There is no limit to the amount of money that you can travel with, receive and send overseas. You don't need to declare money that you transfer overseas or receive from overseas through a bank or a remittance service provider (money transfer business).
The most important thing to remember when you send money overseas is that any amount over 10,000 AUD must be reported by either the sender or the recipient, usually within 10 days. This was established by the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter-Terrorism Financing (CTF) Act to prevent illegal activity.
International Money Transfers
Receive money from overseas straight into your CBA AUD or Foreign Currency Account. This can be done safely and easily by simply quoting our CommBank BIC/SWIFT code, your 14 digit account number and some personal details.
Income earned from overseas sources
If you are resident of Australia, you will be taxed on income earned overseas. This includes business income, international investment income, overseas employment income, foreign pension and annuities, or capital gains on overseas assets.
How much money can you wire without being reported? Financial institutions and money transfer providers are obligated to report international transfers that exceed $10,000. You can learn more about the Bank Secrecy Act from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.
You must declare cash and non-cash forms of money in Australian and foreign currency if the combined value is AUD10,000 or more when moving it into or out of Australia.
Both Western Union and PayPal are popular choices for sending large sums of money overseas.
You can choose to give away any amount and as many gifts as you like. If the total value of your gifts is more than the value of the gifting free area, your payment may be affected.
As an Australian resident for tax purposes, you must declare income you earn anywhere in the world in your Australian tax return. This is known as your worldwide income. It includes any foreign income you may receive from: pensions and annuities.
An RTGS or Real Time Gross Settlement payment is a special type of payment where the transfer of money takes place from one bank to another within Australia in real time. A fee of $20 is debited from the person making an RTGS payment.
However, travellers entering and departing Australia must report any currency they are carrying of $10,000 or more in Australian dollars, or the foreign currency equivalent. Mailing or shipping currency of $10,000 or more in Australian dollars, or the foreign currency equivalent, must also be reported.
Best ways to send money internationally
Bank transfers are usually the cheapest option when it comes to funding your international money transfer with Wise. Bank transfers can be slower than debit or credit cards, but they usually give you the best value for your money.
If you're sending a large amount of money, you may want to use a wire transfer at your bank. You'll need the recipient's account and routing numbers. You and the recipient will likely incur fees. Wire transfers take place in less than 24 hours but do not occur on weekends or on bank holidays.
You must submit a TTR to AUSTRAC for each individual cash transaction of A$10,000 or more. If you suspect your customer is structuring their transactions to avoid the TTR reporting threshold, or is transacting with proceeds of crime, you must submit a suspicious matter report (SMR) to AUSTRAC.
You can get arrested for illegal transferring of monetary funds at any moment. If you do, invoke your right to remain silent.
You must notify the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) if you plan to move overseas for six months (183 days) or more in a twelve-month period. You must do this within 7 days from the date of leaving Australia. Update your contact details via myGov. If you already live overseas, you must notify the ATO.
You're an Australian resident if your domicile (the place that is your permanent home) is in Australia, unless we are satisfied that your permanent place of abode is outside Australia. A domicile is a place that is considered to be your permanent home by law.
As a foreign resident: you have no tax-free threshold. you do not pay the Medicare levy – in your Australian tax return, you can claim an exemption from paying the Medicare levy for the number of days in the income year you are a foreign resident.
Under Australian law, you can give real estate to a relative as an outright gift. When giving ownership to a third party, there is no exchange of money. The gifting process involves filing a Transfer of Land with your title office. Filing a gift deed may also be necessary.
Respect the Annual Gift Tax Limit
You are responsible for making multiple gifts totalling $17,000 to people of your choice without paying the gift tax. If you give more than that to any recipient, you will be subject to tax, so you must ensure the gift is under $17,000.
Gifting limits
The $10,000 and $30,000 limits apply together meaning that assets can be gifted up to $10,000 per financial year without penalty but gifts must not exceed $30,000 in a rolling five-year period.
Use a money-transfer app. Consider a bank-to-bank transfer. Set up a wire transfer. Request your bank send a check.
You can receive money from overseas directly into your bank account, using an international money transfer service. You'll need to provide your bank details so the sender can set up an online account with the international money transfer provider and exchange the money into your desired currency.