Helen Twose s Personal finance and KiwiSaver columnist at the NZ Herald answers a question regarding transferring Super funds from Australia to New Zealand. Q. I have a super account in Australia with Macquarie, which is doing reasonably well. I live here in Auckland and have a KiwiSaver account. Keeping an eye on the lowering New Zealand dollar I will be looking at bringing it over here at some stage and trying to get the best exchange rate. So just to clarify, if I bring this over (A$130,000) and put it into KiwiSaver, are you saying it will not be taxed? I am nearly 62. A. Since mid-last year providers on both sides of the Tasman have been required to release the superannuation funds of people permanently moving between the two countries. Most KiwiSaver providers are set up to accept the Australian-sourced superannuation funds, so you shouldnt have too many issues with the actual transfer. But what about the tax, you ask? I talked to Donna Nicolof, BNZ head of wealth and private banking, about bringing your Australian superannuation savings to New Zealand. The amount you transfer to your KiwiSaver account is not subject to any New Zealand or Australian tax but once the funds are invested in your KiwiSaver account any investment earnings will be subject to New Zealand KiwiSaver tax rules. Apart from tax there are other things to think about before deciding whether to transfer your Australian savings to New Zealand. These include differences in product terms and fees, the impact of currency conversion (including exchange rate fees) and investment of the funds. We recommend that you seek specialised and personalised advice about all the issues before deciding whether to transfer your Australian savings to New Zealand to determine whether it is the best decision for your personal circumstances, Nicolof says. There are several differences between the retirement saving schemes in Australia and New Zealand, one of which is that in Australia it is possible to access your savings at 60, or even earlier in some circumstances, and that provision is attached to the funds you bring with you from Australia. I asked Nicolof how it might affect someone over the age of 60. Whether a person cashes out of their Australian super scheme directly or transfers it to their KiwiSaver account is up to them and depends on their individual circumstances and objectives. Again, she strongly recommends getting personal advice. Generally a person is able to access their Australian superannuation funds once they reach the age of 60 and meet the Australian regulations definition of being retired. That means that they are retired and no longer intend to be gainfully employed either on a full-time or part-time basis. So your reader would also have to be retired to access their Australian super. Only the face value of the Australian-sourced funds would be available to be withdrawn from KiwiSaver before 65. The investment gains earned on the Australian-sourced funds after a transfer to a KiwiSaver account are treated as New Zealand-sourced funds (and therefore arent available until 65). The only other issue weve seen is that some Australian super schemes allow access before the age of 60, subject to the retirement provision, but if someone transfers money from one of these schemes to KiwiSaver, the earliest they can access the Australian-sourced funds becomes 60. Given your reader is 62 thats probably not relevant, she says. Theres been good news in the past week or so for New Zealanders living in Australia with money invested in KiwiSaver. Until now it has been one-way traffic for superannuation transfers with KiwiSaver providers ready and willing to take Australian funds, but no one in Australia set up to take KiwiSaver funds. Perth-based WA Super has become the first Australian provider to begin taking KiwiSaver transfers from the tens of thousands of New Zealanders settling permanently in Australia each year. Chief executive John McNally says the 18-month delay in getting set up to take KiwiSaver funds was because new rules, which are voluntary, came into effect just as the Australian superannuation industry was going through a massive change to its processes and standards. To put it simply, I think the Transtasman Portability Scheme provided Australian super funds a fantastic opportunity, but came at unfortunate timing as the whole industry was in lock-down focusing on the compulsory reform. McNally says the company has worked tirelessly to make all the changes, plus prepare itself to take KiwiSaver transfers. WA Super is proud to now offer this service. In terms of why others are yet to come out and do the same, perhaps it is a case of delay in their process or they could be still concentrating on the previously mentioned reform adjustments, Im not entirely sure. Disclaimer: Information provided is stated accurately to the best of the respondents knowledge at the time of publication. It is general in nature and should not be construed, or relied on, as a recommendation to invest in a particular financial product or class of financial product. Readers should seek independent financial advice specific to their situation before making an investment decision.- NZ Herald
Posted on: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 00:03:47 +0000
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