Homestay Income and Tax

I recently ate seafood hotpot so chilli laden, my drawn-on eyebrows melted off onto my cheeks and streaked the inside of my glasses with sweat flicked off my lashes (visual evidence presented left). This was thanks to my gorgeous homestay student Alyssa, who joined me mid last year from the Sichuan region.  Anyone who is familiar with the name, may have also heard of Sichuan peppers, which are thoroughly littered through their cuisine like spicy tongue-numbing flavour bombs.

But I digress, the food is just another of the benefits I've received, taking on the responsibility of housing Alyssa.

Primarily the accommodation offer was for budgetary reasons. At this point in time I was a rental tenant down from being able to repay my mortgage reasonably comfortably. I had a couple of other income earning (taxable) activities on the side, but they weren't quite making the crust and I was looking for alternatives which were legitimate, offering a steady income stream. 

SUPER AMAZING! If you host one or two students in your primary place of residence at any one time, it's TAX FREE! 

Unfortunately there is also a difficult and tedious part. The Australian Homestay Network, the organisation I dealt with on this occasion, were incredibly thorough and the process took some time to complete (inclusive of Blue Card/Police check applications at no charge to the homestay host). However, positively, the online system was relatively easy to navigate and an interview was organised once I had the majority of my information completed.

The interview was intense. The homestay contact meticulously overviewed the process of taking on a student, mercilessly grilled me on my personal circumstances - who lived here, do I have any sleep overs, my professional life and availability - and painstakingly inspected my home to ensure it was adequate living quarters for an international student. Which I later appreciated, as Alyssa is very young. 18 years old, never lived outside of her parental home, never travelled beyond her birth country, never eaten sausages. It was like a moment from The Castle: 

"What do you call these?" .... "Rissoles."

Now, not only do the tax-free dollarydoos mean I have the hustling social life my AHN representative probably didn't want me to have, but I've also broadened my cultural experiences, learnt a lot about the responsibility of looking after a young international stranger, and added a couch on which to crash when I finally save enough to visit my new Sichuan friend.