What land is exempt and what is taxable?
Land may be exempt, partly exempt, or entitled to a concession if it is used -
- as your residence, when constructing or re-furbishing a residence or in transitional circumstances (Note: not aplicable for land held in trust or owned in a company name);
- as owner's residence prior to death. Exemption may be extended for one year of assessment following the date of death;
- by a person given a right of occupancy under a will (land owned by executor or administrator);
- as the residence of a beneficiary who is entitled under a will to the property at a fixed or ascertainable future time (land owned by executor or administrator);
- by a war widow, war widower or a veterans widowed mother
- by owner's disabled relative;
- by disabled beneficiary of the trust;
- for a rural business, ie. farming;
- as a retirement village;
- as an aged care facility;
- as a mining tenement;
- for educational purposes;
- for religious purposes;
- by non-profit societies, clubs and associations;
- held under an approved conservation covenant;
- as a caravan park, park home site or camping ground
- as a zoological garden, an agricultural, pastoral or horticultural show, an historical society, a public museum or similar public purposes
An overview of exemption criteria can be found on the reverse of relevant application forms. In addition, there are Commissioner's Practices, fact sheets and rulings relating to land tax.
Examples of taxable land include:
- Vacant land;
- Residences which are not used by the owners as their private residence;
- "Secondary" residences such as holiday homes, holiday units or hobby farms;
- Shops, offices and factories;
- Land held in trust;
- Entitlement to land under any lease or licence from the Crown;
- Land used for business, commercial, professional or trade purposes under arrangement with the Crown, Crown instrumentalities, local authorities or public statutory bodies;
- Rental homes or units.