From July 1, Australian government employees involved in international official development assistance, humanitarian support and disaster relief work for 91 days or more will see a drop in their take-home pay.
Previous entitlements to a tax-free income are being revoked for public servants under changes announced in the 2015-16 federal budget. For some staff members, it’s an unwelcome addition to a budget that has already hit Australia’s foreign aid program hard.
The new cut is set to save the government $6.7 million by the end of the 2018-19 financial year and will impact staff from a number of federal agencies, including the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Department of Immigration and Border Protection, Attorney-General’s Department and the Department of the Treasury.