An Aussie needing information :)

[asmo]

Hi everyone, first post!

Over a delicious chicken parma at our local pub, my best friend and I began talking about how it is so hard to get ahead in life without 30 years of hard work or a lucky break.

Being a fan of neither we have started looking into options of working in Dubai. Over here it has a "alladins cave" notoriety and we believe that it may just be an excellent solution to saving up some money.

anyway, I am a Web Designer with a couple years expierience and my mate is a Personal Trainer. what kind of salaries and allowances could we expect to find? Realistcally is it possible to save a large amount of money over there or is it an expensive city to live in to complement the high salaries.

Also what kind of tax would i be looking at when bringing my savings back to Australia?

I suppose basically what I'm asking is, Is it possible to save a large amount of money in Dubai within a couple of years and come back to australia to invest it.

Thanks so much in advance.

[sgilli3]

Originally Posted by asmo

Hi everyone, first post!

Over a delicious chicken parma at our local pub, my best friend and I began talking about how it is so hard to get ahead in life without 30 years of hard work or a lucky break.

Being a fan of neither we have started looking into options of working in Dubai. Over here it has a "alladins cave" notoriety and we believe that it may just be an excellent solution to saving up some money.

anyway, I am a Web Designer with a couple years expierience and my mate is a Personal Trainer. what kind of salaries and allowances could we expect to find? Realistcally is it possible to save a large amount of money over there or is it an expensive city to live in to complement the high salaries.

Also what kind of tax would i be looking at when bringing my savings back to Australia?

I suppose basically what I'm asking is, Is it possible to save a large amount of money in Dubai within a couple of years and come back to australia to invest it.

Thanks so much in advance.

Hi and welcome to the board.
Being an Aussie too, I would recommend you see an accountant who specialises in tax for overseas workers.
Living and working overseas does not necessarily mean tax free!!

The cost of living here is VERY high.
An average 1 bed apartment will set you back around $40,000 AUD.(per year, paid up front )

Saving huge amounts would be possible if A) you made HUGE amounts of money B) ALL of your living costs were paid up front by your employer (housing, utilities etc)

I dont believe personal trainers earn to much here, not sure about yourself..
I dont believe this is the place to earn the bigbucks short term....maybe over 5 + years...and that is by working REALLY hard

The work environment is very different to most in Oz...the hours here tend to be a lot longer, and the travel to + from work for most people can be very long (+ stressful).......

[asmo]

Hey thanks for the info! I think an accountant would definately be the go.

We're not afraid of hard work, we just dont want to do 30 years of it and realise our life has been nothing but.

Is it common for employers to pay for living expenses?

Originally Posted by sgilli3

Hi and welcome to the board.
Being an Aussie too, I would recommend you see an accountant who specialises in tax for overseas workers.
Living and working overseas does not necessarily mean tax free!!

The cost of living here is VERY high.
An average 1 bed apartment will set you back around $40,000 AUD.(per year, paid up front )

Saving huge amounts would be possible if A) you made HUGE amounts of money B) ALL of your living costs were paid up front by your employer (housing, utilities etc)

I dont believe personal trainers earn to much here, not sure about yourself..
I dont believe this is the place to earn the bigbucks short term....maybe over 5 + years...and that is by working REALLY hard

The work environment is very different to most in Oz...the hours here tend to be a lot longer, and the travel to + from work for most people can be very long (+ stressful).......

[sgilli3]

You either get a job through an employer, and they may pay for your housing etc, and a small er wage, or you may get a good wage, which you pay for things yourself, or your employer may give you a wage and a lump sum to go towards housing etc.

Its not as simple as coming here and getting a job.
Sometimes if you get a job while living here, you will be given a job, and paid on a local contract, (little or no benefits) or if you secure a job whilst back in Oz, you may get relocation paid etc.

Also to work here you need to have a sponsor (ie an employer,or start your own business....which means a local Emirati owns a part of your business or you do what we do and pay our sponsor a certain amount each year to have our business here)

There is a lot to weigh up...but 1st talk to an accountant and discuss the best ways to earn money OS without paying too much tax, and what the implications will be for you to bring back to invest.

Also check out some job websites, to get a feel for what wages may be like.
As for rents etc, have a look at Dubai Property Real Estate – Rent, buy or Sale Properties in Dubai, UAE Apartments and Villas with Better Homes. Manage or Invest in Dubai Property with us. to get a feel for prices (you will need to divide by approx 3.3 to convert to Oz dollars) - and remember its paid a year upfront

[Sam75]

Hi, can help a bit with aussie tax. It depends on whether you are considered a resident or a non-resident - generally, if you intend to be away from Oz from 2 years or more, you can claim non-resident status. If non-resident, then only your Aussie sourced income will be taxable (e.g. interest from an Aussie bank account) but your overseas salary will not be taxed in Oz (and obviously no income tax in Dubai either). If you remain a resident for tax purposes, then generally all your income is subject to Australian tax but there are exemptions for certain things. The most important exemption is salary from an overseas employment (think you have to work more than 6 months overseas to qualify). Hope this helps.

[asmo]

thanks guys for all the info! its put things in perspective now, I shall enquire at some web design firms over there to see what the pay/ lifestyle is like and all that.

thanks again!