Amendment to Backpackers Tax

Backpackers Tax

The backpackers tax has been a controversial issue in parliament for longer than they should care to admit.

Whilst the Coalition agreed to reduce the tax from 32.5% to 19%, Labor remained committed to a 10.5% tax. (This percentage being applied to every dollar earned in Australia)

The argument in the Senate finally reached a compromise of 15%, more than 50% less than the original percentage the Coalition proposed.

The drive behind lowering the tax is to encourage more working holiday makers to travel to Australia. Especially those willing to assist farmers in regional Australia whom heavily rely on their support.

It is worth noting that working holiday makers who do assist farmers in regional Australia may be eligible for a second working holiday visa, which is an additional 12 month stay.

If you have queries about your eligibility, please contact

This is excellent news for working holiday makers and hopefully Australia will see an influx of additional migration activity in this respect.