[hkkm]

Hi all,

It looks quite likely that we will be going back to Australia before the end of the year, and being an obsessive planner I'm already trying to think of all the things we will need to sort out before we go. I'd really appreciate some answers/advice from anyone who may have been through this process:

* How long does it take to close bank accounts? I've never had to do this before - do we have to close our credit card account while we're still here or can we keep it going for a little while after we leave in case there are a few last-minute charges to be processed?

* Finalising the tax bill. I've heard some people say that their employer withheld a salary payment until they showed that they had paid their final tax bill. What happens if you need some of that money to pay the tax bill?

* MPF - any problems with requesting the refund right before you leave?

* Moving costs. I saw someone on another thread post that they were quoted HK$10,000 to move 100 cubic feet back to Melbourne. Does this cost work approximately proportionally? We brought over about 10 cubic metres of stuff (about 350 cubic feet by my calculations) and we still have all that stuff plus more. My husband has the idea of moving a lot of our furniture back, since we only bought it a few months ago. It's just Ikea stuff, so I'm trying to work out the cost/hassle of shipping it versus trying to sell or get rid of it all right before we go and then buying more (possibly identical) furniture when we get to Aus.

* Shipping our car back. It's just a 9yo Corolla. I have absolutely no idea what the cost of shipping a car is, so I don't know if it's less than the cost of the 2nd hand car we would get to replace it in Aus.

* Any advice on whether it's feasible for me to go back a week or so early to try and find us someplace to live, and leave my husband to do all the running around and dealing with movers, banks, Taxation Office etc all on his own?

Any and all advice is welcome!

[discobay]

The MPFA will take one to three months to arrange for your fund to be reimbursed to you. You can download the forms from their site for completion and posting back.
I wouldn't bother with shipping the car. It's nine years-old and a Corolla. It's not like it's a Lancia Delta HF Integrale!

[back2HK]

* Any advice on whether it's feasible for me to go back a week or so early to try and find us someplace to live, and leave my husband to do all the running around and dealing with movers, banks, Taxation Office etc all on his own?

Done the moving out as well as the moving in again bit.

Closing Bank account - Why bother ? You can do it with a letter any time later that you want. Or you can keep it forever. You may still have some small cheques to write etc.

Tax - Couple of hours across the table. Get the statement of income from the employer.

Car - 9 year old cars are very cheap in OZ - specially a Corolla.

Packing - Thats a different kettle of fish. Also, packing quotes vary widely based on whether they are the corporate relo guys like "Crown" or normal companies.

[goodkarma]

Originally Posted by hkkm

Hi all,


* Any advice on whether it's feasible for me to go back a week or so early to try and find us someplace to live, and leave my husband to do all the running around and dealing with movers, banks, Taxation Office etc all on his own?

Any and all advice is welcome!

No, it's not.