Country file · AU
Potential · mediumAustralia: recover the withholding tax on your dividends
Every dividend paid from this country loses 30% to withholding tax at source. The tax treaty caps it at 15% for a French resident. The 15-point gap is not lost money: it can be claimed back — with the right forms, within the deadline.
No win, no fee · Pricing 100% public · FR / EN
Example for €10,000 of gross dividends, French tax resident, before our success fee. Indicative amounts — every claim is verified before filing.
Technical file
The numbers that matter
Both rates, the gap, the form and the time you have left: everything that decides whether a claim is worth opening.
30%
Statutory rate
withheld from non-residents by default
15%
Treaty rate
for a French resident
15 pts
Recoverable gap
4 years
Statute of limitations
from the end of the year of payment
Your deadline to act
To be confirmed4 years
4 years as a general rule — the Australian tax year ends on 30 June, which shifts the usual counting.
Compute my exact deadline →The procedure in practice
- Form
- ATO claim
- Competent authority
- Australian Taxation Office (ATO)
- Online filing
- Yes
- Relief at source
- Yes
Relief at source prevents the over-withholding before it exists: the correct rate is applied at payment time. See the relief-at-source service →
Data reviewed on 15 June 2026 · Indicative amounts — every claim is verified before filing.
Specifics
What you should know about this country
- Australian particularity: fully franked dividends (backed by corporate tax already paid) bear no withholding — there is nothing to recover on them.
- Only the unfranked portion is withheld at 30%, reducible to 15% by treaty: line-by-line diagnosis is essential.
- Franking credits are not refundable to non-residents: nobody can 'recover' them for you, and anyone promising that is wrong.
Claim documents
The documents required
What we gather with you. Most of these can be requested online or produced from your brokerage statements.
- Statements separating franked and unfranked dividends
- Evidence of withholding on the unfranked portion
- Certificate of tax residence
Frequently asked
Your questions about this country
How long do I have to reclaim the withholding tax on my Australia dividends?
4 years, from the end of the calendar year in which the dividend was paid. This figure is worth reconfirming at filing time: counting rules differ from one administration to another.
Which form do I need for Australia, and who do I file it with?
Form ATO claim, filed with Australian Taxation Office (ATO). This administration accepts online filing.
Can I avoid this withholding at payment time, rather than reclaiming it afterwards?
Yes, in theory: Australia makes relief at source achievable for an individual — avoiding the entire 15-point gap before payment even happens. In practice it requires your broker to pass your tax status all the way to the local custodian — check with them, otherwise the full rate keeps applying regardless.
Is it worth filing a claim for Australia?
It depends on the amount: with a 15-point gap here, it doesn't take much in gross dividends to clear our €39 floor fee per successful claim. Below a few hundred euros of over-withholding, recovery becomes marginal once that fee is deducted. The simulator tells you in two minutes whether your case clears that bar.
Is Australia one of the countries with the most to recover?
Australia ranks 5th out of the 19 countries covered for a French tax resident, with a 15-point gap between the withheld rate and the treaty rate.
Resources
Go further
- Best in class12 min read
Which countries offer the best recovery potential for a French resident?
Finland, Ireland and Switzerland on top — the UK, the Netherlands and France at zero, and we say so. All 19 countries ranked by recoverable gap for an individual French resident, with each one's traps.
- Best in class7 min read
The right refund form, country by country: the reference table
Modelo 210, Form 83, NR7-R, 276 Div.-Aut., 5000/5001… The form, the authority, the window and the filing channel for all 19 covered countries — all free from the administrations, table updated with our country database.
- Best in class9 min read
Statute of limitations: how long you have to claim, ranked by country
From Canada and Portugal (only 2 years) to Austria, Sweden, Japan and Norway (5 years): claim deadlines ranked across all 19 covered countries — with both counting rules, the 31 December cliff, and the filing order that follows.
- Problems & risks8 min read
The countries where there is nothing to recover (and why we tell you)
The UK, the Netherlands, France seen from abroad, US dividends under a valid W-8BEN, ETFs: the honest list of the zeros — from a provider paid on success only, with no interest in hiding them.
How much can you recover?
Two minutes, no sign-up: the simulator applies the rates above to your real amounts and shows our fee before you commit to anything.
No win, no fee · Pricing 100% public · FR / EN