I am due to start working for a UK company while on the 417 WHV visa in Aus. I have been in Aus since September but haven’t been working. I plan to be here for 2-3 years, how will tax work? I’m seeing a lot of mixed responses and not sure how to go about this.
Hi @LoisDawson,
How you’ll be taxed in Australia depends on who your employer is and where they're based, so it’s important to sort that out first.
If the company paying you is an Australian entity (even if it has a UK parent company), they must register with us as an employer of working holiday makers. Registered WHM employers must withhold 15% tax on the first $45,000 you earn, with higher rates applying after that. They'll also need you to complete a Tax file number declaration, and record that you are on a 417 Working Holiday Visa.
If your employer is a UK company that doesn't operate in Australia, they probably won't be registered with us and can't withhold Australian tax from your pay. In this situation, you'd need to:
Most working holiday makers may be foreign residents for tax purposes, but some become Australian residents depending on their situation. Residency is based on your personal circumstances, not your visa.
To give you the right info, we need to know whether your employer is:
Once you confirm that, we can explain exactly how your tax will work and what you need to do. I'd also recommend checking with the Department of Home Affairs to confirm if working for a foreign employer whilst in Australia on a WHM visa is allowed.
Thank you for your response. I am from the UK and it’s a uk company I am working for which has no current Australian operations. It’s within investment sales with clients all over the world. From the research I’ve done it is allowed for me to work for an international employer as long as I adhere to the limitations of my visa.
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