Move business to Australia or keep in UK?

jackino88

Hi,
My partner and I set up a business (partnership- not a company) late last year and then moved to Australia in January 2025. I am a British citizen and have gained permanent residency here in Oz; my partner is Australian and British citizen- born and raised in Australia but lived in Uk for previous 10+ years. We are looking to live in Australia for a few years.
Our business is an online digital subscription where members gain access to a video tutorial library. We don’t employ anybody and have no physical goods or a business premise. Our bank accounts, accountant are all in the UK and our subscription is in £. For the previous tax year, we have submitted our self assessment and have paid tax in the UK. 

my query is whether we need to register a new business in Australia and effectively start over again in an admin sense or can we continue to pay all of our tax in the UK and not pay any Australian tax? It looks like we would be deemed Australian tax residents because we are operating the business here and this is where we are the majority of the time. Whilst ever we live in Oz, we will only return to the UK to visit family on holiday. However, I’m not sure whether we would qualify to remain to pay UK tax because of the rule of domicile and whether we can wangle it that we have enough established links with the UK (business registration, bank accounts etc) that the business remains in the UK?
Alternatively, could we submit a nil self assessment in the UK and declare all of our income as foreign income on our Australian self assessment?
any thoughts or advice greatly appreciate- thank you 

lincroft1710

Regarding registering the business in Australia, I think you should seek the advice of an Australian accountant.

jackino88

thank you for your reply. Yes, we would definitely seek the advice of an Australian accountant if we were to set up business here but it's hard to find one that knows both the UK/Australian situation to advise us. On here, I'm largely looking for advice on whether people have experience in being abroad but having their business affairs continue in the UK

lincroft1710

You miss the point. You ask the advice of the Australian accountant before you set up the business, so you would know if it would be viable, more favourable or even permissible.

There have been references on these boards to several "absentee" property landlords who live abroad but letting agents take care of most of their business here. But they may not be UK citizens or Forum members

jackino88

thank you for your advice, appreciate it 

koru

A bit late, but a few more comments:

Sounds like you will cease to be UK tax resident and will become Oz tax resident. But check the rules. The UK ones are here: https://www.litrg.org.uk/international/residence-and-domicile/uk-tax-residence/statutory-residence-test

If you are operating the business when you are Australian resident then unless Oz has some very unusual tax rules it will tax you on your worldwide income, business profits included. Australian residents would normally only be taxable on business profits in the UK if the business is being operated from a fixed place of business in the UK or it has a UK agent acting on its behalf. It sounds unlikely that either of these apply, so I would expect the profits are taxable only in Australia.

But there are all kinds of ifs and buts and you should take advice. An Aussie accountant with some experience of international matters will be able to cover UK matters.