[marcus_holmes]

unless you were foolish enough to incorporate in Australia, or grant equity while still resident in Australia.

The ATO will tax any capital gains at full value if they get half the chance. And they're a law unto themselves, with no independent appeal or way of refuting a decision that they made.

[danieltillett]

There is nothing foolish about incorporating in Australia given we have franking credits so that taxes paid by the company are passed down to the individual.

While I have no great love of the ATO, it is a million times better than the IRS.

Of course you can appeal a tax ruling in Australia. If you have done something that is an open-and-shut case of tax avoidance then this might not help much.

[marcus_holmes]

During my MBA one of our lecturers was a tax lawyer, and the stories he told of the ATO utterly shafting people were horrendous. I might be biased because of this ;)