PunkDebutante

My husband spoke with a LAFHA person here in QLD and we were told that he would still be eligible for it in this sort of circumstance as this is what LAHFA was originally intended for.

Ian Lindgren

Hi,

Yes, the advice your husband was given was quite correct in terms of being eligible for LAFHA both now and under the proposed legislation.

And yes, it is also what it was originally intended for. So he is lucky all around!

Regards,

Ian

Ian Lindgren

Hi Towers,

I'd love to say "yes", but no, unfortunately I have not heard anything of this rumour. I do believe it to be just that...a rumour; something to be ignored. Extremely unlikely and probably spread by well-intentioned people with wishful intent!

I think it is a very short sighted decision by the Government, and it doesn't just hurt expats, it also hurts Aussie's that do not maintain their home in their normal home locality. So it hurts everyone. It is in essence a tax grab by the government so they can balance the budget. Most of their stated rationale is rather feeble in my opinion.

You’ll see why I say this because I am just trying to have the Government discussion paper added to my previous post. It dropped off. In fact I’ll add it to this post, so you can read it.

Sorry I can't be the bearer of good news!

Regards,

Ian

towers

Wishful intent is all I have as a LAFHA loving, 457 visa holding, worried expat!

However I think the announcement in 2011 was classic politics - put the horror story of all the worst excesses out there and see how it plays. Let's be honest, taking away tax breaks for people who cant vote isn't exactly courageous. They've had a problem with LAFHA for years. This way they can really spook the people who lobby for it normally to the extent that they'll accept capping as a "better than nothing" option.

That's my prediction: Lafha will be capped, not abolished for people like me.



I hope.

PunkDebutante

A lot of people of here aren't eligible to vote in Australia, even as permanent residents. There have been massive abuses of the LAFHA system over the years. I think they are trying to right the wrongs that have been happening. People use the excuses about schooling fees and so forth but not every state imposes that plus that is never what LAFHA was intended for. But that is just my opinion.

bcworld

LAFHA isn't a tax break for people who can't vote. Neither was it intended as an incentive for attracting overseas workers. Or as a tax break for them or their employers when they got here. This is the whole problem...LAFHA has been misused...the government seems to recognise that so I'm not sure why they would cap it...you're either genuinely incurring an expense because you're working away from 'home' or you're not.

iamthecreaturefromuranus

Funny, but those of us, who were basically rorted by the State of NSW for school fees, while on a 457, see that a little differently.

Tr1boy

How were you 'rorted'? You knew the conditions when you applied for the visa surely?

rld1177

By the logic, what do you think of these changes in respect to those already in Aus that used LAFHA as a decision point when they moved, and now stand to have this taken away? Seems like bait and switch to me.

bcworld

The question is who did the baiting?

Amazulu

457s don't vote so I'm sure that the government does not give a shit. It's the same as the UK's excessive airport taxes (which have reached such a level that foreign leaders raise the matter when they meet Cameron) - foreign passengers cannot vote in the UK.

bcworld

I'd be interested to know what % of LAFHA claimants are 457 holders?

iamthecreaturefromuranus

So what? The conditions that say just because you happen to be on a particular visa we can screw you for an additional tax that nobody else pays? Just because it happens to be a 'condition' doesn't mean it's right.

I've watched this thread on and off and its degenerated into the classic 'us and them' thread. Those who didn't get LAFHA give the impression that somehow they feel they were 'cheated'... and those that did get it pointing out that, for many of us, we also got banged for other taxes that clawed it all back again.
Funny how some people are happy to see the Government screw people... just so long as it's not them.

rld1177

Agreed on the airport taxes. What I meant was there are a lot of people over on 457s that came over with LAFHA as the tipping point or strong incentive to make the move worth it, and you could argue a change in a way is a retroactive change to their VISA conditions. Someone would bring this up in court and push for any changes only to apply going forward. This reminds me of what happened with the highly skilled visa in the UK (I was on it at the time there) where the government made retroactive citizenship requirements and a judicial review forced transitional arrangements. (I dont know if Aus courts are as active in these matters, however)

bcworld

I couldn't care less if people take advantage of what's allowed within the tax system. I claimed a huge deduction for domestic travel expenses last year which in my opinion was completely ridiculous - but it was legit according to the rules so I did. If in subsequent years the government decided it was a tax ruling which was being abused and closed a loophole then so be it. Don't really see the them and us thing happening...some people are just objectively discussing why this is probably going to happen.