Foreign holidaymakers have launched legal action against the Turnbull government's controversial backpacker tax, arguing it breaches Australia's international tax treaties.

US-based tax accounting firm Taxback - acting on behalf of individual clients from the US, Britain and Germany - lodged the challenge with the Queensland Federal Court on Monday.The company argues that the tax - announced by the Abbott government but implemented at the start of this year - contravenes non-discrimination clauses built into tax treaties Australia has signed with eight countries: Britain, the US, Germany, Finland, Chile, Japan, Norway and Turkey.The legal action seeks "declaratory relief" from the tax for all citizens of those eight nations - in effect rendering them exempt from the tax. Read more of this Good Fruit & Vegetables article....