGT Event I1 timing and any exit tax provisions in your home country.
3. 3.Restructure or sell home-country assets before departure if CGT Event I1 creates a significant liability that can be managed by pre-departure disposals.
4. 4.Submit your Australian visa application and wait for approval before making irrevocable financial decisions.
5. 5.On arrival in Australia, apply for a Tax File Number (TFN) through the ATO online portal.
6. 6.Open an Australian bank account — required for payroll, tax refunds, and daily transactions.
7. 7.Notify your home-country tax authority of your departure date and submit the relevant departure return.
8. 8.Enrol in Medicare at a Services Australia office.
9. 9.If employed, confirm your employer’s superannuation fund and verify contributions are being made at the correct rate.

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Australia participates in the OECD Common Reporting Standard (CRS), the global framework for automatic exchange of financial account information between tax authorities. Australia has been exchanging information with partner jurisdictions since 2018.

In practical terms, this means: if you hold bank accounts or financial assets in Australia, the financial institution in Australia will report your account details — balance, income, and identifying information — to the local tax authority, which will then automatically share this information with the tax authority of your country of tax residence.

The key point is that CRS follows tax residence, not nationality or citizenship. For example, a Swedish citizen who has genuinely become tax resident in Australia is treated, for CRS purposes, as a tax resident of Australia — not as a Swedish reportable person merely because of the passport. The same principle applies to any non-US nationality: the account should be reported to the country of tax residence, not automatically to the country of citizenship.

CRS does not create a tax liability — it creates transparency. If you are properly tax resident in Australia and have correctly severed residency in your home country, CRS reporting simply confirms what should already be declared. The risk arises when individuals attempt to maintain dual residency, leave old tax-residence indicators unresolved, or claim Australia residency without genuinely living there.

US citizens are different. The United States does not participate in CRS in the same way. Americans are affected by FATCA instead: banks outside the United States generally identify US persons and report their account information through FATCA channels to the US authorities, regardless of whether the person is tax resident in Australia or anywhere else.

Upon establishing residence in Australia, you will need to obtain a TFN (Tax File Number) from the competent local authority. This is required for most financial and legal transactions in Australia, including opening bank accounts, signing contracts, registering with tax authorities, and dealing with public offices.

You will also need to obtain or complete the relevant Medicare enrolment and state-based identity records process once your residence status has been approved. This document or registration record becomes your practical proof of residence in Australia and is usually required for banking, telecom contracts, utilities, leases, property transactions, and day-to-day administrative matters.

• ›Driving licences from most countries are accepted only for a limited period after arrival. Once you become resident in Australia, you should verify whether your licence can be exchanged directly or whether a local medical certificate, translation, theory test, or practical test is required.
• ›Health insurance should be arranged before arrival unless you are immediately covered by a local public system. In many cases, private international cover is the safest bridge solution while residence, employment, or social-security registration is still being completed.
• ›Importing personal effects should be planned before shipping anything to Australia. Household goods may qualify for relief when imported shortly after taking up residence, but customs paperwork, inventory lists, timing rules, and vehicle-import duties can make late or informal shipping expensive.
• ›Proof of address and banking are often linked. Banks, telecom providers, and government offices may require a lease, utility bill, local address certificate, or residence registration before they will open an account or complete onboarding.
• ›Ongoing local compliance should not be treated as an afterthought. Calendar reminders for residence renewals, tax registrations, local filings, health-insurance renewals, and address updates help prevent administrative problems that can later undermine the tax-residency position.

We offer comprehensive tax and legal support for your relocation to Australia. We follow a proven process — and where Australia requires specialist local input, we involve appropriately qualified Australian migration, tax, and legal advisers on the ground, while remaining responsible for overall coordination.

The results speak for themselves: we have helped over 100 entrepreneurs and business owners significantly reduce their tax burden through carefully planned relocations. Careful planning, thorough advice, and comprehensive support are our standard. Legally sound structuring within the framework of international tax law is our highest priority.

Our services typically include one or more of the following:

Our fees are generally billed on a time basis; fixed prices apply for certain services such as company formation.

As a first step, we recommend booking a consultation to discuss your plans — by phone, Zoom, or Signal. Together we find the best approach and establish contact with our local partner. As project coordinator, we keep all the threads in hand that are necessary for the successful implementation of your plans.