Absentee Owner Land Tax Deadlines
If you’re an absentee land owner, it’s important to review your land tax obligations before the end of the calendar year so you’re ready for the surcharge deadline in January.
What is the absentee owner surcharge?
A surcharge of 2% applies to Victorian land owned by an absentee owner. If you are an absentee owner at 31 December, the surcharge applies in the following land tax year.
An absentee owner is an absentee person that owns land in Victoria, and can be:
- An absentee individual,
- An absentee corporation, or
- A trustee of an absentee trust.
If you are an absentee individual that owns taxable land at 31 December 2023, you must notify the State Revenue Office (SRO) via the Absentee Owner Notification Portal before 15 January 2024. There are harsh penalties that apply if you don’t.
Who is an absentee individual?
An “absentee individual” is someone who:
- Is not an Australian citizen or permanent resident, and
- Does not ordinarily reside in Australia, and
- Was either absent from Australia on 31 December of the year prior to the tax year, or for more than six months in total in the calendar year prior to the tax year.
If you ordinarily reside in Australia, you are not an absentee individual. To decide where you ordinarily reside, there must be an element of permanence about where you live when compared to somewhere you might casually or intermittently stay. This does not mean you have to be physically present in Australia on 31 December.
If you have been an absentee owner previously but not anymore, and have not updated your status with the SRO, they will automatically apply the surcharge to your Land Tax until you tell them otherwise.
Absentee Owner Land Tax Rates (2020)
| Total taxable value of land holdings | Land tax payable |
|---|---|
| < $250,000 | Nil |
| $250,000 to < $600,000 | $5275 plus 2.2% of amount > $250,000 |
| $600,000 to < $1,000,000 | $12,975 plus 2.5% of amount > $600,000 |
| $1,000,000 to < $1,800,000 | $22,975 plus 2.8% of amount > $1,000,000 |
| $1,800,000 to < $3,000,000 | $45,375 plus 3.3% of amount > $1,800,000 |
| $3,000,000 and over | $84,975 plus 4.25% of amount > $3,000,000 |
If you have questions or concerns please speak to us as soon as possible so we can ensure you’re meeting all the necessary deadlines.
