megbarrow93

Hi everyone

This my first post here so apologies if I get anything wrong.

I am from the UK and I am moving to Brisbane in March with my partner (who is Australian). We have lived in the UK together for the past year and as his VISA for here is running out, we have decided to go over to Australia.

I am leaving my current company here in England who have asked if I would continue to do some remote work for them whilst I am in Australia for a few months.

Is this possible to do when I am on a Working Holiday Visa or is this not allowed? Would it also make a difference if they continued to pay me a salary or I set up my own limited company and did it as freelance work?

Any help would be very much appreciated

Thanks!

WRUSSELL

What you propose looks ok.

megbarrow93

So this would be okay to do whilst on a Working Holiday Visa? There isn't any restriction to say I can't?

Would this also only be able to be for 6 months or is this only when working for an Australian company?

Thanks for your response

M0zza

If you only carry on working for them for a few months the six month rule is not relevant either way is it?

They cannot pay you as an employee on UK payroll, they need to either administer Australia payroll or pay you as a contractor / consultant.

Pollyana

Why?

Its a genuine question, I don't see why a person on a holiday visa cannot receive salary in their home country?Most people on holiday continue to be paid at home.

M0zza

Oh maybe I misread. I thought she was going to be carrying out the work whilst she was in Australia.

If she is just receiving her accumulated holiday pay, then I agree of course there is no issue.

Pollyana

If she's still employed by the UK company, and is just doing online work for them, then AFAIK they can continue to pay her as normal. No need to set up and Aussie company and pay her here.
If I'm wrong, I'm sure someone will jump in, but just because she is physically in Aus, I don't believe she has to be paid through an Aus company.

rammygirl

Well my husband always worked when we were on holiday even in Australia being paid from the UK. But these were holidays of a couple of months at most.
If you are resident for tax purposes in Australia then you should be paid via Australian payroll and pay tax and super in Australia.

I think on a WHV you will be considered a tax resident so probably best to consult a tax accountant to be sure, not clear about the 6 month thing either.

Pollyana

I did hope that as an agent has ok'd the initial plan, he might come back and pass comment on the rest, but nothing yet.....

Probably worth the OP getting professional advice - especially as they are talking of 'moving' to Australia with their partner, so presumably they are hoping not to return to the UK. In that case they would definitely become tax resident and have to declare worldwide income here. AFAIK they can still be paid by a UK company, they just have to make sure its declared on ther Aus tax return.

megbarrow93

Just catching up on responses, so thank you to everyone who has responded.

Maybe I need to speak to someone in regards to the tax - I don’t think the actual working will be an issue as I am allowed to work on a working holiday visa.

From some research, it looks like I will be a resident for tax purposes which apparently means I have to declare everything I earn inside and outside of Australia.

I think this is just so I am declaring everything that I have earned which will contribute to my overall earnings for the year for tax purposes?