Mezzi

Hi all Been ages since I last logged in - I have been in Adelaide 3 years now and when I migrated I rented out my UK flat and registered as a non-resident landlord with HMRC. I sold my flat last year in August and was about to start doing my last tax return online and was struggling a bit so called them to ask a few questions. I have been doing my tax returns online since I got here (so two in total now, about to do my third) and I was asked if I was using Third Party Software.... nope, not sure what that is. Long story short is that in order to do an online tax return as a non-resident, I was supposed to have got this special software that then tells them that you are non-resident. I don't remember seeing anything about this when I declared myself non-resident and I find it a bit confusing when the letter HMRC sends you gives you all the info and encourages you to do it on-line, but doesn't expressly state you need special software! And given that I had declared myself non-resident, surely they know that already??! Anyway, a list of suppliers are on the HMRC website and what I was wondering was if anyone is currently doing theirs with Third Party Software and would they recommend the one they are using? It's a big list, not sure how to pick other than the one at the top! And aside from that, any tips when you are completing your last return and dealing with the proceeds from a sale....? I am a little concerned about how much tax they are going to nail me for! At least I managed to ascertain on the phone that I do not pay Capital Gains. I could of course have done a paper return but have now missed the deadline. Thanks in advance to anyone who might have some useful advice!

Hi Jo I have been here just over a year and just did my first UK and Aus tax returns as I rent out my flat in the UK. I couldn't submit my Aus tax return until I had done the UK one, as that info needs to be factored into the Aus one and I used an accountant here to do my Aus one as I thought it'd be safer! When I attempted to get a tax refund before I left the UK last year (had worked 4 months of that tax year), HMRC automatically sent me the Non-Resident for Tax Purposes forms as I had to declare my UK property on the tax back forms. They wouldn't give me a tax refund until I had completed my first tax refund. The Estate Agent that manages my flat also told me that I needed to let HMRC know about my residency status and I had to send them proof that I had let HMRC know and so they know not to take tax off the rental income. I did end up paying some tax in the UK in this return (depends on how much profit you make though, the threshold is £8000 for the tax year, I didn't make much out of the flat but I had my earnings as well which pushed it just over the threshold) and the accountant here told me that I wouldn't be taxed here as well since the UK and Aus have a tax agreement not to double tax you.... More than that I could not tell you, but hope it helps! Maeri-Anne

This has been a very interesting read - it has been my dream to come to Aus for almost 20 years since coming here as a backpacker and I am of course thrilled to finally be here. It took 4 years and then a change to SA state sponsorship to get here. I am here as a 'business professional', I am a senior PA/EA and had an extremely good and well paid job in London prior to coming here. I saved like mad and brought as much money as I could with me, and arrived feeling excited and positive about the opportunities I thought were here from my research (speaking to friends, job websites etc) - only to then take 3 months to find a job and use up almost all my funds. I too was fooled by the number of job adverts on the likes of SEEK, and realised that the few genuine vacancies on there have so many applicants that you are one in a flood of people and of course you have no australian experience. I have also found like one person on this thread mentioned (sorry, can't remember who now) that Adelaide works very much on who you know and networking. Like so many migrants, I too was prepared to do 'anything', but in reality it's not that simple - the supermarkets were not interested because you are over qualified, coffee shops not interested because they know you won't be sticking around, etc. In the end I took the one job that was offered to me - I applied for more jobs in my first 3 months here than I have ever applied for in my entire career, and was offered ONE interview (and thank goodness!). My job is beyond boring, I have taken what feels like a 10 year step back in my career but in the end, I needed a job and I couldn't afford to be picky. I too cannot help wonder what the logic is of offering places to migrants when there just don't seem to be the jobs available - and I say this being a migrant and being extremely grateful that they did offer me a place. I don't mean that they should stop all migration, but perhaps it's time it was tweaked to realistically reflect the situation here. If I had known that there were so few jobs, would I have still come? Absolutely, without a doubt, but I would more than likely have stayed in the UK another year to save more money and be in a better position when I got here. I wouldn't have changed my mind but I would have liked to have had more realistic information to base my decisions on. In my opinion, this country is expensive - I lived and worked in London and I am amazed at how expensive Australia is now compared to what it used to be (I have visited several times over the past 15 years) and with the weak pound, well let's face it, it doesn't help! I absolutely do not mean this to sound negative, and I hope I have not offended anyone (am trying to cover my bases here so as not to put myself in the firing line!!), more just that I think it's good to have a realistic view of what you MAY face when you get here (because this is not everyone's experience). Time your arrival properly (I was not too clever there!), and yes, I do think that Diane has a point about migrants not just coming to Adelaide but to where the shortages really are. This is a very emotive subject but I think its a good thread - we all need to hear both sides of the story in order to have a balanced view. I'm 6 months in now - mostly having a good time, just a few bumps along the way! :-)

Thank you!! I have definitely got the impression from the people I have spoken to here (about office work mainly, but work in general too) that this past Xmas period has been much worse than usual, which of course would have been impossible to predict. I think you are right in that generally we all do want to hear the positive things because we are so excited about coming, but the reality is that we need to know exactly what to expect..... it's good that people are more open to this. I also thought that if no temp work came up that it would be no problem to pick up some casual work in a coffee shop or supermarket, and was proved wrong.... Overqualified for supermarkets and coffee shops not willing to give you a go as they suspect (and they are right) that you are just filling in time until a 'real' job comes along. It's a learning curve for sure, and I hope by writing/sharing this I'll save at least one other (hopefully more) migrant from potentially making the same mistake I did! :-)

I think this is so true - I have just got a job (start tomorrow) and have been looking since I arrived late October (am a PA). A mix of not very much to apply for and then when there is something, apparently they get so many applicants that I think that I don't get a look in having no aussie experience. Registered with 4 agencies and only one interview through them and 3 of those 4 have never even had anything to discuss with me let alone it leading to an interview. It's very hard going and your finances take a beating. I am just relieved that this job has come up otherwise I am not sure what my plan was going to be .... I did arrive at a bad time, I knew it would be slow coming up to Christmas but in my head 'slow' was getting some temp work and maybe waiting a month to 6 weeks for work, but I would describe the job market here as 'dead' for Nov/Dec/Jan and if I were doing it again, I would absolutely NOT arrive when I did - but that's hindsight for you! I don't know whether people want to be nice to you before you arrive, but when I asked some aussie friends of mine when I was making my plans about when to arrive, they said it would be slow but should still be okay - once I was here and struggling to find work, those same people were saying well... really nothing happens Nov-Jan, it probably won't pick up until after Australia Day.... ???? Completely different and where was that useful advice when I first asked?? Thankfully real life starts again tomorrow! Obviously everyone has a different experience, but I would definitely go along with OP on this one....

When's the next meeting?? I tried the link but couldn't seem to get anywhere without registering and I couldn't quite summon up the energy! Or I was doing it wrong... Maeri-Anne

Hi there - I'm 40 and live in Camden Park so not far from Glenelg or the city, would definitely be interested too! Been here since end Oct. Maeri-Anne

Thanks everyone! RLC - ha ha, that's funny! Well it was all sorted around 4pm so I got to see the movie! But I will keep you in mind should I have any problems. What a shame about your temp jobs, that could have been a helpful stopgap, but never mind. Yes, I am originally South African, from Cape Town, there are a few saffas here I believe! :-) Did you go to the cricket then? That would have been awesome at the Oval. Thanks for your tips, I'll have a look into the bus to the Hills. Thanks Diane, I will give them a call as well as not one I have registered with. Luckily I did my skills test with Hays and I have used the results for all the other agencies, so much handier than having to go and do them all individually! I'd be interested to know which other agencies you would recommend - I registered with Hays, Clements and Robert Walters. I don't want to flood them but by the same token I find recommendations are always best. Thanks again everyone for your encouragement and good thoughts, it's great to be here and I am sure everything will fall into place soon - I feel like I am meant to be here, so how can it not all work out!? ;-)

Hi everyone - meant to get on a little while ago but somehow time seems to have escaped me! Here is my 5 week-ish update: Arrived Sydney Tues 22nd Oct and spent a few days there catching up with friends - it was a nice way to start my journey here, fun and chilled and I think it helped take the edge off everything! Landed in Adelaide on Sat 27 Oct and was welcomed by my friend, who took me for a drive down to Glenelg and a glass of wine over lunch - Hello Adelaide! It was a beautiful day too, warm and sunny which was a nice welcome. I was very lucky as I was able to stay with my friend (who lives in Ingle Farm) for the first 4 weeks which helped enormously both financially and emotionally - and she has been an absolute star and helped me so much, driving me around to look at suburbs, printing things, picking me up some days from town, taking me shopping, etc... The first Monday I was here, I hit downtown early and did all my admin stuff: BANK - I had already opened an account with WestPac in London, so went to my branch here to pick up my card... unfortunately even though the ID part had already been done, the card had not been ordered, so had to wait 10 days for that. Kind of annoying but not the end of the world as I have been using my UK card. MEDICARE - I still had my medicare number from when I came here as a backpacker (many) years ago, so she just updated that and I was supposed to get that in the post in around 3 weeks. As of this week, I still had not received it, and when I went in to change my address on Tuesday they have re-issued my card and I should have it apparently within a week. TFN - I still had my TFN from when I was here previously, and I have been told I just continue to use this one DRIVERS - swapped my UK license and received my new SA license by that Friday, super fast! All of this took no time at all, I was in town at 8.30am so everywhere was really quiet and I hardly waited at all at each place. I have also got a metro card for the bus and tram which I use all the time - if you haven't got one, I really recommend that you do. It's MUCH cheaper and also so much more convenient than digging in your purse for change. I went to the railway station to do it as the metro office always has such a huge queue - at the station it took me a few minutes and I was up and running. Very easy to recharge your card either at one of the self serve machines or there are loads of places that you can do it, like newsagents etc. As of this past weekend I just moved into my rental place - it was a huge relief to find something I must admit, you get a little disheartened with all the open houses, some of the places are just horrid, and while I was happy to compromise, I also needed to like where I was going to live! Also hard to get to them in time for the 15 minute slot when you are mostly reliant on public transport. I am very happy with my new place, it is in Camden Park on the way to Glenelg. I have both the tram about a 12 minute walk away and buses off Anzac Highway about an 8 minute walk away. I think in terms of public transport, it's a pretty handy location. I looked at loads of different areas, both the suburbs between the city and the beach, east (Norwood, Kensington Gardens, Magill) and also some south and eventually found this one which ticked all the boxes. When I handed my application in, I made sure I had all the ID docs and proof of my funds to go with it, and they let me have it on condition that I paid 4 weeks of rent up front instead of the usual 2 weeks. My things were delivered out of storage and I am in the midst of unpacking and trying to create some order - ha! I used John Mason and found them good from start to finish. The guys who brought my stuff were friendly and thorough, unpacked all the big stuff and everything except the clothing and linen ones and took all the boxes and packaging away with them. I have a few boxes still and they will come back and pick them up. I had two breakages, one glass and one china plate, and the top of my old-fashioned wooden wardrobe is missing, but they think they have located it and will be updating me hopefully today. All in all I think that's pretty good. No mildew, and even though I am washing all my stuff before packing it away, it actually is fine, just needs freshening up. Customs opened 4 boxes but all was okay. Work - I am a PA/EA. Have registered with agencies, met up with all the work contacts I was given and have sent my CV off to anything I see on SEEK. However nothing yet. I was warned that things are generally slow here and that coming up to Christmas/Jan is always slow too, so will see what happens. I didn't anticipate having work in my first 4 weeks but I had hoped that there would at least be an interview! It is a little worrying, but I am trying not to stress too much. I have definitely noticed what other posters have said in that everything here seems to take quite a while, even if the agency is interested in you they seem to take forever to come back to you, not what I am used to! Ultimately I have decided to hold off buying a car until I have a job and that way can still pay rent etc for a few months without worrying - it's not ideal to not have a car right now, and I might just end up with a $500 car which is not what I want, but there are worse things in life! :-) I am trying to decide if I am going to start hitting the coffee shops etc and see if I can pick up something, or whether I just try and enjoy this time getting to know Adelaide and instead of going to Newcastle for a week over Christmas to see my brother and his family, I may go up for 2 weeks and enjoy the time with my nephews while I can. At this stage Christmas is only 4 weeks away really, so I just wonder whether it's realistic to think any positions will come up before the New Year. What else? I have been to Central Market many many times and love it, there's a coffee place in there that I love, but sorry can't remember the name! You sit up on stools if that helps, and all the staff look a bit retro! One day I treated myself and had brunch there and had the most delicious french toast with strawberries, maple syrup and rhubarb compote - DIVINE! However most days I make myself a sandwich, grab and apple and then hit town... I feel a bit like a backpacker again, but I refuse to pay around $10 for lunch every day! the great thing about Adelaide is all the parks and places to sit and the water fountains to refill your water bottle. I particularly love the area at North Terrace, running from Government House to the Art Gallery - loads of benches, sun and shade, it's a great place to sit and have a breather, and public toilets at the library. I joined the city library - all I needed was my drivers license and I got a card straight away, and after 3 months of being a 'probationary' member you can then take out up to 100 items, crazy! It's free, and you can take out books, CDs, DVDs and mags. I have since then also joined the library at Glenelg - as of March next year I will have one card that I can use at both (they are having a roll out of the new system). There's also free Wi-fi at the library, and PCs where you can book 15 minute or hour slots, which was helpful while I was trying to sort the dongle out. Very hard to be without internet! I have been to the Migration Museum (interesting), the Aboriginal display at the SA Museum (very good, worth a look), the Art Gallery (beautiful, if you like art you should go or at the very least just go to look at the interior, as it's a beautiful building). The Botanical Gardens were very nice, though I confess having just been in Cape Town with my parents for a couple of months, they do not compare to Cape town's Kirstenbosch Gardens, which I have decided must be one of the most stunning in the world. Otherwise I have just done a lot of wandering around, trying to familiarise myself with Adelaide - as I said I take the bus and tram quite a lot, walk a lot, and have had no problems. Sometimes I end up waiting a fair while but I just remind myself this is not London and I can't expect as regular a service! Beach wise I have only managed to go to Glenelg and Grange, I preferred Grange as it was not as busy. I haven't yet managed to get to the Hills, but looking forward to when I do get there, will have to wait for a car to really get out and about. Internet - as I type this I am sitting here waiting for the guys from Adam to come and install my phone and broadband - am using a dongle and an amaysim sim for temporary internet access until that's all sorted, and that's working fine. Annoyingly they can't tell me when they will be here aside from between 8am-7.30pm.... luckily I have lots of unpacking and sorting to do, but I am planning to go to the movies tonight so they had better be here before 5pm! Mobile - I have a Virgin pay as you go, which initially was costing me an absolute fortune, but turns out it was on the wrong 'plan' (long expiry) so since changing it's been much better and $29 gives me something like $350 of credit. Next month when I recharge $29 will give me $400 of credit. I can't wait to get on a contract though as I am so reliant on my phone and am having to be so careful about ringing people and only ringing landlines to keep the costs down, and I find quite a few people only have mobiles these days. I also desperately need a new phone, I have an old nokia from about 2.5yrs ago, it's antiquated compared to what most people have these days! All in all I think Adelaide is a lovely little place - definitely more of a big town than a city, which I like. Everyone has been very kind and helpful and let's face it, I can't complain about the weather too much..... though I must admit while I like hot weather, nearing 40 degrees is not much fun! I am not missing London at all, but then I never felt like it was home there even after 10 years, and find myself missing Cape Town more, but that's probably because I have just been there and is originally my home! I think having my own place and things around me will really help me to feel more settled and then of course once I am working and making friends, the rest falls into place, but I am very happy to finally be here. Hopefully I have covered everything, sorry it's a bit long but while I had a moment thought I'd try get it all down. And thank you to all those people who have posted these sorts of things in the past, I learnt such a lot when I was doing my research and it has definitely helped me now that I am here. See you around Adelaide! Maeri-Anne

So pleased it's all going well!

Hi Shelagh Not sure if you are still looking for info but I used John Mason and so far have had no problems, though my goodies are also still at sea, arriving 2nd Oct. Their quote was cheaper than Anglo and White & Co, and they were very pleasant. I also used Letton Percival for insurance, was MUCH cheaper and it was all very simple and they were very helpful. Will post once I am in Adelaide and have my stuff - hopefully all will be well! :-) Maeri-Anne

I had John Mason in today to pack my things - the guys were great and really efficient..... will have to update you on the other side in a few months, but so far so good!! :-)

I had Anglo, John Mason and White & Co come out and give me quotes - Anglo were good, but in the end I went with John Mason as they were slightly cheaper (and were very good from the outset). I haven't shipped yet, 4 weeks time, so time will tell I guess, but fingers crossed! :-) Good luck with who you decide on!

Me too!!!!! :-) Arrive into Sydney 5th Sept and plan to get down to Adelaide around 20th Sept (spending a couple of weeks with my family in Newcastle first). Are you freaking out a little yet?? I am doing a bit of travelling between leaving here and getting there, so leave here in 6 weeks and there seems like SO much to do, I am getting in a panic all of a sudden! ;-)

I should be shipping some stuff from Cape Town later this year, but don't know when exactly - probably won't be until November-ish... arrive in Oz September and will only ship the CT stuff once I have found a place since I've been living without it in the UK! Let me know if you still need help.