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| What would be the implications of abandoning residency until you return to Australia? You are still an Australian citizen just not a resident while working overseas. | |
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As far as I know that's it. I had to declare myself no longer a resident when I moved away. As far as I know, the only consequences of note were that I had to pay some withholding tax on bank accounts in Australia. - you need to inform the bank. Also, after 7 (?) years away, I will be disenfranchised and no longer eligible to vote in Australian elections. And once I've spend a whole tax year as a non-resident, I don't have to submit tax forms any more. (I don't have any property or such annoying encumbrances there however, so it may be different for mortgaged debt slaves or rapacious landlords. ;-) )
The rules on residency and so on are on the ATO site. I seem to remember declaring something to customs or whomever when I left Australia "for good", on the usual slip, but I'm a bit vague on that now!