After Six Months – You and Your Tax

If you have been in Australia for six months or more and intend to reside in Australia as opposed to taking a working holiday, you will need to file a tax return as a “resident for tax purposes”. However, if you intend to travel and work in Australia without living in one place for any significant amount of time and return to New Zealand after less than six months, you may be considered a “non-resident” when it comes to being taxed. This is important to consider as in Australia, there is something called the “tax-free threshold”, which applies to Australian residents and residents for tax purposes, and means that (approximately) the first $18,000 you earn is exempt from tax.