Genesis

To help those with doubts about making NZ their new home could those of you who have left NZ or are thinking of leaving let us know why please?

Maybe it would help people to hear these reasons, put some meat on the bone of doubt as it were. Cheers.

alanmacc

I am assuming you are looking for feedback from expats who are looking to go elsewhere?

We all know it is almost a kiwi right of passage to go do an OE for a couple of years. But they always come back theres only so much of the whiney ozzie accent you can take .. lol

Genesis

Yes this is just one for us lot. I think we know why young kiwis do one!

luvwelly

I wish I had have left but I looked out of the window this morning and it appears I am still here today

luvwelly

One driver to leave... for expats who do not wish to commit to life in NZ 100% is the fact that after 4 years here, the NZ tax system starts to tax you on all your overseas assets including the increase in fund value on any superannuation/pension that you are not even drawing a pension from yet (if you are still paying in).
So out of NZ taxed income you have to stump up a significant extra sum of tax on income you have not seen yet nor will you see until you actually retire.

The much maligned (not by me) UK Government is much more equitable in its approach only being interested in its citizens' UK based income while they are living and working overseas and offering 11k tax allowances on it too...I love them...jolly good chaps, what!

I'm sure this taxation on worldwide income thing is what keeps many Kiwis overseas for so long...it is only fiscally safe to return to NZ upon retirement or at a point when you are happy to sever all overseas links for tax purposes.

It's a bit crazy for such an underpopulated country to simultaneously keep its citizens overseas so they avoid NZ worldwide tax whilst simultaneously driving back to their homeland after 4 years, corporate expats/medics who NZ needed precisely because their own citizens were going/staying abroad...

In my weak moments, I'm starting to think the folk on Expatexposed are maybe right , emigration is all some moneymaking/employment creating conspiracy for NZIS and the NZ economy...you know even after you've paid for your PR and your removal costs, you buy new stuff, do home improvements if you buy etc etc and then when you decide its not for you and go back....the removal/shipping costs in reverse...

Sorry but as someone else said the weather has taken a turn for its dull rainy windy wintry worst.

Woodlea

In most countries you pay tax on your worldwide income, I always did when I lived in the UK and worked overseas. The 4 years thing was an incentive to new migrants to NZ.
Perhaps the 11K tax-free allowance is partly why the UK is so burdened with debt. Personally I don't see why people that only earn up to 11k don't pay any tax - how is that fair? Everyone should pay tax IMHO....

luvwelly

..which then drives out the corporate expats/medics they need...when they are happy to stay longer but do not wish to stay forever...

The USA is the only other comparable country I can think of...people rescind US citizenship to avoid paying US tax even though they don't live there.

Dual taxation agreements help a bit but NZ tax is higher because of no tax allowance so it is a real disincentive to stay...but it's the pensions one which is the real killer....it's not equitable to me to stump up 'taxed cash' on cash you are not even receiving yet....

I don't expect any sympathy - I am merely explaining what is driving our decision to leave sooner rather than later which was the crux of Genesis's question.

The Christchurch earthquake has also made it much easier for me to be happy about moving on....probably because I am in Wellington . Earthquakes have always worried me but actually having a serious one happen during our supposedly short stay was not what I wanted.

So for me it's tax disincentives plus earthquake risk plus geographical isolation.

Woodlea

I don't understand this, you only pay tax in NZ on worldwide income if you are resident in NZ for tax purposes. Once you are no longer resident in NZ you will not pay tax here.

I understand your second two points but question your first, I think the tax regime is more benign here, what with no capital gains and no inheritance tax and lower VAT/GST.
I think there was a thread on here before that showed that the overall tax take was about 1% less in NZ than UK which was 1% lower than Oz - or something like that

ExKiwilass

htey have something similar in BC/Canada. I think you get the first 10,000 tax free from the feds and the first $16k tax free from the province. I'm not complaining.

old dragon

We're happy enough for now and will stay put until our youngest goes to uni and then we'll go overseas for at least a decade.

Our main reason is to live somewhere (again) with a lower cost of living and a higher salary - just to have a bit of luxury and fun whilst saving and putting back what was always intended for retirement.

At the moment we intend to settle back here maybe in our late 50's or early 60s - but for now with the high cost of living, it's much more difficult to live on the average salary - and certainly not easy to save.

We're loving it here and we're certainly happy that we did the right thing in coming here - but having lived in 5 other countries, this is the most expensive and we're earning the least we ever have. (we have re-trained though and so back on entry level salaries)

We need to live a little and put some money back in the pot - but we'll wait until the children have left home before we go on another OE.

Nice Guy

I left NZ some 5 years ago.

Reasons are multiple:

1) Job opportunities - although I had a half way decent job in NZ, I yearned for more challenges, certainly got them in Oz but even new challenges here are not enough, at times, for a hungry mind. The wonger did not really bother me too much, but it is certainly better in Oz.

2) NZ was just a little too quiet for my liking, whilst I loathe city life (London was/is a simply dreadful place) NZ was just more slightly sedate than I really wanted.

3) More opportunities for the offspring. Both the fruits of my loins have grasped the opportunities that Oz has to offer and career wise are doing exceptionally well. Perhaps if we had stayed in NZ they may have also grasped the offerings there, I will never know.

4) Shallow excuse number 4.........the weather. I am sure in one of my previous lives I was a reptile, perhaps I was a lizard, I am not totally sure, but I need sunshine and warmth, NZ has plenty of the former but, for me anyway, not the latter.

5) Shallow excuse number 5..........whilst in NZ I was abducted by aliens on a journey to the central North Island. I was alone in my car at night when some bright lights began glowing, the rest, as they say, is a probing history. I think there is less chance of being abducted in Oz and I have no idea why.

6) I love to travel and meet/live in various other cultures, I just fancied Oz.

Hope the above helps.

NG

Expat Kiwi

Because I could.

Actually my reasons were virtually the same as Nice Guy's, except for number 5.

Aliens must've been in Oz that week.

Browner_

God Id love to leave, cos it really aint that nice is it?

Nowhere to go, not much to see.

No wonder the locals are like they are, thank god me and my partner have come from abroad, at least we have something to teach the kids.

I think a better question Genesis is "why are you staying?".

I think its the practalities of wife, kids, family , work and money for most of us. It aint cos we'd rather be here.

love30stm

I personally cant stand the Kiwi accent actually.

love30stm

lol at least your live in a better area than me