The Board of Taxation has publicly released its initial report on its review of Australia’s income tax residency rules for individuals. The Revenue Minister said the Board found that the current individual tax residency rules require modernisation and simplification. The Board also identified opportunities for tax arbitrage, for example where individuals become “residents of nowhere” when they leave Australia and do not become tax residents of another jurisdiction.
The report considered whether the current rules (largely unchanged since 1930) are sufficiently robust to meet the requirements of the modern workforce, address the policy criteria of simplicity, efficiency, equity and integrity, and take into account a significant number of cases heard since 2009 relating to individual residency. The Revenue Minister has asked the Board to consult further on some key recommendations.