Creative & Digital · Brisbane
Accountants for Digital Nomads
Working from Bali, Lisbon or Brisbane in the same year — residency is the question that determines everything else about your tax.
Am I still an Australian tax resident if I work overseas?
Probably, unless you've genuinely established a permanent home elsewhere. Residency turns on your ordinary circumstances — where your permanent abode is, family and asset ties, behaviour and intention — not on days counted or your visa type. Residents are taxed on worldwide income with foreign income tax offsets available; non-residents are taxed only on Australian-sourced income but lose the tax-free threshold and the CGT discount. Ceasing residency can also trigger a deemed disposal of certain assets.
- Specialist support for location-independent workers
- Fixed monthly packages from $220
- BAS, payroll and year-end handled together
- Benchmarked against ATO industry figures
What we watch
What matters most for location-independent workers.
Residency, documented
A position taken deliberately with evidence — leases, employment, family location, asset ties — not assumed from a departure date.
Double tax agreements
Treaties allocate taxing rights and can override the default position. They also govern how offsets and exemptions apply.
Departure CGT
Ceasing residency can deem a disposal of non-taxable Australian property unless you elect otherwise — an election with long-term consequences.
Main residence trap
Non-residents generally can't access the main residence CGT exemption on sale. Selling while overseas can be extremely expensive.
Deductions
Digital Nomads — what you can claim.
A working checklist we go through with every client in this sector. Substantiation requirements differ by item — we'll tell you which need records and which don't.
- Home office wherever it is, on work-use basis
- Laptop, equipment and software
- Coworking space fees
- Business travel (not relocation or holidays)
- Professional insurance and registrations
- Self-education related to current income
- Phone, internet and VPN costs
- Foreign tax paid (as an offset, not a deduction)
How we help
Services location-independent workers use most.
Tax Returns
Individual and business returns prepared accurately, lodged fast, with every deduction claimed.
Learn more →Tax Planning
Year-round planning that lowers your tax bill before 30 June — not after it.
Learn more →Business Accounting
Bookkeeping, BAS, payroll and management reporting handled end to end.
Learn more →Self-Managed Super (SMSF)
SMSF setup, administration, compliance and audit coordination in one place.
Learn more →Business Advisory
Structuring, cash-flow forecasting, growth strategy and succession planning.
Learn more →Financial Reporting
Clear statutory and management accounts you can actually make decisions from.
Learn more →FAQ
Digital Nomads — questions we're asked most.
How many days can I spend overseas before I'm a non-resident?
There's no day count that decides it. The 183-day rule is only one test and mainly relevant to people coming to Australia. Australians leaving are usually assessed on whether they've abandoned their Australian domicile and established a permanent place of abode overseas — which is about facts, not a calendar.
Do I pay Australian tax on income earned overseas?
If you're a resident, yes — worldwide income is assessable, with a foreign income tax offset for tax paid abroad. If you're a non-resident, only Australian-sourced income is taxed, at non-resident rates with no tax-free threshold. This is why the residency conclusion drives everything else.
What happens to my Australian property if I leave?
Rental income remains taxable in Australia and withholding rules may apply. Critically, non-residents generally cannot claim the main residence exemption on sale — so the timing of a sale relative to your residency status can change the tax by hundreds of thousands. Plan it before you leave, not after.
Should I keep my Australian company while abroad?
Sometimes, but a company's own residency depends on where it's managed and controlled — running it from overseas can create foreign tax obligations and even change the company's residency. It needs a specific look at both jurisdictions rather than a general answer.
Related
Related pages.
Individual Income Tax Accountant Brisbane
Deduction-maximised returns
Learn more →Accountants for Contractors
Specialist tax and accounting support for Brisbane contractors.
Learn more →Crypto Tax Accountant Brisbane
CGT on digital assets
Learn more →Tax Planning
Year-round planning that lowers your tax bill before 30 June — not after it.
Learn more →Local coverage across Brisbane
We work in person from our Wakerley office and by secure video across 200 suburbs. Start with your region:
- Accountants Brisbane CPA accountants for the wider Brisbane metro area.
- Accountants South Brisbane South Brisbane, West End, Annerley and Sunnybank.
- Accountants Brisbane Northside Chermside, Stafford, Aspley and the northern corridor.
- Accountants Brisbane Bayside Wynnum, Manly, Wakerley and Tingalpa.
- Accountants Redland City Cleveland, Capalaba, Victoria Point and the bay islands.
- Accountants Logan City Springwood, Beenleigh, Browns Plains and 50 Logan suburbs.
- Accountants Ipswich Ipswich CBD and the western Brisbane corridor.
Ready when you are
Accountants for digital nomads — let's talk.
Free 15-minute consultation, fixed monthly fee, and an accountant who already knows your sector.