Australia might seem a whole world away from the UK but the land down under is becoming an increasingly popular country to relocate to. It offers a very different lifestyle to the UK but there are plenty of similarities between the two countries as well.
Whether it’s to retire or to start a new life for yourself Australia is a great place to relocate to and there’s a variety of reasons why people from the UK would want to move there. Let’s take a closer look at the many reasons to move to Australia.
Tax For UK Nationals Living In Australia
Tax is always a little confusing, isn’t it? The first thing you need to consider is whether you’re still classed as a UK resident for tax purposes or not. In general when you leave and you’re at least 183 days into the tax year when you leave the UK then you’re still a UK resident. If you are employed under PAYE you will often be entitled to a refund of tax in the tax year you leave because you won’t use up all of your tax free personal allowance.
It also means that you may still have to pay tax on any foreign income until you’ve been classed as a UK non-resident.
If you still receive income from the UK (for example income from a rental property) you should still be entitled to your full tax free personal allowance. This means depending on your level of income you may not have to pay UK tax.
When it comes to paying tax in Australia things may sound a little complicated at first. In the majority of cases, you will become a tax resident of Australia once you have been in the country for over 6 months. For the first 6 months, you will be counted as a foreign resident, while you’re a foreign resident you will not be able to take advantage of the tax-free allowance or the double tax treaty between the UK and Australia.
When you become a foreign resident in Australia you will need to declare any income or capital gains tax that you get in Australia when submitting your Australian tax return.
UK Pension Tax Relief
It’s common for expats in Australia to at some point start receiving pension income from the UK. UK income tax will normally be automatically deducted from your pension income by the pension provider. You can become exempt from paying UK tax on your UK pension income due to the double taxation treaty with Australia.
Employment Opportunities
Australian society as a whole is a very proud and work focused, everyone does their job with pride and because of this Australia as a very low unemployment rate. So finding a new job or starting a new career is something you shouldn’t have trouble doing with a little searching.
Healthcare
Just like the NHS in the UK, Australia also provides free healthcare for all its citizens under Medicare. And there is a variety of private healthcare companies available as well, this gives Australia a big advantage with people from the UK who will be used to free healthcare.
Unspoilt Nature
Many places in the world can claim to have beautiful scenery, but how many can claim unspoiled nature? Much of Australia is untouched meaning you’ll see beautiful landscapes as they were meant to be.
I’ am not just talking about the famous Australian outback either, there’s lush rain forests, deserts, mountains, beaches and much more. Australia also has one of the lowest pollution levels in the world as well, so you can enjoy clean fresh air.
No Language Barrier
It might take a little while to get used to the Australian accent (I’m kidding) but there’s no language barrier to overcome meaning you’ll find it east to converse with people. There’s also a friendly rivalry between the UK and Australia when it comes to sports so you’ll probably find yourself making friends quite quickly.
A Warm Climate
Australia is hot! A dreary wet weekend won’t be something you’ll have to face in Australia making it the dream location for UK expats who want to escape the UK’s famous wet and windy weather.
While Australia is very hot and dry there is still some variety to it, Northern Australia as a more tropical climate while Southern cities have a more diverse and cool climate. So don’t worry if you’re not a fan of the heat, there is some variety to Australia’s weather.
