Edited version of your written advice

Authorisation Number: 1013137525884

Date of advice: 7 December 2016

Ruling

Subject: Residency

Question 1

Are you a foreign resident for taxation purposes while staying and working overseas for the 20WW-20ZZ income years?

Answer 1

Yes

This ruling applies for the following periods:

Year ended 30 June 20WW

Year ended 30 June 20XX

Year ended 30 June 20YY

Year ended 30 June 20ZZ

The scheme commences on:

20VV

Relevant facts and circumstances

This ruling is based on the facts stated in the description of the scheme that is set out below. If your circumstances are materially different from these facts, this ruling has no effect and you cannot rely on it. The fact sheet has more information about relying on your private ruling.

You were born in Country B.

You are an Australian citizen.

You departed Australia for Country A in 20VV.

You have an employment contract in Country A for 2.5 years with the option to extend.

You were granted an initial 6 month visa in Country A. You have applied for a 3 year work visa.

Your spouse moved to Country A in 20VV.

You live in long term rental accommodation in Country A. One year lease has been signed by your employer on your behalf.

You have older independent children and they will remain in Australia.

Your pet has been moved to Country A.

You have sold your main residence. Settlement occurred in 20VV.

You have an investment property in Australia that is occupied by your child.

You have a bank account and a superannuation account in Australia.

You have suspended your private health insurance in Australia.

You have redirected your mail to your address in Country A. You have shipped most of your personal belongings to Country A.

You are not a current Commonwealth government employee, and are not a member of the PSS or the CSS.

Your plans are to stay with your current employer and lost likely move to a different role within the X region, including Australia.

Relevant legislative provisions

Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 subsection 6(1)

Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 subsection 6-5(3)

Reasons for decision

Summary

You are a foreign resident from your spouse's departure in 20VV.

Detailed reasoning

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. These tests are:

● the resides test

● the domicile test

● the 183 day test

● the superannuation test.

The resides 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 you do not reside in Australia according to ordinary concepts, you may still be considered a resident of Australia for tax purposes if you meet the conditions of one of the other three tests.

The ordinary meaning of the word "reside", according to the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, 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.

In your case, you will be residing and working permanently in Country A from mid 20VV.

Therefore, you are not considered to be residing in Australia according to ordinary concepts and you are not an Australia resident for taxation purposes under this test.

The domicile test

If a person is considered to have their domicile in Australia they will be considered an Australian resident unless the Commissioner is satisfied they have a permanent place of abode outside of Australia.

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.

The expression 'place of abode' refers to a person's residence, where they live with their family and sleep at night. In essence, a person's place of abode is that person's dwelling place or the physical surroundings in which a person lives.

As explained at paragraph 23 of Taxation Ruling IT 2650 Income tax: residency - permanent place of abode outside Australia, following factors are taken into consideration regarding a person's permanent place of abode:

(a) the intended and actual length of the taxpayer's stay in the overseas country;

(b) whether the taxpayer intended to stay in the overseas country only temporarily and then to move on to another country or to return to Australia at some definite point in time;

(c) whether the taxpayer has established a home (in the sense of dwelling place; a house or other shelter that is the fixed residence of a person, a family, or a household), outside Australia;

(d) whether any residence or place of abode exists in Australia or has been abandoned because of the overseas absence;

(e) the duration and continuity of the taxpayer's presence in the overseas country; and

(f) the durability of association that the person has with a particular place in Australia, i.e. maintaining bank accounts in Australia, informing government departments such as the Department of Social Security that he or she is leaving permanently and that family allowance payments should be stopped, place of education of the taxpayer's children, family ties and so on.

Greater weight is given to factors (c), (e) and (f).

In your case you will be living and working in Country A for 2.5 years. Your spouse and pet have moved to Country A with you.

Your independent older children live in Australia. You have sold your residential property. You have an investment property where your child resides. You do not have any other major associations in Australia. You have cancelled your private health insurance.

You will be residing in a rental property in one place in Country A for 2.5 years with your spouse. You have therefore established a permanent place of abode outside of Australia.

Consequently, you are not a resident under this test.

The 183-day test

When a person is present in Australia for 183 days during an income year, that person may be considered a resident unless the Commissioner is satisfied that the person's usual place of abode is outside of Australia and the person does not intend to take up residence in Australia.

You will not be spending more than 183 days in Australia. Therefore, you are not a resident under this test.

The superannuation test

An individual is still considered to be a resident if that person is eligible to contribute to the Public Service Superannuation Scheme (PSS) or the Commonwealth Superannuation Scheme (CSS), or that person is the spouse or child under 16 of such a person. 

You are not a current Commonwealth government employee, and are not a member of the PSS or the CSS.

Therefore, you are not a resident under this test.

Foreign Employment Income

Subsection 6-5(3) of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997) provides that the assessable income of a foreign resident of Australia includes all the ordinary income derived directly or indirectly from all Australian sources during the income year.

The source of income derived from employment is generally the place where the duties or services are performed.

Your employment duties carried on outside of Australia are considered to be sourced out of Australia. Therefore the income derived in relation to such employment is not assessable in Australia under subsection 6-5(3) of the ITAA 1997 as you are a non-resident of Australia.