IT2650 Residency Permanent Place of Abode Outside Australia
IT2650 Residency Permanent Place of Abode Outside Australia
IT2650 Residency Permanent Place of Abode Outside Australia
EDR Ref: 37
PREAMBLE
Statutory Definition
Summary of Ruling
Definitions
"Reside"
"Domicile"
In addition, that Act abolished the former common law rule whereby
a married woman had at all times the domicile of her husband.
"Place of abode"
"Permanent"
17. The Supreme Court of Queensland held that the taxpayer had a
permanent place of abode outside Australia during the period he
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was overseas even though he had not at any material time formed an
intention to remain indefinitely in the New Hebrides in the sense
in which the word "indefinitely" is used in Applegate. Sheahan J
considered that if a stay of 10 years could not sensibly be
regarded as "temporary", neither should a stay of 3 years be so
regarded. In giving evidence, the taxpayer had said that, under
normal circumstances, he and his wife would have applied for an
extension after the 3 years had lapsed. In addition, they had no
fixed date on which to return to Australia until the taxpayer fell
ill.
RULING
Domicile
Weight of factors
24. The weight to be given to each factor will vary with the
individual circumstances of each particular case and no single
factor will be decisive. Applegate seems to indicate, however,
that greater weight should be given to factors (c), (e) and (f)
than to the remaining factors, though these are still, of course,
relevant. The fact that a taxpayer knows that he or she will
return to Australia at a definite point in time (factor (b)) does
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28. The fact that an individual has established his or her home
(in the sense of a dwelling place; a house or other shelter that
is the fixed residence of a person, family or household) in an
overseas country would tend to show that the place of abode in the
overseas country is permanent. Acquisition of a home in the
overseas country would be a very relevant though not conclusive
factor. On the other hand, individuals or a family group who
"make do" in temporary accommodation with limited resources and
facilities such as in barracks, singles' quarters, aboard ships,
oil rigs, or mining towns, will be less likely to be considered to
have established a permanent place of abode overseas.
Factor (f) - Durability of association with a particular place in
Australia
EXAMPLES
Result: resident.
Result: non-resident.
33. A bank manager was posted to the New Hebrides for 2 years.
During that time he and his family lived in a furnished house
provided by the bank. The taxpayer's home in Australia was let.
On leaving Australia, the taxpayer expected a further overseas
posting after his 2-year period. He advised the Department of
Social Security that the family was leaving Australia permanently
and child endowment payments should cease. The taxpayer was
considered to have abandoned his place of residence in Australia
and to have formed the intention to, and in fact did, reside
outside Australia. His place of abode in Vila was not merely
temporary or transitory; rather, it was intended to be and was in
fact his home for the time being (Case S19 85 ATC 225;
28 CTBR (NS) Case 29).
Result: non-resident.
34. A bank officer was posted from Australia to the New Hebrides
for 2 years only and never intended to stay any longer.
During his overseas posting he maintained bank accounts in
Australia, into one of which family allowance payments continued
to be made, and let his Australian home unfurnished. He was
accompanied by his wife and children. His place of abode in the
New Hebrides was considered to be temporary or transitory for two
reasons. Firstly, he lived, by the bank's continuing permission,
in a house leased by the bank in the New Hebrides. Secondly,
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Result : resident.
Result : non-resident.
Result : non-resident.
Result: non-resident.
Result: non-resident.
40. A person who went to the U.K. to work for 3 years and
established a place of abode there was not considered to be an
Australian resident during that period. At the end of the 3-year
period, before returning to Australia she travelled around France
for one year and Spain for another year, combining travel and
casual employment. During the additional two years, she was not
considered to have a permanent place of abode in either Spain or
France and was therefore a resident of Australia.
overseas home and the rest of each year in his Australian home.
Because of the length of the taxpayer's stays in Australia, the
duration of his presence overseas and the lack of continuity of
his presence overseas led to the conclusion that he had not
established a permanent place of abode in the overseas country.
This conclusion was supported by the extent of his durability of
association with his home in Australia.
Result: resident.
Result: resident.
COMMISSIONER OF TAXATION
8 August 1991