What to do before leaving Australia
There is a moment that always arrives and usually has a bittersweet taste: the return home. Whatever your reason may be, there are things you need to wrap up before getting on the plane.
Some can be done later from your country. Others cannot. This is the list.
First of all: don't lose your Australian number
It is the error that causes the most problems, and almost no one sees it coming. Your Australian mobile number is the key to everything you will have to manage from home: myGov, the ATO, your bank, and your superannuation fund send you verification codes by SMS.
If you let your SIM expire, you get locked out of your own accounts. And recovering access from the other side of the world, without an Australian number and with everything in English, is a nightmare that can cost you weeks or straight-up money.
What to do: Switch to a cheap prepaid plan and keep it active with a minimum recharge until you have received your tax refund and superannuation. It's just a few dollars a month compared to hundreds or thousands at stake. And if your carrier allows it, enable roaming or put the SIM in an old phone that you leave turned on.
Before you leave
Make sure you have access to myGov
Check that you can log in without any issues and that your ATO is linked. Keep your passwords in a safe place. This is where you will file your tax return and claim your superannuation.
Download all your payslips
Of all your work, if the employer closes down or you change your email, retrieving them later is complicated. Save them in the cloud, not just on your mobile phone.
Note down which funds you have your superannuation in
If you have worked in several places, it is normal to end up with a balance in several different funds. Write down the names and account numbers: you will need to claim from each one.
Collect until the very last shift
Claiming back unpaid wages from your home country is much harder. Also check that they have paid you your accumulated holiday pay if you were entitled to it.
Cancel the recurring charges
Gym, transport, insurance, subscriptions. Anything with automatic direct debit, or they will keep charging you from the other hemisphere.
Get the accommodation deposit back
The bond it is usually equivalent to several weeks of rent. Handle it before you fly and check that it is deposited into an account you still have access to.
The bank account: don't close it yet
This is the second most common mistake. If you close the account before collecting your tax refund, they have nowhere to deposit it.
Keep the account open until you have been paid in full. Then you close it from wherever you are, without needing to go back.
Closing your account from abroad
Commonwealth has a specific procedure to do it online once you are outside of Australia.
See how to close it →Your money: taxes and superannuation
They are two different procedures and both are your money. Don't let them pass you by.
Tax return
Tax refund
If taxes have been withheld from you, you can claim a refund. There is no minimum number of months worked required: with low income, it is even more likely that you will get a refund.
If you leave before June 30, you can file it early without waiting for the end of the fiscal year.
How to claim it →DASP
Superannuation
The pension fund that your employer has been contributing to. You can claim it once you have left the country and your visa has expired.
Do not leave it for more than six months: afterwards, the fund transfers the balance to the public agency and the process becomes complicated.
How to claim it →If you obtain Australian permanent residency, you lose the right to claim your superannuation permanently. If you are on that path, carefully consider the order of things.
If you leave before finishing the course
Things need to be done right here, because it affects your immigration history.
Notify your school so that your enrollment is formally canceled, and let us know so that we can accompany you through the process.
Leaving without notifying can leave a record of a breach of your visa conditions, and that can complicate your life if you want to return to Australia with another visa in the future. A timely email saves you a problem that can last for years.
Frequently asked questions
Should I close the bank account before I leave?
No. Keep it open until you have received your tax refund and superannuation, because that is where they will deposit the money. Afterwards, you can close it from abroad without returning to Australia.
Why is it so important to keep the Australian number?
Because myGov, the ATO, your bank, and superannuation funds send SMS verification codes to that number. Without it, you could lose access to your own accounts right when you need to claim your money.
Can I claim my money from my country?
Yes, both your tax return and superannuation are managed online from anywhere in the world. What you need is to maintain access to your accounts and a bank account where you can receive the payment.
What happens if I leave school without notice?
This may be recorded as a breach of your visa conditions, which would complicate future applications to return to Australia. Notifying the school and us avoids this problem for you.