If I move countries what happens to my shares?

[theasxgorilla]

Gorilla,

In the event of a 'long holiday', you'd still have to submit a tax return each year right? I've been abroad for over 5 years. How long would constitute a 'long holiday'?

Ty.

Technically if you're in the other country for more than half the year and earn an income there you are a non-resident in Australia for tax purposes.

Five years+ is too long to be on holiday for tax purposes IMO. Particularly if you're earning an income in that country.

 

[mmmmining]

You can change you postal address to a foreign address. The online broker such as comsec or any will allow to do so.

The disadvantage is you are classified as foreigner if outside ANZ. So a lot of freebies you are excluded, such as placement, right issue, SSP, spin-off, priority allocation, etc, and etc.

If you have an US address, NAB, BHP, NWS.... a bunch of companies will cause you a lot of trouble for dividends. You have to fill a bunch of forms to say you pay tax in Aus, etc.

 

[Dettis]

Realist,

You should elect to receive all your mail via e-mail through your share registry (Computershare etc.) but you'll still need someone 'on the ground', at your 'registered address' to take care of important correspondence such as dividend cheques and share entitlements. This is how I've been doing it and it's working out ok.

The tricky part is tax. I briefly looked into it and got the gist that if you're getting fully franked dividends you're ok, and that you should try to stay below the lowest income tax level since you're out of Australia and not a resident paying tax. I too need to look into this further as my portfolio is growing a little too big to stay under the radar without knowing exactly what I need to do.
Cheap long distance moving companies page G&J Moving.

If anyone knows differently I'd love to know - (mine is not accurate advice).

Ty.

what state did you move to? Not to Virginia, by any chance?