Lafha
 

I apologise in advance to all you regulars who'll groan at this. I've been searching this site and others about the 'Living Away From Home Allowance' and am drawing a blank.

I wondered if someone can help me. I recently arrived here (Sydney) on a Working Holiday Visa and started work at my old company I worked for in Britain, although it was not a transfer. The idea is that if things go well they will keep me on, on what I believe might be a 457 visa, but I'm not sure.

My friend tells me I will be eligible for the LAFHA but I can't tell, even from the posts and info on this site.

Can someone point me in the direction of finding out, or even chat to me about it? Receiving this benefit would make the difference to me being able to afford to stay here, and I need to find out more about it.

Again, I apologise for being a newbie and asking a question that is no doubt asked time and time again.


Richard

Re: Lafha
 

Hi Richard & welcome to the forum ;)

I cant answer your question but thought you may have more success if you posted this question on the immigration forum?

Goodluck,
Donna.

Re: Lafha
 

Thankyou, I didn't know there was one - I'll try that.

Re: Lafha
 

Hiya,
Did you find it?

Donna.

Re: Lafha
 

Hi,
If you go to the www.aussiemove.com discussion board and do a search on Tracey32 you should find a thread I started about this. It may have some info in it you don't know.
Good luck
Tracey

Re: Lafha
 

Richard,

This might be of interest:
http://www.gomatilda.com/news/article.cfm?articleid=61

The key issue is usually whether the employer is happy to make the LAFHA available to you. I say this as the tax legislation pertaining to this Allowance sits under the Fringe Benefits Tax provisions, which affect employers and not employees => if the employer pays a LAFHA and the ATO considers there was no entitlement (eg if the employee is not living away from his/her "usual place of abode") the tax liability falls on the employer to settle.

Note also that this Allowance is not a claim you can make in completing your annual Aussie Tax Return - it has to be provided as part of the packaging of your salary.

Best regards.

Re: Lafha
 

I agreed a package with my employer before I accepted the position which included LAFHA. It is well worth having as all accomodation is not taxed. I am going on a 457 visa.

Cam



This might be of interest:
http://www.gomatilda.com/news/article.cfm?articleid=61

The key issue is usually whether the employer is happy to make the LAFHA available to you. I say this as the tax legislation pertaining to this Allowance sits under the Fringe Benefits Tax provisions, which affect employers and not employees => if the employer pays a LAFHA and the ATO considers there was no entitlement (eg if the employee is not living away from his/her "usual place of abode") the tax liability falls on the employer to settle.

Note also that this Allowance is not a claim you can make in completing your annual Aussie Tax Return - it has to be provided as part of the packaging of your salary.

Best regards.[/QUOTE]