Visa status is not the tax test
Your immigration status and tax residency can be different concepts.
Student Tax Support · Perth
Clear tax return support for Nepali students and other international students living, studying and working in Perth. Hamro Accountant Perth can help you understand income reporting, multiple jobs, eligible deductions, ABN income and the records relevant to your tax return.
General tax information only. Your tax residency, lodgment requirements and deductions depend on your actual circumstances.
Students often have a mix of study, casual employment, part-time work, multiple employers or independent work under an ABN. That can make a tax return less straightforward than expected, especially when income comes from more than one source during the financial year.
International students can also have questions about Australian tax residency, the tax-free threshold and what income needs to be declared. Your visa type does not by itself decide your residency status for tax purposes, so the facts of your stay and circumstances need to be considered.
The ATO states that an overseas student enrolled in a course in Australia lasting six months or more may be an Australian resident for tax purposes. Residency is still determined under the tax-residency rules and is not automatically decided only by holding a student visa.
If you are an Australian resident for tax purposes, you may be entitled to the tax-free threshold or a part-year threshold, depending on your circumstances. Temporary-resident rules can also affect whether certain foreign income needs to be declared.
Your immigration status and tax residency can be different concepts.
Students in longer Australian courses may be residents for tax purposes, but the facts still need to be considered.
What you declare can depend on whether you are an Australian resident, temporary resident or foreign resident for tax purposes.
Many students do not have just one simple source of income. These are common situations where clearer records and tax support can help.
Review employment income, tax withheld and any relevant records connected with earning that income.
Income from different employers generally needs to be considered together in the same individual tax return.
Contractor, freelance or independent income can bring additional record-keeping and business-tax considerations.
Platform income, vehicle records and possible GST or BAS requirements may need separate attention.
Interest and other assessable income can also be relevant depending on your tax residency and circumstances.
If receipts or income records are scattered, getting organised early can make tax-return preparation much easier.
The ATO requires a sufficient connection between self-education expenses and the employment activities you are already performing when the expense is incurred. Study that only helps you obtain new employment does not automatically qualify as a work-related self-education deduction.
Where the required connection exists, some costs such as certain course fees, textbooks, stationery, student fees or the work-related portion of a computer may be relevant. Eligibility and record requirements should be checked for the specific expense.
The course generally needs a sufficient connection with the skills or knowledge required in the work you currently perform.
Keep records of eligible costs and be able to explain the connection between the study and current employment.
If a laptop or other item is used partly for private purposes, only the eligible work-related portion may be relevant.
The type of fee, funding arrangement and connection to current employment all matter.
If your income includes ABN, sole-trader, rideshare or delivery work, these Perth pages provide more specific information.
Our main individual tax-return page for Perth taxpayers.
Explore tax return support → ABN Nepali Accountant for ABN Holders PerthFor students or graduates also earning contractor or freelance income.
Explore ABN support → Self-Employed Sole Trader Tax ReturnFor people operating a more established sole-trader activity.
Explore sole trader support → Rideshare Nepali Accountant for Uber Drivers PerthFor Uber, DiDi and delivery-platform income and related records.
Explore rideshare support →You do not need to understand every tax rule before contacting us. Having the basic information organised can make the conversation faster and clearer.
Do not put your Tax File Number, passport details, bank details, passwords or identity documents into our general website enquiry form.
If you lodge your own individual tax return, the standard ATO due date is generally 31 October. Registered tax agents usually have different lodgment schedules for eligible clients.
If you plan to use a registered tax agent and are not already on their client list, the ATO generally says you should engage them before 31 October. Different circumstances can affect due dates.
Moving to Australia to study already involves unfamiliar systems. Tax should not be made more confusing than it needs to be. We focus on explaining what information is relevant to your situation and helping you understand the next step.
Why choose Hamro Accountant Perth →Useful for students who value familiar communication and cultural understanding.
Tax Agent No. 26300474.
Built specifically for the Perth Hamro Accountant website and local client needs.
We can also consider ABN, sole-trader, rideshare and other income where relevant.
These answers are general information only. Tax residency, deductions and lodgment requirements depend on your actual circumstances.
It depends on your income, tax residency and other circumstances. Some students need to lodge while others may instead need to advise the ATO that a return is not required. Your situation should be checked rather than assuming that student status alone decides it.
Not automatically. Your visa type does not by itself determine tax residency. The ATO notes that overseas students enrolled in Australian courses lasting six months or more may be residents for tax purposes, but the tax-residency tests and actual circumstances still matter.
Income from multiple jobs generally needs to be considered together when preparing your individual tax return. Your income statements and tax withheld from each employer are relevant.
Not simply because you are studying. Work-related self-education expenses generally need a sufficient connection with the employment activities you are already performing when the expense is incurred. The type of fee and funding arrangement also matters.
That income may create additional business, record-keeping, GST or BAS considerations depending on the activity. Tell us about all income sources so the correct type of support can be considered.
No. This page highlights Nepali student support because many clients value that cultural understanding, but tax services are not limited to Nepali students.
Yes. Hamro Accountant Perth can provide online or phone-based communication options where appropriate, which can be useful for students balancing study and work commitments.
Send a short general enquiry about your student tax return. You can mention whether you have one job, multiple jobs, ABN income, rideshare income or another tax question.
Do not enter your TFN, passport number, bank details, passwords, identity documents or other highly sensitive tax information here.