Updated: January 2022
After the recent victory in the Australian high court, changes to the backpacker tax may mean you are eligible to have your previous tax returns re-assessed.
The Australian government have announced that eligible working holiday makers may be taxed on the same basis as an Australian national, if they are both:
- from a non-discrimination article (NDA) country
- an Australian resident for tax purposes.
What is NDA country?
A non non-discrimination article country is one of the following:
- Chile
- Finland
- Germany (for 2017–18 and later income years)
- Israel (for 2020–21 and later income years)
- Japan
- Norway
- Turkey
- United Kingdom.
Am I an Australian resident for tax purposes?
Unfortunately, classifying an applicant as a resident for tax purposes is not straightforward. Factors such as how long you’ve been in the country and your activity while in Australia affect the outcome. For example, if you’re visiting Australia for longer than six months, live in the same place and establish ties with the local community, then you’ll likely be considered an Australian resident for tax purposes.
Were you a backpacker in Australia between 2017 – 2020?
If the answer is yes, then you could be eligible to get your tax refund re-assessed and claim a whopping refund.
How do I get my claim re-assessed?
You can find out if you are eligible to have your tax return re-assessed easily – all you need to do is complete the short form here with our tax partner.
