Edited version of your private ruling

Authorisation Number: 1012465941077

Ruling

Subject: Residency

Question and answer

Are you a resident of Australia for tax purposes from the time you departed Australia?

No.

This ruling applies for the following periods:

Year ended 30 June 2011

Year ended 30 June 2012

Year ending 30 June 2013

Year ending 30 June 2014

The scheme commenced on:

1 July 2010

Relevant facts and circumstances

Your country of origin is Country Y.

You are a citizen of Australia.

You left Australia in the financial year ending 30 June 20XX.

You were removed from the electoral roll in financial year ending 30 June 20YY.

You intend to reside outside of Australia indefinitely.

You have a 10 year visa for Country X.

Your spouse and children live with you in Country X.

Your children attend school in Country X.

You are living in a rental property in Country X with a Z month lease.

You jointly own a dwelling with your spouse in Australian which is rented.

You intend to return Australia over the next two years for holidays and to inspect your rental property.

Relevant legislative provisions:

Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 Section 6-5

Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 Subsection 6(1)

Reasons for decision

Section 6-5 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997) provides that where you are a resident of Australia for taxation purposes, your assessable income includes income gained from all sources, whether in or out of Australia.  However, where you are a foreign resident, your assessable income includes only income derived from an Australian source. 

The terms 'resident' and 'resident of Australia', in regard to an individual, are defined in subsection 6(1) of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 (ITAA 1936). The definition provides four tests to ascertain whether a taxpayer is a resident of Australia for income tax purposes. These tests are: 

· the resides test,

· the domicile test,

· the 183 day test, and

· the superannuation test.

The primary test for deciding the residency status of an individual is whether the individual resides in Australia according to the ordinary meaning of the word resides.

However, where an individual does not reside in Australia according to ordinary concepts, they may still be considered to be a resident of Australia for tax purposes if they meet the conditions of one of the other three tests.

The resides test

The ordinary meaning of the word 'reside', according to the Macquarie Dictionary, 2001, rev. 3^rd edition, The Macquarie Library Pty Ltd, NSW, is 'to dwell permanently or for a considerable time; having one's abode for a time', and according to the Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary (1987), is 'to dwell permanently, or for a considerable time, to have one's settled or usual abode, to live in or at a particular place'.

Although the question of whether a person resides in a particular country is a question of fact, the courts have referred to and taken into account various factors considered to be relevant. These are:

· whether the person is physically present in that country at some time during the year of income

· the history of the person's residence and movements

· if the person is a visitor to the country, the frequency, regularity, duration and purpose of the visits

· if the person is outside the country for part of the relevant income year, the purpose of the absences

· the family and business ties which the person has with the particular country, and

· whether a place of abode is maintained by the person in the relevant country or is available for his or her use while there.

Taxation Ruling IT 2650 Income Tax: Residency - permanent place of abode outside Australia emphasises the intended and actual length of the individual's stay in an overseas country, any intention to return to Australia or travel elsewhere, the establishment or abandonment of any residence, and the durability of association that the individual maintains with a particular place in Australia as the main factors to be considered when determining the residency status of individuals leaving Australia.

In your case, you are living and working in Country X indefinitely. You have a dwelling in Australia that is not available to you, as it is rented. Your spouse and children live with you in Country X.

Therefore, based on the facts provided, you are not residing in Australia according to the ordinary meaning of the word.

Therefore, you are not a resident of Australia under this test.

The domicile test

Under this test, a person is a resident of Australia for tax purposes if their domicile is in Australia, unless the Commissioner is satisfied that their permanent place of abode is outside of Australia.

Domicile is a legal concept, determined according to the Domicile Act 1982 and common law rules established by private international law cases.

Domicile is the place that is considered by law to be your permanent home. It is usually something more than a place of residence.

Generally speaking, persons leaving Australia temporarily would be considered to have maintained their Australian domicile unless it is established that they have acquired a different domicile of choice or by operation of law. In order to show that a new domicile of choice in a country outside Australia has been adopted, the person must be able to prove an intention to make his or her home indefinitely in that country e.g., through having obtained a migration visa. A working visa, even for a substantial period of time such as 2 years, would not be sufficient evidence of an intention to acquire a new domicile of choice.

In your case, your domicile of origin is Country Y, and your domicile of choice was Australia. However, you have a 10 year visa for Country X, your spouse and children live with you in Country X, your children attend a local Country X school, you have rented your Australian dwelling and intend to live in Country X indefinitely.

Therefore, you have given up your Australian domicile and have chosen Country X as your new domicile of choice.

Therefore, you are not a resident of Australia under this test.

The 183 day test

Under the 183 day test, a person is a resident of Australia if they are actually physically present in Australia for more than 183 days in an income year unless the Commissioner is satisfied that their usual place of abode is outside of Australia and they have no intention of taking up residence here.

As you will not physically present in Australia for more than 183 days you are not a resident of Australia under this test.

The superannuation test

A person will be considered a resident under the Commonwealth superannuation fund test if they currently contribute to certain superannuation funds for Commonwealth government employees. The eligible funds are funds:

· established under the Superannuation Act 1976 (such as the Commonwealth Superannuation Scheme), or

· established under the Superannuation Act 1990 (such as the Public Sector Superannuation Scheme), or

· the spouse or child under 16 of a person covered by either of the above funds.

In your case you have not been an employee for the Australian Commonwealth Government, so this test does not apply to you.

Therefore you are not a resident of Australia under this test.

Your residency status

As you do not meet any of the above tests, you are not a resident of Australia for tax purposes.

As you are not a resident of Australia, according to section 6-5 of the ITAA 1997, your assessable income only includes income gained from sources in Australia. Your Australian income will therefore be taxed at non-resident rates.