Complete guide to managing your taxes and Superannuation before leaving Australia

Person preparing to leave Australia while organising taxes and superannuation

Leaving Australia? The essential guide to your taxes and superannuation

Before you leave Australia, make sure you’ll still be able to access your myGov, your ATO account and your superannuation from overseas. This guide outlines the key steps so you don’t lose access to your money.

  • Step 1 – Set up myGov access from outside Australia.
  • Step 2 – Download and save your Notice of Assessment.
  • Step 3 – Get your superannuation ready to claim (DASP).
  • Step 4 – Double-check your personal details match exactly everywhere.
Calculate how much super I’ll get back

The myGov portal is essential if you need to manage your Tax Return from overseas. One of the most common issues after leaving is that login codes are sent by SMS to your Australian phone number.

To avoid that, it’s highly recommended you set up the Google Authenticator app before leaving Australia:

  • Set up the Authenticator app so you don’t rely on SMS.
  • Link the Authenticator app to your myGov account.
  • Do a test login using only the code generator app before you travel.
Set up Google Authenticator Log in to myGov

If you skip this step and lose your Australian number, getting back into myGov from overseas can be a very slow and complicated process.

Your Notice of Assessment is the official summary of your Australian tax return. You may need it in the future if you have to review or amend a Tax Return after you’re already back home.

To download it from myGov:

  • Log in to myGov and open the ATO online services.
  • Go to Tax > Lodgments > Income Tax > History.
  • Download your Notice of Assessment as a PDF.
  • Save it somewhere safe (for example, in the cloud and on an external drive).

If you have more than one notice (for example, after an amendment), make sure you always keep the most recent, up-to-date version.

Claiming your superannuation doesn’t stop you from coming back to Australia on another visa in the future. But it’s important to have your documents organised before you leave so you can submit your DASP (super claim) from your home country.

At a minimum, check the following:

  • You’ve located your superannuation account(s).
  • Your temporary visa has already been cancelled or is about to expire.
  • You know which fund (or funds) holds your money.

Documents worth preparing before you fly:

  • Certified copies of your passport (in English), signed by an authorised person (police, Justice of the Peace, consulate, etc.).
  • Australian bank statements showing your name, BSB and account number.

Specific requirements for a correctly certified copy of your passport:

  1. It must be a clear copy of the passport.
  2. The person certifying must be authorised to certify documents in Australia (or overseas if you’re outside Australia). The most common options are:
    • Justices of the Peace (they do it for free)
    • Police Officer
    • Notary Public (if you do it outside Australia)
    • Staff at an Australian Embassy/Consulate (if you do it outside Australia)
  3. The copy must include wording such as:
    • “Certified true copy of the original document which I have sighted”
  4. Each passport copy, below the certification statement, must include:
    • Certifier’s signature
    • Full name (printed)
    • Position / authorised professional title
    • Date of certification
    • Certifier’s registration number
  5. Many super funds require the certification to have been done within the last 6–12 months before you submit it.
  6. If the certification is on a separate sheet, that sheet must include your full name, passport number, date of birth and passport expiry date.

If you want an estimate of how much you could get back, use our superannuation calculator before you start the process.

To avoid blocks and issues when claiming your superannuation, your full legal name must match exactly across:

  • Your ATO profile (inside myGov).
  • All your superannuation accounts.
  • Your passport (first name, middle name if you have one, and all surnames).

When names don’t match, some funds can reject the payment and it becomes very difficult to recover the money. A good practice is to keep one set of certified copies in your home country and another with someone you trust in Australia.

If you’ve already left Australia and don’t have all of this sorted, contact us and we’ll review your case based on your country and your situation.

Keep your taxes and superannuation under control before you fly

If you plan your departure from Australia properly, you’ll be able to manage your Tax Return and claim your superannuation from anywhere in the world without losing time or money along the way.

With access to myGov, your Notice of Assessment downloaded, and your super documents ready, you’ll have everything important on hand once you’re back home.

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