US - Lose Passport if tax debt unpaid

[ajd]

In Australia failing to pay tax debts or child support debts can result in the relevant agency issuing a Departure Prohibition Order, which doesn't involve surrendering the physical passport, but does involve being prevented from clearing outbound immigration if your details are on the list. The main difference, I suppose, is if the debtor is already out of the country, or manages to sneak out by some means.

 

[seanpodge]

I thought we had a similar system? Or is the difference that ours you still need to be nominally 'resident' in Australia even if working overseas for presumably short(ish) periods of time??? So, for example, I had formed the idea that if you went on a working holiday to the UK for say a year, but were still an Aussie resident (and not a UK resident) then you'd be expected to report and pay tax on your earnings in the UK ... or the differential at least.

I've been living in China for three years and never been asked for tax details about my income here by the ATO or an Australian accountant. Only issue now is that the government recently changed the law in order to make people living overseas pay back HECS/HELP/whatever they're calling it this week. Can see this causing a lot of hassle for rather little gain. It's not like the debt ever disappeared before they changed the law.

 

[Mal]

I thought we had a similar system? Or is the difference that ours you still need to be nominally 'resident' in Australia even if working overseas for presumably short(ish) periods of time??? So, for example, I had formed the idea that if you went on a working holiday to the UK for say a year, but were still an Aussie resident (and not a UK resident) then you'd be expected to report and pay tax on your earnings in the UK ... or the differential at least.

You have to be resident (according to the ATO's tax rules), or in receipt of Australian income registered to an address in Australia (eg, dividends, interest, Capital gains ). Simply being an Australian living overseas does not require you to file Australian tax.