3418.0 - Personal Income of Migrants, Australia, 2010-11 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 05/09/2017   
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MIGRANT TAXPAYERS PERSONAL INCOME IN 2010-11

The 2010-11 PITMID data included 869,508 migrants who had been granted a permanent visa since 1 January 2000 and submitted a tax return for the 2010-11 financial year. This was a 9.5% increase in the number of migrant taxpayers compared with the 2009-10 PITMID (794,305). As in 2009-10, almost two-thirds (62%) of these migrants held a Skilled visa, 28% held a Family visa and 4.4% held a Humanitarian visa. The proportion of migrants who applied for their visa onshore (in Australia) was similar to those who applied offshore (outside Australia) and almost three-quarters of all migrant taxpayers were primary applicants. Overall, there was little change in the proportion of migrants reporting income in each of the visa streams from 2009-10 to 2010-11.

The following table presents a summary of Total income reported by migrant taxpayers by visa stream and applicant status in 2010-11.

TABLE 1: MIGRANT TAXPAYERS(a), Number of taxpayers and Total income(b)(c), By applicant status and visa stream, 2010-11
Primary Applicant
Secondary Applicant
Total Applicants (d)
Visa stream
No.
$m
No.
$m
No.
$m

Skilled
356,203
24,888
185,896
7,542
542,096
32,430
Family
228,278
9,640
17,579
456
245,853
10,096
Humanitarian
21,336
639
16,574
423
37,911
1,062
Other permanent
404
19
281
13
693
32
Provisional
36,420
993
6,536
195
42,959
1,188
Total migrant taxpayers
642,640
36,178
226,865
8,630
869,508
44,808

(a) Includes migrant taxpayers aged 15 years and over.
(b) Persons may have more than one source of income.
(c) Excludes Government pensions and allowances.
(d) Totals may not exactly match the sum of components due to rounding.
Source: Personal Income Tax and Migrants Integrated Dataset (PITMID), 2010-11


The total personal income of migrant taxpayers reported in 2010-11 was $44.8 billion, an increase in real terms (i.e. CPI adjusted) of 15% on 2009-10 ($38.9 billion). Most of this income was Employee income ($40.9 billion or 91%) which increased 15% on 2009-10 ($35.7 billion). In both 2009-10 and 2010-11, the highest proportion of migrant Total income can be attributed to migrants from the Skilled stream, followed by the Family stream.

The median Employee income of all migrants in 2010-11 was $40,574, a 6.2% increase in real terms on the 2009-10 median Employee income ($38,191). Those migrants with a Skilled visa had the highest median Employee income ($48,325), followed by Other permanent migrants ($39,181) and Family migrants ($32,782). Those migrants with the lowest median Employee incomes were Humanitarian migrants ($22,920) and Provisional migrants ($25,334).

The following graph presents the median Employee income of migrants by visa stream for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 financial years.

GRAPH 2: MIGRANT TAXPAYERS, Median Employee income, By visa stream, 2009-10(a) and 2010-11
Graph Image for Graph 2

Footnote(s): (a) In 2010-11 dollars adjusted using changes in the Consumer Price Index.

Source(s): Personal Income Tax and Migrants Integrated Dataset (PITMID), 2009-10 and 2010-11 (cat. no. 3418.0)


There were also increases in real terms from 2009-10 to 2010-11 in the median incomes of migrants from their Own unincorporated businesses (by 7.9%) and Investments (by 11%).

In contrast, median Other income showed a marked decrease from 2009-10 to 2010-11 of 56% (from $296 to $129). Other income includes transfer or trust income, controlled foreign company income, foreign salary/pension income and other net foreign source income (see Explanatory Notes). This decrease in median Other income can be attributed to a 51% increase in the number of migrants who reported Other income in 2010-11 but only a 17% increase in real terms in the amount of Other income reported. Further analysis of the individual data items included in Other income showed that this decrease was apparent across all of the contributing Other income data items, indicating that taxpayers generally reported less in each area of income. Further analysis of the reported Other income by migrant taxpayers over time will enable more insight to be gained into this movement.

The following table presents a summary of Total income reported by migrant taxpayers in 2010-11.

TABLE 2: MIGRANT TAXPAYERS(a), Summary of Total income sources, 2010-11
Persons
Total Income (b)
Median Income
Sources of income
No.
% Change
from 2009-10
$b
% Change
from 2009-10
(c)
% Total
income
$
% Change
from
2009-10(c)

Employee income
803 990
9.2
40.9
14.5
91.2
40 574
6.2
Own unincorporated business income
112 500
13.1
2.3
23.4
5.1
9 576
7.9
Investment income
523 915
20.5
1.3
23.2
2.9
210
10.7
Other income (excl. Government pensions and allowances)(d)
70 669
50.7
0.4
17.5
0.9
129
-56.4
Total income (excl. Government pensions and allowances)(b)(e)
869 508
9.5
44.8
15.2
100.0
40 102
6.5

(a) Includes migrant taxpayers aged 15 years and over.
(b) Persons may have more than one source of income.
(c) Percentage changes in income from 2009-10 to 2010-11 are in 2010-11 dollars, adjusted using changes in the Consumer Price Index.
(d) Includes Superannuation and annuities and Other sources of income. Data for superannuation and annuities are understated. See Explanatory Notes for more information.
(e) Totals may not exactly match the sum of components due to rounding.
Source: Personal Income Tax and Migrants Integrated Dataset (PITMID), 2010-11

The following graph shows the proportion of income attributed to each of the visa streams in 2009-10 and 2010-11 by the type of income reported.


GRAPH 3: MIGRANT TAXPAYERS, Proportion of Total income, By source of income and visa stream, 2009-10(a) and 2010-11
Graph Image for Graph 3 Merged

Footnote(s): (a) In 2010-11 dollars adjusted using changes in the Consumer Price Index. (b) Includes Superannuation and annuities. (c) Excludes Government pensions and allowances.;(a) In 2010-11 dollars adjusted using changes in the Consumer Price Index. (b) Includes Superannuation and annuities. (c) Excludes Government pensions and allowances.

Source(s): Personal Income Tax and Migrants Integrated Dataset (PITMID), 2009-10 and 2010-11 (cat. no. 3418.0)


In 2010-11 the average Total income ($51,533) of migrant taxpayers continued to be slightly lower than the Australian average ($52,240). The average Investment income of migrant taxpayers (at $2,438) was also well below the national average of $8,329 (ABS, 2013). By contrast, Skilled migrants' average Total income ($59,824) was well above the national average which was primarily due to higher average Employee income ($59,125). Family migrants' average Other income was also higher than the national average at $7,817.

In 2010-11 the proportion of all migrants aged 15 years and over who reported a taxable income or loss in the lowest decile (i.e. less than $7,673) was similar to the total Australian taxpayer population who reported a taxable income or loss in the lowest decile at 10%.

A slightly higher proportion of migrants with a Family or Provisional visa reported taxable incomes in the lowest decile at 12%, with Skill stream and Humanitarian entrants lower than the Australian taxpayer population at 9%.

A higher proportion of migrants with a Skill stream visa reported a taxable income or loss in the highest decile (i.e. $92,601 or more) than the Australian taxpayer population at 14%.

Migrants reported $456.9 million in Foreign income in 2010-11. The number of migrants who reported Foreign income increased by 10% on the previous financial year, whilst the amount of Foreign income recorded increased by 14% in real terms. This result is also reflected in their median Foreign income which increased by 22% to $1,025 in 2010-11.

Notes

Changes in income from 2009-10 to 2010-11 are in 2010-11 dollars, adjusted using changes in the Consumer Price Index.

Foreign income includes other net foreign employment source income; net foreign rent; controlled foreign company income; net foreign pension/annuity income; and other net foreign source income.

Other income (excluding Government pensions and allowances) includes transfer or trust income; foreign investment fund and/or foreign life insurance assurance policy income (in 2009-10 only); controlled foreign company income; foreign salary/pension income; other net foreign source income; and other (including superannuation and annuity income). Data for superannuation and annuities are understated. See Explanatory Notes for more information.

REFERENCES

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), 2013, Estimates of Personal Income for Small Areas, Time Series, 2005-06 to 2010-11 (cat. no. 6524.0.55.002), Canberra. Viewed at <https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/6524.0.55.002>