At top-secret U.S.-Australian joint defense facility Pine Gap, fissures appear in the critical alliance as spies work with, and against, each other. Pine Gap is the commonly used name for a satellite tracking station approximately 18 kilometres (11 mi) south-west of the town of Alice Springs in the centre of Australia which is operated by both Australia and the United States.Since 1988 it has been officially called the Joint Defence Facility Pine Gap; previously, it was known as Joint Defence Space Research Facility. As a U.S. citizen or resident alien, do I have to pay income tax to the United States or Australia on JDFPG employment income? As stated in FAQ Q3, the IRS and ATO developed voluntary procedures allowing you to enter into a closing agreement with the IRS in which you agree that you will not claim the foreign earned income exclusion for JDFPG employment income earned during the taxable period(s) listed in the closing agreement. It was set in the titular Pine Gap, a joint defense intelligence facility near the town of Alice Springs in Australia. Political expertRichard Tanter saidthe base would be playing a crucial role in gathering intelligence through covert communications from the Ukraine and border regions. 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. . . Almost half of the workers are locals which includes government personnel, operations workers, AFP Protective Services officers, as well as Australian contractors. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. What Lies Below Pine Gap Australia? Performance & security by Cloudflare. Does the Treaty supersede the Pine Gap Agreement? Pine Gap is an international political thriller which is set around the Australian and American joint defence intelligence facility at Pine Gap, south-west of the town of Alice Springs, Australia. 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. [6], On 11 July 2013, documents revealed through former NSA analyst Edward Snowden showed that Pine Gap, amongst three other locations in Australia and one in New Zealand, contributed to the NSA's global interception and collection of internet and telephone communications, which involves systems like XKEYSCORE. "There was very little chance of Putin using those nuclear weapons in war," he said. ECT Mentor - offering you support and advice. 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. 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. It collects a wide range of signals intelligence as well as providing information on early warning of ballistic missile launches. 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. An official website of the United States Government. We probably would have got in some serious trouble if this wasn't a simulator.. Speaking to news.com.au, he said security around the facility was very tight with police patrols taking place every 10 minutes. "Once their positions were made redundant they were retrenched, they were entitled to redundancy payment.". Storms threaten north-east United States after tearing through the south, leaving 10 dead, Russian President Vladimir Putin puthis country's nuclear deterrent forces, Pine Gap's role in drone strikes putting Australia in danger, expert warns, NT spy base could be attack target: foreign policy expert, Canberra coach Ricky Stuart slams NRL, RLPA following further concussion controversy, 'How dare they': Possum Magic author hits out at 'ridiculous' Roald Dahl edits, 'Dastardly and heinous crime': Philippines governor killed at home by unknown gunmen, Vanuatu hit by two cyclones and twin earthquakes in two days, Emily was studying law when she had to go to court. The base is staffed by both Americans and Australians, who monitor satellite and communication transmissions in the area for potential threats to either country. "It also collects the thermal imagery, that heat bloom, of missiles launching.". Your Australian income tax reporting and payment obligations will differ depending on whether you elect to exclude your JDFPG employment income from U.S. tax under the foreign earned income exclusion. Job DetailsApplySave Print this jobEmail a FriendJob Title:RN - Wound Care, Lonesome Pine Hosp. [6], The facilities at the base consist of a massive computer complex with 38 radomes protecting radio dishes[7] and has over 800 employees. Today, there are 1,000 workers at Pine Gap, about half of whom are believed to be Australians, including the base's deputy commander. 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. In other words, where possible, treaties should be read harmoniously with other later enacted international agreements and domestic law. It also means Australia is becoming a more obvious global target, whether we realise it or not. 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. "While we may not know the exact minutia of what they do on a day-to-day basis, the arguments we are putting forward about a worker being entitled to redundancy when their job is lost, is the same arguments we would be having, regardless of the secret nature of their work," he said. 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. Q4. Generally, when countries enter into successive international agreements addressing the same subject matter, and an agreement indicates that its provisions are subject to the provisions of an earlier or later international agreement, the provisions of the earlier or later international agreement prevail. If an international agreement does not contain language addressing the impact of an earlier agreement, provisions of the earlier international agreement, if it has not been terminated or suspended, apply to the extent they are consistent with provisions in the later agreement. Why am I asked to sign a Consent to Disclose document when I sign a closing agreement with the IRS? Pine Gap spy base contractor Raytheon locked in redundancy payout dispute. Except Uluru is open to tourism and Pine Gap only to a select 1000 or so workers. Pine Gap is one of the most important U.S. military bases outside of America, used in both surveillance and military operations. Pine Gap is an international political thriller which is set around the Australian and American joint defence intelligence facility at Pine Gap, south-west of the town of Alice Springs, Australia.. 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. Amentum Jobs - Jobs in Alice Springs, AUS 4 Jobs in Alice Springs, AUS Safety Specialist, Senior Alice Springs, Australia Project Manager (Australia) Alice Springs, Australia Project Coordinator - Australia Alice Springs, Australia Building Information Modeling Integrator Alice Springs, Australia Current Search Criteria Alice Springs, AUS [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. Q12. 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. It is about halfway between Darwin in the north and Adelaide in the south. As research and knowledge into the facility grows, we are starting to learn more about what goes on here, including: Run by both Australia and the United States, its official name is the Joint Defence Facility Pine Gap. In December 2005 six members of the Christians Against All Terrorism group staged a protest outside Pine Gap. You might be entitled to exclude your JDFPG income from U.S. taxable income (and therefore exempt it from U.S. income tax) under the foreign earned income exclusion (section 911 of the Internal Revenue Code). Jobs in Alice Springs & Central Australia NT - SEEK What All work types paying $0 to $350K+ listedany time 502 jobs Sorted by relevance Receive new jobs for this search by email Create alert Records Management Warehouse Supervisor Grace Worldwide (Australia) Pty Ltd Featured Ciccone, Alice Springs & Central Australia NT It is taxable in Australia because your employee earned the income while working in Australia. Cast []. The closing agreement applies for the U.S. taxable year(s) listed in the closing agreement as the taxable period(s) covered by the closing agreement. 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. To receive a pro forma closing agreement and consent to disclose document with respect to such income, please contact us at (202) 317-8535 for more information. This is what happens when Pine Gap happens. 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. The amount of withholding would depend on various circumstances, including the contents of the employees U.S. Forms W-4 and Form 673, and whether the employee has an Australian tax file number (TFN).Added: 05-22-2019 Source: ATO/IRS, A5. Under these procedures, the employee may enter into a closing agreement with the IRS, in which the employee agrees that he or she will not claim the foreign earned income exclusion for the JDFPG income for the taxable period(s) covered by the closing agreement. Article 19 does not apply to income earned by employees of U.S. federal government contractors. In short, Pine Gap collects a huge amount of data from signals intelligence as well as providing information on early warning of ballistic missile launches. Pine Gab is a collaboration between the US and Australia, which means that there is a dynamic of two governments and a sort of divide between American en Australian operatives within A-crew. Do these FAQs and procedures apply to me? A former US agent lifts the lid on some of the top secret projects he worked on while at Australia's remote Pine Gap "spy station". 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, A9.