Tax rules in limbo leave expats on a knife-edge

Original article by Ingrid Fuary-Wagner, Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 25-Feb-19

The federal government announced in the May 2017 Budget that it would remove a capital gains tax exemption for non-resident Australians who sell their main home while overseas. The government has given non-resident Australians until 30 June to sell their home under existing rules, although legislation to enact the measure is yet to pass into law, while Labor has indicated that it may amend the measures if it wins the 2019 election. Expatriates are in a dilemma, not knowing whether the new laws will come into effect, but many are selling their property anyway, at a time when the housing market is in decline.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, SOTHEBY’S AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Expats urge rethink of draconian CGT plan

Original article by Tom McIlroy, Michael Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 4-Oct-18

Tax experts are concerned about the federal government’s proposal to abolish the capital gains tax exemption for expatriates who sell their main residence in Australia. They have warned that the proposed reforms could potentially apply retrospectively from 1985, when CGT was introduced. Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen has also expressed concern about the "unintended consequences" of the proposed reforms, which were announced in the May 2017 Budget as part of the government’s strategy to address the issue of housing affordability.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, CENTRE ALLIANCE, ST JAMES’S PLACE WEALTH MANAGEMENT, KING AND WOOD MALLESONS, THE HONG KONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE