Somgirl

Good to see your catch up post. Had wondered how you were doing. Life eh!

Lovely house NSP, hope you have many happy years there. You know what they say, new house......... New baby Lol!

So sad to hear the news, we were friends on PIO. A lovely lady!

We were only in Oz on a secondment for 2 years, but have to agree it's interesting watching!

Sorry, can't help with your query, but bumping it up for you!

Congrats on making it back guys! Keep us posted!

Congrats! All your hard work and determination has paid off! Best wishes for your future in Oz!

This was recommended to us when we were in Perth, however, it was one thing on our to do list, that we didn't get round to doing!

When we went to Perth, our container took 9 weeks to arrive. When it arrived there was a strike on so that took another extra week.

Am in the UK, heard the news about an hour and a half ago, new leads opened up, but didn't say any arrests had been made.

Hi

 

I'll share my experiences with you, although I'm employed rather than owning a company. Don't think the basics are any different though.

 

 

I work for a global company and was initiall employed in the UK from 1998 onwards. In August 2011 I was asked to come out to Melbourne to manage a project for a period of three months. The company agreed to bring my family over with me, so we saw it as a change of scenery with a holiday at the end of it. At this stage I was paid in pounds from the UK and was ostensibly on an extended business trip.

 

In December 2011 I was asked if I wanted to stay on until April 2012. This is when we hit the first snag...

 

After 182 days in Australia, so early February 2012 for me, I became a "resident for tax purposes, which made all my earnings (in pounds) liable to Australian tax. Therefore, I was required to complete an Australian tax return for 2011/2012. Around the same time, we had to go cap in hand to the company and ask for some subsistance payments as my pretty decent UK salary was worth very little over here. We'd spent all our savings, so the company generously agreed to pay a stipend and backdate this to the date of entry (these were in the days of $1.4 to the pound).

 

I continued to be employed and paid from the UK and extended my time here further to July 2012 and then was asked if I wanted to transfer out here permanently in the same role. We agreed to this, and I went back to the UK for 3 months to sort out our affairs, then switched to the Australian payroll at the start of November.

 

The issues I have (and we have had to get one of the large accountancy firms in to sort this out) are:

 

1. From August 2011 to July 2012, then in October 2012 I was employed in the UK, earned pounds but lived in Australia. As such I was liable to pay Australian tax on all earnings. However, not everything was taxable, such as the stipend, which was classed as a living away from home allowance.

2. During this period I was not resident in the UK and could declare this on my tax return and claim back the UK tax paid in this period.

3. During the three months I was back in the UK in 2012 I was employed and paid in the UK, so had no Australian liability (although it was now my normal residence) and was liable to UK tax.

4. The UK tax year runs April to April, the Australian one runs July to June - therefore they are totally out of sync which makes claiming back tax hard as it's not in a like for like period

 

I've lost track of how many forms I have completed and how much hassle this has been. It's also cost a fortune in consultancy fees to the accountants. I have now claimed back the UK 2011-2012 money and am paying off the ATO for 2011-2012 in installments (interest free - so a good option).

 

I now have to work out how we account for the period from April to Nov 2012 and again claim back what I can and pay off what I owe.

 

To be honest it's a bloody nightmare. Would I have bothered if knew then what I know now? Yes, but only because Australia is worth the effort. If I was in the same situation in another country I would have come home at the end of the initial 182 days.

 

Hope this helps

we were in a similar situation to you (but maybe not quite so complicated) we left it in the hands of PwC!

You must have been in a dodgy area surndirt. We leave our cars out all the time, don't even have a garage, take them down the beach and leave them in the car parks, never had anything happen to them, or a breakin.

 

I know there are some areas where I wouldn't want to live though. My sons ex lived in Mirrabooka and he always made sure his car was locked in the garage. I wouldn't call that suburb one of the worst either.

 

We had 3 cars nicked in our last year in the UK and I thought we lived in a nice area there. Guess it's the price of progress, as places get to be big cities and grow from small towns the crime seems to increase exponentially for some reason.

When we were in Perth for a two year secondment, we had our car broken into and a serious attempted burglary at our rental property. When I spoke to the Police, and said 'I thought this was a nice area' he said, 'It is that's why it is targeted'. Never been a victim of crime in the UK! However, this hasn't coloured my opinion of Perth, and I would come back if the opportunity arose!

Hi Jean95, don't know if this will help or not. Don't know how long you've been in Oz, but we've just returned from a two year secondment.

We obtained proof of no claims discount (NCD) from our motor vehicle insurers before we left, but drove on company insurance all the time we were in Perth. We returned to the UK after about 22 months, when we went to take out motor insurance on new vehicles with our old insurer, we were told that our proof of NCD with them was still valid, as there was a two year limit on this.

Possibly what you are looking for is proof of NCD from your time in Oz, as proof for your new motor insurer when you return to the UK. Best wishes with your re-location.

cardiff is amazing!! So much change in the last 4 years.

Yes, it really is one of THE places to be these days. I've been away over 30 years, so have seen a lot of changes. Cardiff Uni is also a popular Uni, lots of youngsters I talk to, are heading there!

Thanks everyone for the replies! I know since we've been back and had to explain to people we've just moved back after living in Australia for 4 years when sorting out mobile phones etc, people just look at us in astonishment and say WHY?? My husband and I just look at each other and smile!! It's hard to understand unless you've done it!

we've just moved back to the UK after a 2 year secondment to Oz, and keep being asked the same question. You really have to have been there to get the full picture Lol!

Forgot to say I'm from Cardiff originally, but haven't lived there since I got married.

I moved back a while ago now, it hasn't been that long. I was excited to be coming back and on the whole it has been great seeing family and friends again, honestly, amazing. BUT, can't shake the feeling about Australia...

kinda miss it and have pushed those feelings to the back of my mind but can't help but think of all the things i miss and the feeling i had living there, which i don't have so much now. it's so hard to put it into words, it's the feeling of walking down an aussie street and feeling part of something exciting. Maybe that was because it was foreign in a way, different. I thought to be honest i was done with it, a lot of things had worn me down in the months leading up to leaving, but we had a great time on the way out, a great holiday - in which i shook off a bit of my dislike for things aussie, i think i got to see a lot more of the country and now looking back it was really cool. England i think was so built up in my mind and if im honest it actually took over my thoughts in making the decision to throw it all in and come back, and now im not 100% sure i was right about a lot of that stuff, some things like family of course are great but the feeling i thought i would have in the uk im not so sure is even real.

God such a ramble but i wondered if anyone else has moved back and feels flat and sort of a bit confused by it all. it almost feels like a dream that never happened!

I could have written a lot of this post myself. Although we were only on a two year secondment, a lot of the emotions were/are the same.

We saw them in Vegas years ago, we thought they were brilliant!

We went when we had visitors over from the UK back in 2012. Yes, it was lovely, the food was brilliant, and at night with everything lit up the view was amazing!

Its not for us we have been here 2 1/2 yrs and we miss the choices we had at home, that may seem funny to some people but its how we feel.

 

LL

Just interested, whereabouts are you?

I spent nearly two years trying to fine one in Perth, and the only ones I saw were in Australia Zoo on the east coast! However, I was always careful to look where I was putting my feet! Lol!

Sometimes, all you need in life is a break to send your life off in a different direction! Congrats on yours, onwards and upwards!

Well ........

We were in Oz for nearly two years, and we are from southern UK, and I would have to agree, far more northerners than southerners. And I know what you mean about the boat. Preferred the Indian Ocean brewery!

Yes, me too, would be good to have an update ......

Welcome to PIO, sounds like a good plan. Keep posting and let us know how it unfolds.