Tax and superannuation as a visa holder
Understanding tax in Australia
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) collects taxes for the Australian Government to fund community services such as:
- health care
- education
- roads and train lines
- the Australian Defence Force
- payments for welfare, disaster relief and pensions.
Find out more about tax in Australia on the ATO website.
Getting a tax file number
You should get a tax file number (TFN) when you start working in Australia, otherwise you will pay more tax. It is free to get a TFN.
You need a TFN for your employer to pay tax on your behalf. A TFN also helps the ATO and superannuation funds identify who you are.
If you’re a visa holder you can apply to get a TFN online. Find out about getting a tax file number.
Knowing your residency for tax purposes
How much tax you pay depends if you are an Australian resident or a temporary resident for tax purposes.
Your residency status for paying tax may be different to the status on your visa. You can be an Australian resident for tax purposes without being an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
Find out more about your tax residency on the ATO website.
Lodging a tax return
You prepare and lodge a tax return at the end of each income year – 1 July to 30 June.
You can lodge a tax return online using ATO online services through myGov or the ATO app. Find out what to do at tax time.
Getting superannuation payments
Superannuation or ‘super’ is a form of saving money for retirement in Australia that most workers get. If you’re working, employers must pay a minimum amount of money into a super fund account for you.
A super fund is a company that manages your super for you. Find out about choosing a super fund on the Moneysmart website.
Manage your super
You can check your super balance, transfer money, search for lost super and manage your super using ATO online services via myGov. Find out about managing your super.
Claim your super when leaving Australia
If you earn super while visiting Australia on a temporary visa, you can apply to claim your super back when you leave Australia. This is called a departing Australia superannuation payment (DASP).
You can find out about temporary residents, super and DASP on the ATO website.
Information in other languages
Find information about tax and super in languages other than English on the Australian Taxation Office website.