Private ruling: Residency
Published: February 2015
Ruling period: Year ended 30 June 2012 | Year ended 30 June 2013 | Year ended 30 June 2014 | Year ended 30 June 2015
Date scheme commenced: The scheme has commenced

Ruling: Question and answer | Were you a resident of Australia for taxation purposes for the period you were in Country Y? | Yes.

Relevant facts and circumstances: This ruling is based on the facts stated in the description of the scheme that is set out below. If your circumstances are materially different from these facts, this ruling has no effect and you cannot rely on it. The fact sheet has more information about relying on your private ruling. You were born overseas. You are a citizen of both an overseas country and Australia. You went to Country Y for work purposes. You rented accommodation in Country Y. Your assets in Country Y consisted of a car, motor bike and household affects. Your spouse remained in Australia living in the family home for the period you were working in Country Y. You returned to Australia for visits during the period you were working in Country Y. These visits were for no more than 4 weeks at a time. Your spouse visited you in Country Y. Your two children stayed with you in Country Y. One of your children returned to Australia after 12 months and the other child stayed in Country Y with their partner. While you were in Country Y your Australian assets included the family home (in your name only), a rental property along with a vehicle and motor bikes. You have no social or sporting connections in Australia. You have social connections in Country Y and you are a member of a club in Country Y. Neither you nor your spouse are currently or have ever been Commonwealth government employees.

Relevant legislative provisions: Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 Subsection 995-1(1). | Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 Subsection 6(1).

Reasons for decision: Summary: Section 6-5 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997) provides that where you are a resident of Australia for taxation purposes, your assessable income includes income gained from all sources, whether in or out of Australia. However, where you are a foreign resident, your assessable income includes only income derived from an Australian source. The terms resident and resident of Australia, in regard to an individual, are defined in subsection 6(1) of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 . The definition offers four tests to ascertain whether each individual taxpayer is a resident of Australia for income tax purposes. These tests are the: • resides test • domicile and permanent place of abode test • 183 day test and • Commonwealth superannuation fund test. The primary test for deciding the residency status of each individual is whether they reside in Australia according to the ordinary meaning of the word resides. If the primary test is satisfied the remaining three tests do not need to be considered as residency for Australian tax purposes has been established. | Detailed Reasoning - The resides (ordinary concepts) test: The outcomes of several Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) cases have determined that the word ' resides' should be given the widest meaning and there have been a number of factors identified which can assist in determining if a particular taxpayer is a resident of Australia under this test. Recent case law decisions have considered the following factors in relation to whether the taxpayer was a resident under the 'resides' test: (i) Physical presence in Australia (ii) Nationality (iii) History of residence and movements (iv) Habits and "mode of life" (v) Frequency, regularity and duration of visits to Australia (vi) Purpose of visits to or absences from Australia (vii) Family and business ties to different countries (viii) Maintenance of place of abode. These factors are similar to those which the Commissioner has said are relevant in determining the residency status of individuals in IT 2650 and Taxation Ruling TR 98/ 17 Income tax: residency status of individuals entering Australia . It is important to note that not one single factor is decisive and the weight given to each factor depends on individual circumstances. You were born overseas. You are a citizen of both the overseas country and Australia. You went to Country Y for work purposes. Your spouse remained in Australia in the family home for the period you were in Country Y. Based on the facts above you were residing in Australia according to ordinary concepts for the period you were in Country Y. In the recent case of Iyengar v FCT 2011 ATC 10-222, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal held that the taxpayer was a resident of Australia, even though he was working overseas. The taxpayer's family ties, his intention (to complete his contract) and motive (to pay off his mortgage), and his maintaining an Australian place of abode while working overseas, were all indicative that he was an Australian resident during the relevant period. In your case you chose to accept a job outside Australia in Country Y which was your reason for being in Country Y and you therefore remain a resident of Australia for taxation purposes. Whilst it is not necessary to meet more than one test to determine residency for tax purposes (we have already established that you are a resident under the resides test), we will also include a discussion of the 'domicile and permanent place of abode' test as an alternative argument. | Detailed Reasoning - The domicile test: If a person's domicile is Australia they will be an Australian resident unless the Commissioner is satisfied they have a permanent place of abode outside of Australia. A person's domicile is generally their country of birth. This is known as a person's 'domicile of origin'. In order to show that an individual's domicile of choice has been adopted, the person must be able to prove an intention to make his or her home indefinitely in that country. Your domicile of origin is an overseas country and your domicile of choice is Australia. The expression 'place of abode' refers to a person's residence, where they live with their family and sleep at night. In essence, a person's place of abode is that person's dwelling place or the physical surroundings in which a person lives. A permanent place of abode does not have to be 'everlasting' or 'forever'. It does not mean an abode in which a person intends to live for the rest of his or her life. An intention to return to Australia in the foreseeable future to live does not prevent the taxpayer in the meantime setting up a permanent place of abode elsewhere. The Commissioner is not satisfied that you set up a permanent place of abode outside Australia for the following reasons: • You are a citizen of Australia • Your spouse did not accompany you to Country Y • You had a home in Australia to return too You are a resident under this test. | Detailed Reasoning - Your residency status: You were a resident of Australia for taxation purposes for the period you were in Country Y for work purposes.