Managed funds are an easy way to gain access to a wide range of equity and non-equity investments. There are over 5,000 managed funds in Australia, and most are accessible by Australians who are living overseas.
As is the case with shares, non-resident taxpayers are not subject to Australian capital gains tax on their Australian managed fund holdings. They are subject to a final withholding of 15% on any distributions from a managed fund.
You need to check with your local overseas tax accountant to find out how much tax you have to pay in the country where you are based. If a double tax treaty is in place between the country were you are based and Australia, you may get relief from double tax.
As with any investment, if you are going to invest in Australian managed funds, you need to do your homework and understand (a) who you are investing with (b) what sort of returns you can expect to receive and (c) how much Australian and overseas tax you will have to pay on the income and capital gains generated by the managed fund investments.