jono1969

Hi
This is my first post to this site so please be gentle with me!
I have been approached by an agent offering me a job in Perth for 12 months. They are going to sponsor a 457 visa for me. I asked them about the Living Away From Home Alllowance and there reply was

The ATO will not allow agencies to pay LAFHA. We used to be able to do this a couple of year ago but the ATO has stopped this.

Can anyone clarify this ??

woodyinoz

Hi Jono

cant help i'm affraid I just wanted to say Hi

Mrs JFW

Hi Jono,

Sorry I can't help either, just wanted to say Hi and by the way I used to live in Ashford!

manxfamily

Sorry cant help, but hell everyone is saying hi so HI!!!

Mrs JFW

LOL Hi Manx

manxfamily

How u doing?

jono1969

Thanx for being gentle with me!
I was only asking as a friend of mine has been told he does qualify and we do the similar sort of job. The only difference is i'm going there contract and he is going staff. Dont see what difference it makes as we r both on 457 visas.

HAM

Hi jono

My hubby has also been approached by an agency with a potential job offer and like you it will be a 457 on a contract basis through a sponsoring agency. We have been told that we will get LAfHA and other tax benefits too...I don't know the in's and out's fully but do know for sure that that was one of the benefits

jono1969

Thanks for the info. I have contacted someone from Go Matilda who knows all about the benefits. I just dont want to go halfway round the world and find out i could have got a better deal tax wise. Do you know what agency it was that contacted him?

Sam

Sorry i can't help either!!!!!!
But i live about 20 mins from Ashford!!!!! just thought i'd drop in and add that useless bit of info!!!!!!!

Hope you find out though

Pomster

A company called Freespirit helped my husband with some extra tax concessions for LAHA a couple of years ago...condition is that you have to plan to leave Oz within X years . They were some sort of agency- never understood how they worked but they were government backed/linked.
Look them up and see if they can help.

jono1969

I have already run that past the agent i am going to work for and i got a very negative reply They said that they do not work with Contract Management Companies etc etc. I'll perervere though.

Steve G

I can't help either and I live nowhere near Ashford!!

Ah well!!

Anne4Terry

Ditto. Wanted to add my "Hi" though. Have you posted this on the immigration forum? You may well get more answers there. JAJ might get hold of it and be able to advise you.

jjonboy

if an employer do not wish to pay lafha there is nothing you can do about it.... lafha is a bit of a grey tax area and a lot of employers shy away from it including mine despite the fact we have about 20 people on 457's....... at the end of the day if they won't play ball then just negotiate on the salary....

for all matters like this though there is no substitute for professional advice