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Foreign Exchange & Tax: A Guide for Returning Expats

Foreign Exchange & Tax: A Guide for Returning Expats

A Guide for Returning Expats

Foreign Exchange and Tax: What Expats Need to Know When Selling Overseas Investments

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For many Australians returning home after years abroad, one of the biggest surprises at tax time is how the foreign exchange rate can impact the tax you pay on your overseas investments.
If you’ve lived and invested overseas – say in the United States – and then moved back to Australia, the timing of when you sell your shares or property can make a big difference to your Capital Gains Tax (CGT) outcome. Here’s why.

Why Currency Matters in Tax

The Australian Tax Office (ATO) requires all capital gains and income to be reported in Australian dollars, not the foreign currency you purchased the investment in.

This creates a complication:

  • Your purchase price (the cost base) is converted into AUD using the exchange rate at the time you bought the asset. 
  • Your sale proceeds are converted into AUD using the exchange rate at the time you sell. 

This means exchange rate fluctuations can create a taxable gain or loss, even if the investment itself didn’t increase in value in its original currency.

Example:

  • You buy US shares for USD 10,000 when AUD/USD = 1.00 (cost base = AUD 10,000). 
  • Years later, you sell them for USD 10,000, but now AUD/USD = 0.70. 
  • Sale proceeds = AUD 14,285. 
  • Result: You’ve made no gain in USD, but in AUD terms, you face a $4,285 taxable capital gain – purely because of currency movements. 

What Happens When You Return to Australia?

Once you re-establish Australian residency, you become taxable on your worldwide income and gains. This means any overseas investments sold after that point are brought into the Australian tax system.

Here’s the key point:

  • In some cases, when you resume residency, the ATO allows a reset of your cost base to the market value of your overseas assets at the time you return. 
  • This “deemed acquisition” rule can reduce the impact of past exchange rate movements and ensures you’re only taxed on gains that occur from the time you’re back in Australia. 

 

Strategies for the Best Outcome

Every expat’s situation is different, but here are some common approaches:

  • Review the timing of sales – In some cases, it may be more efficient to sell while you’re still a non-resident, depending on local tax rules and treaty benefits. 
  • Make use of the cost base reset – Where eligible, this can neutralise past foreign exchange gains and limit tax to the period of Australian residency. 

Plan ahead – A structured exit and re-entry plan can help you avoid unnecessary “phantom gains” created by currency shifts.

The Bottom Line

Foreign exchange rates can significantly influence your tax outcome when selling overseas investments as a returning expat. The right strategy can mean the difference between paying unnecessary tax on currency movements or only paying on the true investment gain.

If you’re planning to return to Australia or are already back and hold foreign investments, now is the time to review your position.

👉 At Unicorp Partners, we specialise in guiding Australian expats through these complex cross-border tax and financial planning issues.

Need help navigating expat tax and investments?

Contact us today to discuss how to structure your assets for the best tax outcome as you transition back to Australia.

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Currency Effect On Investment | Australian Expats

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Five Key Numbers That Determine How Much You’ll Pay for Aged Care

Five Key Numbers That Determine How Much You’ll Pay for Aged Care

 

As the population ages, more Australians are exploring aged care options, only to find that navigating costs can be complex. The expenses associated with aged care are influenced by several financial factors, and understanding these can help families plan better. Here, we break down the five numbers that directly impact how much you’ll pay for aged care.

1. Your Income
One of the main determinants of aged care costs is income. In Australia, income includes pension payments, rental income, and returns from investments, such as shares. When entering residential aged care, the government assesses your income to determine your contribution to care costs. Typically, the more income you have, the higher your expected payments.
Basic Daily Care Fee: This fee is set by the government and covers day-to-day services like meals, cleaning, and personal care. It’s fixed for everyone but can be adjusted based on income thresholds.
Means-Tested Care Fee: This is an additional fee based on your income and assets, and it’s one of the most variable aspects of aged care costs. High-income individuals can expect to pay more than those on lower incomes.

2. Your Assets
Assets include any real estate, superannuation, savings, and personal property you own. When assessing assets, the government excludes the primary residence if a spouse or dependent lives there, but it still considers investment properties and other valuable assets.
Refundable Accommodation Deposit (RAD): This is a lump sum payment made for accommodation in an aged care facility, based on asset valuation. If you cannot afford to pay the RAD in full, you may have the option of a Daily Accommodation Payment (DAP), which is essentially a rental-style payment.
Asset Threshold: Those whose assets fall below certain thresholds may qualify for government support, reducing their RAD or DAP, while those above these thresholds may need to contribute more.

3. The Cost of the Facility
Aged care facilities in Australia offer a range of services and amenities, from standard care to luxury accommodations. The cost of a particular facility often depends on its location, the level of care required, and the quality of amenities provided. High-demand areas or facilities with specialised care programs, like dementia care, may come with higher costs.
RAD/DAP Amounts Vary: Luxury facilities or those with premium amenities will charge a higher RAD or DAP, making facility selection one of the largest factors in aged care cost variation.
Extra Service Fees: Some facilities also charge extra service fees for additional amenities like upgraded rooms, entertainment options, or fine dining. Be sure to review these fees carefully, as they can add up quickly.

4. Government Support Eligibility
The Australian government provides various subsidies for aged care based on means testing. Your eligibility for support depends on your income, assets, and the level of care you require. Subsidised care can significantly reduce costs, but the exact reduction varies depending on financial assessments.
Home Care vs. Residential Care: Government support is available for both home care and residential care, but the type of care you choose will impact the amount of funding you receive.
Means-Tested Fee Cap: There is a cap on how much you can pay for means-tested fees each year and over a lifetime. For individuals with long-term care needs, this cap can limit out-of-pocket expenses.

5. Length of Stay
While it may seem like a simple factor, the length of your stay in an aged care facility plays a major role in costs. For instance, opting to pay a Daily Accommodation Payment instead of a lump-sum Refundable Accommodation Deposit can result in higher cumulative costs over time.
RAD Refunds: If you choose to pay a RAD, any unused portion is refundable to your estate, making it potentially more cost-effective if your stay is shorter.
Daily Fees Add Up: The Basic Daily Fee and Means-Tested Fee are recurring costs that accumulate monthly. For those anticipating a lengthy stay, factoring in the long-term total can provide a realistic picture of expenses.

Planning Ahead for Aged Care Costs

Planning for aged care costs is crucial, as the expenses associated with care can impact both your financial security and that of your family. Consulting with a financial advisor can help determine the best payment structure, whether you should pay a lump sum or daily payments, and how to maximise government subsidies.

Understanding these five numbers—your income, assets, facility costs, government support eligibility, and length of stay—can make a substantial difference in managing aged care expenses. By preparing ahead, you can find options that balance quality of care with affordability, ensuring a comfortable and secure future.

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Have Your Retirement Savings Really Been Decimated?

Have Your Retirement Savings Really Been Decimated?

There’s been a lot of mainstream media attention of recent times suggesting the stock market has been decimated and that retirees have ‘lost everything’ thanks to the COVID-19 crisis.
But if we take a closer look at how markets have actually performed, is it really true that your retirement savings have been ‘decimated?’

The first thing we need to remember, is the last bull market that ended when COVID hit, was the longest in history. In fact, From the start of the bull market through to the start of March, the S&P 500 had delivered a cumulative return of 462.1%, according to FactSet. To cap that off, last year alone we had markets delivering us a gain of 31.5%.

To be fair, that’s a pretty reasonable winning run.

Since that point in time, the outbreak of COVID-19 has led to the onset of social distancing measures around the globe, and in many countries, the economies have gone into a virtual shutdown. While markets did fall initially, they have done a pretty good job of recovering.

In fact, looking at the S&P 500 in the US the index is trading at virtually the same level it was only 12 months ago. To suggest stocks have been decimated is perhaps a little bit premature.
Over the course of the year, the S&P 500 is in the red, but not by that much – around 10% at the time of writing.
But it’s also important to note that most investors don’t have a portfolio that is made up 100% with stocks. They are likely balanced in that they combine stocks, bonds and even other assets such as gold or REITs.

If we use a balanced portfolio as a benchmark to measure our performance we can look to the likes of the Vanguard Diversified Balanced Index ETF (VDBA). It is made up of a 50 per cent combination of Australian and International shares and 50 per cent fixed income such as bonds.


 
Vanguard Diversified Balanced Index ETF (VDBA)

So far in 2020, the Vanguard Diversified Balanced Index ETF is down only -4.8 per cent.
If we look back 12 months, we can see that this portfolio is actually up marginally.
If we compare the current price to the start of 2019, we can see this portfolio is up over 8 per cent.
None of these numbers would suggest your retirement savings have been decimated.

What Happen’s to Dividends?

Despite markets remaining solid, there are some things to consider going forward for retirees. One of those is the impact of dividends on your overall portfolio.
If your current portfolio is slanted towards income, then for the short-term there is a good chance those dividends will be taking a hair cut.

Almost all areas of the economy have been impacted by the economic shutdown and that will be filtered through to lower profits and lower dividend payouts for the next few periods.
But with prices remaining relatively robust, it’s clear that the market is still suggesting they can see an end in sight. When these restrictions start to ease, for many areas of the economy it will be business as usual, so hopefully, they can start generating profits and future dividends.

Just how fast the economy will bounce back is any one’s guess but we can look to history to see how the stock market has responded in the past.

History of Market Falls

If we look back from the start of 1950s to the current day, there have been 38 official stock market corrections in the S&P 500. What that means is falls of 10% or more from the most recent high.
Of these previous corrections in the S&P 500, 23 of them lasted 104 or fewer days. That’s only 3.5 months.
So far this current correction is 86 days long, or about 3 months and already, as we’ve seen, things have started to stabilise and improve.

It’s also important to note, that all of these previous corrections were completely erased by bull-markets in the ensuing months and years.
In the long-run, it mattered little, as to when you bought into those markets. You didn’t need to pick the bottom, or be ‘greedy when others were fearful’.

You just had to buy and then hold on. However, there are many things that need to be managed along the way to ensure that you can remain invested without selling your assets due to excess volatility causing panic.
As an Australian investor, this not only means rebalancing your asset allocation regularly to meet your risk tolerance but also having regard to currency movements between the Australian dollar and other currencies as these can have very long term trends that can have a meaningful negative or positive impact on your retirement portfolio.

The mainstream media are good at producing TV – just don’t let them have your believe your retirement has been decimated.

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The Hunt for Yield Sees Investors Pile into REITs

The Hunt for Yield Sees Investors Pile into REITs

While many investors cheered the recent decision from the RBA to cut interest rates to 1.25% from 1.5%, there was one group of investors that were far from happy. Retirees and anyone chasing yield for that matter are now battling very hard to try and find the best way to safely invest their money and derive some sort of income.

 

With interest rates on term deposits, now below 2% in some cases, the hunt for yield is on and it looks like the big winner at the moment are real estate investment trusts (REITs).

 

REITs are a listed investment vehicle that uses a trust structure rather than that of a company. As a result of the laws governing REITs, they are required to return a minimum of 90% of its taxable income back to shareholders each year.

 

As the hunt for yield hotted up throughout 2019, as speculation mounted that the RBA was looking to cut the official cash rate, REITs continued to be bought up on the ASX. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (AXPJ) is up around 20% this year as the major players in the sector have seen huge inflows.

 

Without factoring in distributions we have seen integrated property group, Goodman Group (GMG) up over 40% this calendar year. Industrial property manager Dexus Property Group (DXS) is up over 30% and property developer Mirvac Group (MGR) is up over 50%. Another integrated property group and longtime ASX darling, Charter Hall, is leading the charge with a return of over 50%. All four are currently trading at 52-week highs and continue to press forward every day.

 

As it stands, the forward-looking yield on Goodman Group has been falling and now sits at 2.2%. Dexus Property Group has a current yield around the 4.9% mark, while Mirvac Group is at 3.52% and Charter Hall is sitting at 3.22%.

 

For the time being, the yield on many of the major REIT names is still far more appealing than what we are seeing either from either term deposits or Government bonds. This past week saw the yield on the 10-year Government bonds pushed below 1.4%.

 

While the surge in interest for REITs appears to be gathering steam it is important to note what the RBA has in mind for interest rates going forward. Recently RBA Governor Lowe came out and suggested he is prepared to make further cuts, should they be required.

 

The RBA has been aiming to lift inflation back into their 2-3% target band and to do that they have been targeting employment as a key indicator. This past week, we saw 40,000 new jobs created in the prior month. However, the concerning factor for Lowe was that the employment rate remained steady at 5.2% with many economists predicting a fall to 5.1%. Lowe would much prefer to see that rate dropping towards the 4.5% region, which will hopefully have a flow-on effect to the rest of the economy and the rate of inflation.

 

However, there are a number of major banks lining up who feel rates will need to fall as low as 0.5% for that to happen. The Royal Bank of Canada’s Australian office cut their interest rate forecast to 0.5% believing that is what the RBA will need to get the unemployment rate to 4.5%. At the same time, NAB now expects a 0.75% rate by the end of the calendar year. Based on those two assessments alone, that would require at least two further 25 basis point cuts, if not a third.

 

That all goes to show us that the hunt for yield might very well only be just beginning and there could well be more behind the current bull run in the REIT sector.

 

It is also worth noting that there are also some clear fundamentals backing up various segments within the sector as well. While not all REITs are performing strongly. Given the property cycle in Sydney and Melbourne, investors have steered clear of those with large exposure to residential which has been weak this year. While there is also the belief that there is currently a shortage of quality commercial stock on the East Coast.

 

As consumers continue to change the way they operate, both regional and metro shopping centres have clearly not been as strong as some of the other areas. Scentre Group (SCG) has been a great example of that as the Westfield owner and operator has lost ground. However, they are currently still offering a strong yield in the vicinity of 5.85%.

 

So while the sector overall has seen strong growth this year it has been a tale of the haves and have nots. For those investors looking to get some exposure to yield, Australian REITs could still be representing some value at the moment. Momentum is certainly strong both in the top names and the sector as a whole as we’ve seen.

 

So while the RBA retains its dovish guidance, looking at what Australian REITs could offer your portfolio is an excellent idea. But there is always a word of caution when buying yield plays at highs and you will need to allocate accordingly.

Skype With a Planner

Book your free 40 minute consultation on Skype. Email us some dates and times you are free so we can make a plan

 

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You would like to meet us one-on-one. We would love to meet with you! Please book an appointment on our online system

 

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