Property Tax Advisory

Stamp duty and land tax services in Australia 

Stamp duty and landholder duty advisory

Stamp duty and landholder duty are both transaction based taxes imposed on property acquisitions, business acquisitions, asset transfers and business restructures. With each Australian jurisdiction applying different rules, rates and exemptions, early analysis is critical to managing duty exposure.

Our stamp duty specialists assist clients to:

• Structure transactions to achieve optimal stamp duty outcomes.
• Identify opportunities for duty relief and exemptions.
• Engage directly with state and territory revenue authorities.
• Manage stamp duty risks in complex or non standard arrangements.

We regularly advise on landholder duty, corporate reconstructions, foreign purchaser duty and multi jurisdictional transactions.

Land tax advisory

Land tax continues to increase in complexity, rates and enforcement activity across Australia. Effective management of landholding structures and exemptions is essential to avoiding unnecessary exposure.

Our land tax specialists provide strategic advice across all jurisdictions, including:

• Land tax investigation and compliance - With increased audit and data matching activity by revenue offices, we support landowners through reviews and investigations, developing robust strategies that deliver positive outcomes.
• Exemption and private ruling applications - For complex or non standard ownership structures, we assist with early engagement, private ruling applications and exemption claims to secure favourable land tax treatment.
• Trust and foreign surcharges - Most states impose significant surcharges on land held by trusts or foreign persons. We regularly assist clients to obtain exemptions and concessions where available.
• Vacant residential land tax (VRLT) - VRLT applies to certain Victorian residential land that is vacant, under construction or uninhabitable. As VRLT regimes expand, our team advises on exposure, compliance and exemption strategies.

Advice on other state based property taxes

RSM also provides specialist advice on a range of other state taxes impacting property owners, investors and businesses:

• Insurance duty - Insurance duty applies to premiums paid on insurance policies and varies by jurisdiction. We advise insurers and insured businesses on duty exposure, compliance obligations and revenue authority engagement.
• Commercial and industrial property tax (CIPT) - CIPT replaces stamp duty for certain qualifying commercial and industrial land following a 10 year transition period for transactions occurring from 1 July 2024. Our team advises on transition planning, transaction impacts and future tax outcomes.
• Windfall gains tax (WGT)- WGT applies to increases in land value resulting from rezoning. We assist landowners to navigate exemptions, exclusions and valuation issues, ensuring WGT liabilities are appropriately managed.
• Congestion levy - The congestion levy applies to off street parking in inner Melbourne. Following recent expansions, we assist owners with planning, compliance and structuring to manage levy exposure.
• Short stay levy - The short stay levy impacts property owners and operators of short term accommodation. We advise on cash flow impacts, registration obligations and operational planning for affected businesses.
   

Meet our property tax advisers