Expat Taxes

What Expat Taxes does

Expat Taxes (legally Australian Taxation Services (Aust) Pty Ltd) is a specialist Australian tax advisory practice founded in Melbourne in 2006 by chartered accountant Shane Macfarlane. The firm serves Australian expatriates and foreign nationals moving to or from Australia across roughly 115 countries, with seven core service lines: tax residency determinations, Australian tax return preparation and lodgement, departure and repatriation planning, capital gains tax advisory on Australian assets, superannuation and retirement strategy (including coordination with foreign pensions), employee share scheme advisory, and ATO representation. All engagements are fixed-fee and delivered through paid consultations with senior partners (Shane Macfarlane CA, FTIA, and Terryn Davidow CPA), supported by a distributed team accessible via a KarbonHQ client portal for secure document exchange and e-signatures; there is no proprietary technology platform and no junior handoff model.

The firm operates as a distributed virtual practice with a Melbourne headquarters and additional partner/satellite presence in Ho Chi Minh City, Bogotá, New York, London, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Vancouver, and Quarteira, enabling follow-the-sun advisory across major expat hubs. Customer acquisition is sales-led, beginning with a complimentary 30-minute consultation and progressing through tiered paid consultations (USD $395–$990) and fixed-fee engagements ranging from A$750 for straightforward non-resident returns to A$3,500+ for complex multi-jurisdiction advisory. The practice is bootstrapped (no funding rounds disclosed), registered with the Australian Tax Practitioners Board, Chartered Accountants ANZ, NTAA, ASIC, and the ATO (Tax Agent Number 25220543), and has served 2,810+ clients across approximately 115 countries since inception. Marketing is content-led, anchored on a quarterly insights newsletter reaching 2,400+ subscribers across 60 countries, supplemented by long-form blog, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, and X/Twitter presence.

Name

Expat Taxes

Legal name

Australian Taxation Services (Aust) Pty Ltd

Website

https://expattaxes.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Expat Taxes is a Melbourne-based specialist tax advisory practice serving Australian expatriates and foreign nationals across roughly 115 countries. Two senior CPA/CA partners deliver fixed-fee residency, CGT, superannuation, and ATO representation services via distributed offices and a KarbonHQ client portal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Expatriate Tax Advisory Services

NAICS

Offices of Certified Public Accountants (541211), Tax Preparation Services (541213), Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (5412)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAHABAB

Tax Advisory & Compliance

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Accounting, Audit & Tax Services

Keywords

• Expat tax advisory
• Australian tax services
• International tax planning
• Tax residency determination
• Expat tax compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Ho Chi Minh City

HQ country

Vietnam

HQ region

Asia

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tax Advisory Services: Fixed-fee advisory engagements covering residency determinations, departure planning, repatriation planning, CGT strategy, superannuation strategy, employee share scheme advisory, and ATO representation. Engagements quoted in writing before commencement. Personal engagements range from A$750 for straightforward non-resident returns to A$3,500+ for multi-entity, multi-country advisory.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Expat Taxes is a specialist tax advisory practice that delivers fixed-fee, partner-led Australian expatriate tax services to individuals across roughly 115 countries. Its core offerings span seven practice areas—tax residency determinations, Australian tax return preparation and lodgement, departure and repatriation planning, capital gains tax advisory, superannuation and retirement strategy, employee share scheme advisory, and ATO representation—combined with tiered consultation sessions priced from a complimentary 30-minute intake up to A$990 paid deep-dive residency engagements. All services are sold and consumed as professional advisory engagements rather than as standalone software or productised offerings.

Product overview

Expat Taxes Australia is a specialist tax advisory practice offering a unified suite of services for Australian expatriates and foreign professionals in Australia. The core offerings include seven specialized service areas: Tax Residency Determinations, Australian Tax Return Preparation & Lodgement, Departure & Repatriation Planning, Capital Gains Tax Advisory, Superannuation & Retirement Strategy, Employee Share Scheme Advisory, and ATO Representation & Reviews. These are delivered alongside consultation services (ranging from free 30-minute general enquiries to paid 3.5-hour deep-dive residency consultations at $990 USD) via a secure client portal (Karbon HQ) for existing clients. The practice serves clients across approximately 115 countries through offices in Melbourne, Ho Chi Minh City, Bogotá, and Singapore, supported by satellite offices in New York, London, Hong Kong, Thailand, Canada, and Portugal. The company also publishes quarterly tax insight newsletters for approximately 2,400 subscribers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tax Residency Determinations Analysis of Australian tax residency status using statutory tests, common law factors, and ATO guidance for outbound, inbound, and returning expats to determine their tax obligations. Delivered as a fixed-fee written engagement by a senior partner.
• Australian Tax Return Preparation & Lodgement Preparation and lodgement of Australian tax returns for residents, non-residents, and part-year taxpayers covering foreign-sourced income, FITO, CGT, and treaty positions. Engagements range from straightforward returns to multi-entity, multi-country advisory.
• Departure & Repatriation Planning Pre-departure planning for outbound expats and repatriation planning for returning Australians, covering residency timing, asset decisions, superannuation strategy, and treaty positioning.
• Capital Gains Tax Advisory CGT planning for Australian assets covering CGT event I1, PPOR absence rules, the six-year rule, deemed disposals, and the Main Residence Exemption for expats.
• Superannuation & Retirement Strategy Strategy for Australian super as a non-resident, including contributions, SMSF residency, transfer balance caps, and coordination with foreign pensions (401(k)s, IRAs, UK SIPPs).
• Employee Share Scheme Advisory Advisory on RSUs, options, and ESS for global employees, including cross-border vesting timing, residency-change strategy, and double-taxation mitigation.
• ATO Representation & Reviews Representation in ATO audits, objections, residency reviews, and private binding ruling applications.
• Consultation Services Tiered consultation sessions with firm partners covering onboarding, the 2026 Federal Budget analysis, HECS/HELP, Main Residence Exemption, Outbound, Currently Overseas, Returning Home, and Inbound Expat topics. Pricing ranges from a complimentary 30-minute general enquiry through $395 (1 hour), $595 (2–2.5 hours), to $990 (3–3.5 hours comprehensive residency with written summary); each paid session includes a complimentary one-hour follow-up and a money-back guarantee.

Quantifiable outcome

• ATO representation success rate well above 90% in objections, audits, and private binding ruling applications

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Trusted international specialist networksupportingOthersThe firm works with a trusted network of specialist firms in the UK, US, Singapore, UAE, Hong Kong, and across the EU for clients requiring assistance with foreign country tax returns. The firm coordinates directly with these partners on behalf of clients.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• HLB Mann Judd: Australian accounting and business advisory firm with international affiliations and private client tax services. Comparable as it offers cross-border tax advisory for globally mobile Australians, but as a broad generalist firm.
• BDO Australia: Mid-tier Australian accounting and advisory firm with private client and international tax services for expats. Comparable as it serves the same Australian expat segment, but as a broader full-service firm rather than a specialist.
• EY Australia: Big 4 accounting firm with a private tax and people advisory practice serving internationally mobile clients in Australia. Comparable as it provides cross-border expat tax and migration advisory, but as a broad incumbent with significantly larger resources.
• Pitcher Partners: Australian mid-tier accounting and advisory firm offering private client tax services including international tax for Australians abroad. Comparable as it serves overlapping expat client needs within a broader professional services portfolio.
• KPMG Australia: Big 4 accounting firm in Australia with a private client and international tax practice serving wealthy expats and globally mobile individuals. Comparable as it serves overlapping cross-border expat tax needs, but as a broad generalist with much wider service portfolio.
• William Buck: Australian advisory and accounting firm with private wealth and international tax services for expats and returning Australians. Comparable as it serves similar client profiles with broader advisory offerings beyond pure expat tax specialism.

Direct peers

• 1040Abroad: US expat tax preparation firm specialising in American expat tax returns and FBAR. Highly comparable as a small specialist expat tax practice with similar fixed-fee structure and country-specific focus.
• H&R Block Expat Tax Services: Expat tax service from a major consumer tax brand serving US expats with online filing and dedicated support. Comparable business model combining technology with specialist advisors for cross-border expat tax preparation, but operating at much larger scale and US-focused.
• Bright!Tax: US expat tax specialist firm offering federal and state tax preparation for Americans abroad. Comparable as a focused expat-tax practice with flat-fee pricing, but serving the US expat market rather than Australians.
• Taxes for Expats (TFX): US-focused specialist expat tax preparation firm serving American citizens abroad. Highly comparable as a niche expat-tax specialist practice with similar fixed-fee model, single-country focus, and online delivery, though it serves the US rather than Australian market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights11 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ExpatTaxAU
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCgZZ5EQi0StV7vAGGvgRFtw
• Facebookfacebook.com/expattaxesAU
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/expattaxes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Expat Taxes