# Retired Aussies in Thailand -Super Advice Please!



## dhream (Jan 30, 2012)

G'day All,

I have been 'on the road' since taking a voluntary redundancy and 'retiring' in April 2012, I have tried Singapore, and the EU (Germany, Scotland, and Portugal) the European winters, even in Portugal, are doing my head in! 

I don't have plans to relocate to Australia again, if ever, so Thailand seems to be next on the list, and I'm hoping I'll find a new home at last, this rolling stone thing is getting old and so am I (I'm 53 next month). I have, like many in Thailand, a modest nest-egg that would not last many more decades in Australia, now one of the most expensive places to live on the planet, but would easily last in Thailand if I live a comfortable but modest life, on the plus side, single, no debts, no kids, and the ability to build an income online, which has had to take a back seat with all this global roaming...

I am up a creek without a paddle as far as Super goes and need some advice. 

As this advice may be 'unorthodox' and I am expecting it will be! Please feel free to PM me guys!

My situation is this: I transferred into a SMSF before retiring, as I wanted more control over my money. 

When I left Aus I did the right thing, and got my SMSF 'managed' by a reputable bloke, but his fees are insane! I took him on at the time because I thought my investments would cover it, they didn't and I had no option but to let him go after a year.

I now have an Expat SMSF that is 'non compliant' or shortly will become so. 

Penalties can be severe. As you know we also can't contribute to our own super while outside Aus (madness!).

I have significant amounts (two thirds) of my SMSF in overseas gold and silver, which is doing poorly at the moment, so I can't exit the position into cash without copping possibly fatal losses, but hope this will improve, I still do have time on my side so long as we're talking 5 years or so, but who knows?

In a nutshell, I can't therefore roll back into a nice safe set-and-forget industry fund anytime soon, and certainly not before my fund becomes non-compliant (within a year or so).

I am still optimistic, and would like to keep my nose clean, and approach the ATO with my dilemma, but, I am also afraid that they will be inflexible and then I may have no choice but to remove my own assets from the Aussie SMSF and Tax infrastructure as a matter of self-preservation!

This would make me in effect, a tax 'criminal' in Australia!

Also if I approach the ATO and they decide to play hardball, I've then red-flagged myself, and this would also be an unhappy ending.

Can any retired Australians with any experience with the ATO or a similar scenario pleas PM me with any advice, from the mundane to the drastic, all points of view would be welcome!

Is there also an extradition treaty with Australia for tax evasion? Ha ha I'm only half joking... 

Thanks in advance, D.


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