The station was active in supporting the wars in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and Iraq and every US war since the September 11 attacks. If your employee enters into a closing agreement with the IRS, the employee will generally also submit a Consent to Disclose document, which allows the IRS and the employees employer to discuss the closing agreement. But how much do we really know about this significant site? Conversely, both U.S. and Australian tax would be withheld if the employee does not enter into a closing agreement.Added: 05-22-2019 Source: ATO/IRS, A3. While government ministers denied that Australia was a nuclear target, bureaucrats in Canberra secretly planned for Armageddon in the suburbs of Alice Springs. If your JDFPG employment income is taxed in Australia, that income is considered foreign-source income for U.S. tax purposes and may be eligible for a foreign tax credit on your U.S. tax return, subject to any applicable limitations, including the restrictions on claiming foreign tax credits if you choose to exclude foreign earned income from your U.S. income. Following a confrontation with Kath, Ethan manages to defuse the South China Sea standoff by convincing President Kerr that the Chinese would deploy nuclear weapons if the US were to use armed forces to rescue their downed pilot. Alice Springs author and journalist Kieran Finnane will be launching her latest book this morning exploring local dissent against military operations at Pine Gap facilities. (Note that because the United States and Australia use different taxable years (that is, January 1-December 31 in the United States, and July 1-June 30 in Australia), the closing agreement must cover the entire Australian income year to satisfy your withholding obligation as employer.) Naval Security Group Detachment, Alice Spring was established in October, 1998. No, you may not revoke a closing agreement that has been signed by you and the IRS. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. United States-Australia income tax treaty. According to Richard Tanter, a professor in the School of Political and Social Studies at the University of Melbourne, most Australians really dont know all that much about it. With the closing of the Nurrungar base in 1999, an area in Pine Gap was set aside for the United States Air Force's control station for Defense Support Program satellites that monitor heat emissions from missiles, giving first warning of ballistic missile launches. Pine Gap is a satellite surveillance base and Australian Earth station approximately 18km (11mi) south-west of the town of Alice Springs, Northern Territory in the center of Australia. As further discussed in FAQ Q4 below, if you enter into a closing agreement, you must pay tax on your JDFPG income in the United States, but you would not have to pay Australian tax on this income or report this income on an Australian tax return. Is the income of my U.S. citizen or resident alien employee working at JDFPG exempt from taxation in the United States and Australia? It basically acts as a satellite tracking station and its remote location makes intercepting signals emitted from within more difficult to decipher. Creators: Greg Haddrick, Felicity Packard. The author of Peace Crimes, published by University of Queensland Press, Ms Finnane made the point that Pine Gap is feeding surveillance directly to military operations which makes it a military base. The six-part series is written and created by Greg Haddrick and Felicity Packard with Mat King directing all six episodes. The West is making a big miscalculation when it comes to a conflict with China and it could be a very costly mistake. Is this your business? This significant infrastructure investment will be funded and owned by the Joint Defence Facility Pine Gap. On September 30, 2005, NSG Det Alice Springs was administratively closed and was re-established on October 1, 2005 as the Navy Information Operations Detachment (NIOD) Alice Springs, Australia. "[It is] the consistent view of successive Australian governments for more than half a century is that it makes Australia safer," Professor Blaxland, the head of International Security and Intelligence Studies at Australian National University,said. Alice Springs NT $32 - $60 an hour Full-time + 3 Weekend availability + 4 Hiring multiple candidates NDIS compliant: All services are NDIS coded, and mobility works with self, plan and agency managed participants of the NDIS. Overview []. As a U.S. citizen or resident alien, you are required to file a U.S. income tax return reporting and paying taxes on your worldwide income. Q8. Q7. Your employees JDFPG employment income is taxable in the United States and Australia. University of Melbourne drone researcher Alex Edney-Browne said Australians had no idea about the alarming rates of civilian casualties from drone strikes or the psychological effects caused by living under drone surveillance. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a2b9694dfad3836 Note, however, that as a U.S. citizen or resident alien your worldwide income is subject to U.S. federal income tax, subject to any available deductions, credits, exemptions, or exclusions, such as the foreign earned income exclusion. Q13. According to Ball, since 9 December 1966 when the Australian and United States governments signed the Pine Gap treaty, Pine Gap had grown from the original two antennas to about 18 in 1999, and 38 by 2017. Note that refunds of Australian taxes might be delayed until the ATO can confirm whether you claimed the foreign earned income exclusion to exclude that income from U.S. tax. In addition, if you provide a fringe benefit to the employee you may be liable for Australian fringe benefits tax (FBT) on its taxable value.Added: 05-22-2019 Source: ATO/IRS, Page Last Reviewed or Updated: 07-Feb-2023, Request for Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) and Certification, Employers engaged in a trade or business who pay compensation, Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS). Edwina Wren as Eloise Chambers, an American, Michael-Anthony Taylor as Will Thompson, Gus's father, This page was last edited on 27 January 2023, at 09:46. The group said not only does Pine Gap allow access to satellites to spy on every continent except Antarctica and the Americas, but also question the role it plays in the use of drone technology. Q2. A country is appealing for help as China upped its aggression in the South China Sea. For example, U.S. tax but not Australian tax would be withheld from an employees JDFPG income if the employee enters into a closing agreement with the IRS. [19], According to documents published in August 2017, Pine Gap is used as a ground station for spy satellites on two secret missions:[6], Gough Whitlam, Prime Minister of Australia (between 1972 and 1975), considered closing the base which some have claimed led to the downfall of the Prime Minister, who was already in a politically precarious situation. "It's quite frankly outrageous that a large, multinational defence contractor like Raytheon, who has lost the contract at Pine Gap through no fault of its workforce, is trying to get out of paying these workers their redundancies," he said. "It is disappointing that a company this well-resourced is still trying to dodge their responsibilities and pay the redundancies entitled to these workers.". In outdoor scenes shot near Alice Springs, fictional Arrernte activist and law student, Immy Dupain (Madeleine Madden), tells a group of tourists that Pine Gap's operations may implicate. A major defence contractor at one of Australia's most secretive intelligence facilities is being sued by former employees, who claim they were not paid out their proper redundancy entitlements. Except Uluru is open to tourism and Pine Gap only to a select 1000 or so workers. If the IRS issues a refund, can I assume that the IRS agrees with my tax position? Critical new transmission infrastructure including a new power line will be constructed, creating up to 30 new local jobs over 12 months. Plan and deliver a wonderful program for them. Security and intelligence expertJohn Blaxland said Pine Gap's work was vital. When satellite imagery reveals a cache of missiles in range of the, Ethan and Moses deduce that the spy installed the malware into the control room using a. Ethan, Rudy, and Kath launch a secret twelve day investigation of the A-team to find the spy. 1986 - Over 300 people arrested at a Pine Gap Protest Rally at the gates of Pine Gap. Almost half of the workers are locals which includes government personnel, operations workers, AFP Protective Services officers, as well as Australian contractors. According to Nautilus report released this year, Australians are "completely enmeshed into the management structure at the station". Your income also may be subject to tax in the country where you work, depending on that countrys law.Added: 05-22-2019 Source: IRS, A1. A highly secretive defence intelligence facility, on the outskirts of Alice Springs, is likely gathering information about the escalating situation in Ukraine. Six former employees of Raytheon said that when the company lost its contract to complete specialised IT work at the Joint Defence Facility Pine Gap near Alice Springs they were offered jobs with the organisation well below their level of expertise. The Joint Defence Facility Pine Gap is situated on the outskirts of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory The base is thought to be playing a crucial role in gathering intelligence on Russia's attack on Ukraine Experts say Pine Gap is vulnerable given its importance to US intelligence and surveillance The show was set around the political scene between 2 different governments, Australia and America, and also with a joint defense intellect facility at Pine Gap. See IRS Publication 54. Belle has an affair with Zhou, whose gas mining deal with the Arrenrte people has been approved by the Australian authorities. An official website of the United States Government. Q3. About Publication 54, Tax Guide for U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens Abroad, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Foreign Earned Income Exclusion and the Pine Gap Facility. Is my JDFPG employment income exempt from Australian tax under Article 19 (Governmental Remuneration) of the United States-Australia income tax treaty (Treaty)? While groups such as the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network argue Pine Gap and its value to the US makes us a target, the Australian Government maintains its presence here is crucial. Lead your team to success. The employee is responsible for IRS taxable income on the local market rental value of furnished housing and the associated utilities. If your employee excludes JDFPG employment income from U.S. gross income under the foreign earned income exclusion (and thereby exempt that income from U.S. tax), Australia may tax the income. Gus and Jas repair their relationship and Zhou meets with Immy, hinting that she is working for Chinese intelligence. And forget taking a tour to learn more about it because youre not even getting close to seeing inside. The CIA is a US government agency that provides information (what we call "intelligence") on foreign countries to the President, the National Security Council, and other US government officials to help them make good decisions about national security issues. Do these FAQs and procedures apply to me? But unless you work at Pine Gap, or have spent decades researching what really goes on here, your knowledge about it is probably fairly limited. Pine Gap is a joint United States-Australia military spy base located on Arrernte country near Alice Springs, Northern Territory. In a statement, the Department of Defence said it would not comment on matters before the courts or between another company and its employees. In the Pine Gap Agreement, Australia agreed that the income of U.S. employees of U.S. federal government contractors at the JDFPG who are in Australia solely to work at the JDFPG would be exempt from income tax in Australia provided that income is taxed in the United States. That income would be taxable in Australia if you claimed the foreign earned income exclusion to exclude that income from U.S. tax. You are not considered to be an employee of the United States government or of a U.S. government agency for purposes of the TreatyPDF. As an employee of a U.S. federal government contractor, you are paid by, and from the funds of, your employer. Those radomes you see (the big white balls) arent for decoration, they protect the satellite dish inside. What if I do not enter into a closing agreement with the IRS? Intelligence Analyst 24/7 - TS/SCI with Poly. As explained above, if you enter into a closing agreement with the IRS, your employer will not withhold Australian taxes on your JDFPG employment income, and you are not required to file an Australian tax return for that income. I entered into a closing agreement with the IRS in which I agreed that I would not claim the foreign earned income exclusion for my JDFPG employment income, but I filed a U.S. tax return claiming the exclusion for a period covered by the closing agreement. No. A Defence White Paper released earlier this year also detailed how important Pine Gap is to both the US and the Australian governments. Raytheon and the Joint Defence Facility Pine Gap did not respond to requests for a comment. Article 19 does not apply to income earned by employees of U.S. federal government contractors. "There was very little chance of Putin using those nuclear weapons in war," he said. As the serie progresses, the tension on the world stage increases and that means tension in A-crew increases as well. As the world marks one year of loss and destruction, Anthony Albanese has pleaded with Vladimir Putin to stop the war now. [2][3][4][5] The classified NRO name of the Pine Gap base is Australian Mission Ground Station (AMGS), while the unclassified cover term for the NSA function of the facility is RAINFALL. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Your employees U.S. and Australian reporting and payment obligations will differ depending on whether he or she elects to exclude some or all of this income from U.S. tax under the foreign earned income exclusion in section 911 of the Internal Revenue Code.Added: 05-22-2019 Source: ATO/IRS, A2. The Alice Springs News enhanced the background of the photo but the shadow of Ms Golding's hand on the base of the antenna shows the picture is authentic. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. For example, although you are deemed to be not a tax resident of Australia, your JDFPG income is taxable in Australia as Australian-source income if it is exempt from tax in the United States due to the foreign earned income exclusion. [14][15] In November 2021, the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board of the Philippines ordered Netflix to remove certain episodes that featured the nine-dash line, deeming it "unfit for public exhibition" after the country's foreign department issued a complaint calling the line "illegal" and a "violation of Philippine sovereignty".[16]. In other words, signing a closing agreement affects both your Australian income tax liability and your employers withholding tax liabilities in the United States and Australia. "There's a very high chance that Pine Gap would be attacked quite simply because it provides critical targeting information for the United States in a nuclear war. Pine Gap. This is casual day shift working Monday We are seeking an Accounts Payable and Receivable and General Administration Trainee to join the team at Scope Building. In the Pine Gap Agreement, Australia agreed that the income of U.S. employees of U.S. federal government contractors at the JDFPG who are in Australia solely to work at the JDFPG would be exempt from income tax in Australia provided that income is taxed in the United States. It is taxable in the United States because, as a U.S. citizen or resident alien, the employee is taxable on worldwide income. Ball described the facility as the ground control and processing station for geosynchronous satellites engaged in signals intelligence collection, outlining four categories of signals collected: Ball described the operational area as containing three sections: Satellite Station Keeping Section, Signals Processing Station and the Signals Analysis Section, from which Australians were barred until 1980. Pursuant to the closing agreements terms and section 7121 of the Internal Revenue Code, a closing agreement that is properly executed by a taxpayer and an IRS official is a final agreement and may not be reopened, except in the event of fraud, malfeasance, or misrepresentation of material fact.Added: 05-22-2019 Source: IRS, A7. We probably would have got in some serious trouble if this wasn't a simulator.. In 2004, the base began operating a new satellite system known as the Space-Based Infrared System, which is a vital element of US missile defense. 15 Wilkinson Street, Alice Springs NT 0870 Save Contact. [1] Cast [ edit] Parker Sawyers as Gus Thomson, an American mission director AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), abc.net.au/news/pine-gap-base-gathering-information-russia-ukraine-conflict/100878478, Help keep family & friends informed by sharing this article, Australia's biggest drug bust: $1 billion worth of cocaine linked to Mexican cartel intercepted, 'Pincers are closing': Ukrainian forces under pressure as Russians shell roads out of Bakhmut, Four in hospital after terrifying home invasion by gang armed with machetes, knives, hammer, 'We have got the balance right': PM gives Greens' super demands short shrift, Crowd laughs as Russia's foreign minister claims Ukraine war 'was launched against us', The tense, 10-minute meeting that left Russia's chief diplomat smoking outside in the blazing sun, 'Celebrity leaders': Mike Pompeo, Nikki Haley take veiled jabs at Donald Trump in CPAC remarks. Kitchen Hand Crestmead Early Education Centre Crestmead QLD Discounted Child Care fees - a huge 50% off your gap fee! As explained in FAQ Q2, above, income earned as the employee of a U.S. federal government contractor is not exempt from Australian tax under Article 19 (Governmental Remuneration) of the United States-Australia income tax treatyPDF.Added: 05-22-2019 Source: ATO/IRS, A10. Almost half of the workers are locals which includes government personnel, operations workers, AFP Protective Services officers, as well as Australian contractors. More. There was only 1 season of the political thriller which had six episodes. The Deputy Project & Construction Manager is responsible for the coordination and execution of the projects in development, through Linfox Alice Springs site require a HR driver to join the team for local pick up and deliveries. foreign instrumentation signals intelligence, Movie and Television Review and Classification Board, "Premiere dates set for 'Pine Gap' and 'Fighting Season', "Mat King to direct 'Pine Gap' for the ABC and Netflix", "Pine Gap - Episodes Guide and Summaries", "Pine Gap review lots of yakkety yak and occasional scenes of bonking", Vietnam orders Netflix to remove Australian spy show Pine Gap over South China Sea map, Vietnam orders Netflix to remove Australian spy show over South China Sea map, "Netflix ordered to remove 'Pine Gap' episodes on China's nine-dash line DFA", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pine_Gap_(TV_series)&oldid=1135865167, English-language Netflix original programming, Australian Broadcasting Corporation original programming, Television shows set in the Northern Territory, Use Australian English from November 2021, All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, The A-Crew intelligence team at the Pine Gap joint defence facility detects a missile launch in Myanmar that brings down a small passenger plane. A4. Technical Consultant Telstra 3.9 Australia $73,000 - $80,000 a year Permanent + 1 [14] The number of staff had increased from around 400 in the early 1980s to 600 in the early 1990s and then to 800 in 2017, the biggest expansion since the end of the Cold War. 32 Pine Gap Australia Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images CREATIVE FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 32 Pine Gap Australia Premium High Res Photos Browse 32 pine gap australia stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. [1], The station is partly run by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), US National Security Agency (NSA), and US National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and is a key contributor to the NSA's global interception/surveillance effort, which included the ECHELON program. Section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code states that tax returns and return information must be kept confidential by the IRS except as otherwise authorized by the Code. Pine Gap is a secretive facility nearly 20km south-west of Alice Springs which has been there since 1970. The union representing the employees said it believed the Joint Defence Facility may be preferencing the employment of Americans over Australians. Professor Tanter said Putin's threat of nuclear weapons hadcatapulted world politics back to the Cold War. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. By Helen Razer | October 11, 2018 |. 1983 - Protest against Pine Gap leads to arrest of many people 1985 - An unconfirmed report of an unidentified aircraft traveling at erratic speeds buzzes a government employee and police officers, 100 kilometers west of Alice Springs. . "Pine Gap collects two main sources of intelligence," Professor Tanter, from Melbourne University,said. Groups such as IPAN, which is holding its annual conference next weekend, claim the facility has a darker side. Discontented with her husband Ethan's secrecy, Belle befriends Zhou Lin while visiting an Arrernte sacred site. I am a U.S. citizen or resident alien employee of a U.S. federal government contractor working at JDFPG, and I was living in Australia and ordinarily resident there for tax purposes at the time I was hired. [12] By contrast, Genevieve Burgess of Pajiba gave Pine Gap a favourable review, describing it as a "spy thriller for people who don't like spy thrillers." "What that tells them [is]where the Russian forces areand then how they're moving and what they're planning to do.". The intent of the agreement was to ensure that the income earned by these individuals would be taxed only in the United States, rather than in both jurisdictions. Q12. In addition, you would be required to file an income tax return reporting your JDFPG employment income to the ATO. [11], In late 1966, during the Cold War, a joint USAustralian treaty called for the creation of a US satellite surveillance base in Australia, to be titled the "Joint Defence Space Research Facility". [11], Since the end of the Cold War in 1991 and the rise of the War on Terror in 2001, the base has seen a refocusing away from mere nuclear treaty monitoring and missile launch detection, to become a vital warfighting base for US military forces. How does the availability of the U.S. foreign earned income exclusion affect my U.S. and Australian tax liabilities and tax reporting obligations? Your family situation (for example, if your spouse is a resident of Australia or earns income in Australia from employment outside the JDFPG) also affects your Australian tax reporting and payment obligations. Satellite station in the Northern Territory, Australia, This article is about the earth station. [6] In 1999, with the Australian Government refusing to give details to an Australian Senate committee about the relevant treaties, intelligence expert Professor Des Ball from the Australian National University was called to give an outline of Pine Gap. The Consent to Disclose document makes clear, for example, that the IRS may notify your employer that you entered into a closing agreement with the IRS. The ABC's Pine Gap is a stinker. Under ordinary tax principles, you, as the employer, would withhold and remit applicable U.S. and Australian taxes throughout the year to the IRS and ATO, respectively. Pine Gap, 19 kilometres southwest of Alice Springs in Central Australia, has long been the subject of intrigue and misinformation christened with the moniker of 'Australia's Area 51', complete with tales of espionage and UFO sightings. Pine Gap employs around 1000 people. "Once their positions were made redundant they were retrenched, they were entitled to redundancy payment.". [11], Pat LaMarco of The Daily Free Press described the series as a "dull and sluggish attempt at a thriller". When you step into this role, you'll be the one. Originally code-named MERINO, it is the ground station for a satellite network that intercepts telephone, radio, data links, and other communications around the world. Q4. You also must file tax returns with both the IRS and the ATO and pay the appropriate tax to both jurisdictions.Added: 05-22-2019 Source: ATO/IRS, A5. Cast []. Mr Blundell-Thornton said it wasn't uncommon to see companies refuse to pay redundancy entitlements while "trying to save dollars". [17][18] This was confirmed by an NSA document from 2013, which says that Pine Gap plays a key role in providing geolocation data for intelligence purposes, as well as for military operations, including air strikes. The physical expansion of Alice Springs, and particularly its expansion west . Article 19 applies only to individuals who are paid by, or from the funds of, the United States; a state or other political subdivision of the United States; or an agency or authority of the United States, a state, or other political subdivision. Mr Blundell-Thornton said that in the past the workforce at the base had been "largely" Australian. It was only in the 1970s they gained even mid level positions. In one of the letters, John Kerr describes his alleged CIA connections as 'Nonsense of course', and assured the Queen of his continued loyalty.[22]. In 1982 the Australian band Midnight Oil released "Power and the Passion", which contains a reference to Pine Gap. "Our belief is that there seems to be a concerted effort by the people out at Pine Gap to contract back to American contractors who use American labour," Mr Blundell-Thornton said. If you enter into a closing agreement with the IRS, your employer has no obligation to withhold Australian taxes on your income from employment at JDFPG for the taxable period(s) covered by the closing agreement, and you are not required to file an Australian tax return for that income. Their trial began on 3 October 2006 and was the first time that Australia's Defence (Special Undertakings) Act 1952 was used. Joshua Blundell-Thornton, the industrial officer for the Australian Manufacturers Workers' Union who is representing the employees, said it was disappointing to see such a large organisation refuse to pay redundancy entitlements. [12] The purpose of the facility was initially referred to in public as "space research". Now Australia has made a promise. How is my tax information protected from disclosure by the IRS, and how may it be shared with Australia? These FAQs address common questions regarding how these employees and their employers meet their U.S. and Australian tax obligations in light of the Pine Gap Agreement, including the effect of a closing agreement that an employee might enter into with the IRS regarding the taxation of JDFPG employment income. Then, you would file individual income tax returns with the IRS and ATO annually to pay additional taxes due or claim a refund, depending on your tax situation, including whether you claim the foreign earned income exclusion for your JDFPG employment income. [7] Central Australia was chosen because it was too remote for spy ships passing in international waters to intercept the signal. You are not obligated under U.S. or Australian taxation law to enter into a closing agreement; the IRS and ATO expect only that you properly report and pay U.S. and Australian taxes consistent with whether you entered into a closing agreement for the taxable period. Peter "Turbo" Teatoff is seen delivering heavy machinery to JDFPG in season 4's 11th episode of series Outback Truckers.