Our latest insights

From 2026, Victoria’s VRLT will apply to long-term undeveloped land in metro Melbourne, targeting land banking and encouraging residential development. The expansion follows 2025 reforms aimed at improving housing affordability and supply.

For wine producers and vineyard owners, the recent New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal decision in Zonadi Holdings Pty Ltd ATF Wombat Investment Trust v Chief Commissioner of State Revenue [2025] NSWCATAD 84 may spell trouble for their current primary production land tax exemptions.

In a move to encourage property investors to make their homes available for long term rentals, the Short Stay Levy Act 2024 will come into effect on 1 January 2025, imposing a levy on the booking fees paid for short stays on Victorian properties.

The Victorian Supreme Court of Appeal has confirmed the Commissioner’s assessment of stamp duty on an ‘arrangement’ involving the acquisition of shares by unrelated investors in a land holding SPV.

Commencing 1 July 2024, Victoria's stamp duty landscape will undergo a gradual but significant reform, marking the onset of substantial changes to the commercial and industrial property space.

In the latest episode of Beyond the Numbers with Grant Thornton, Kristina Popova, State Taxes Partner and Bei Bei Han, Private Business Advisory Partner discuss increases in land tax assessments, potential avenues for appeal, and the impact of the current and proposed changes on businesses and individuals.

Earlier this month the State Revenue Office of Victoria commenced issuing land tax assessment notices for the 2024 land tax year.

In Vander stock v Victoria [2023] HCA 30, the Australian High Court handed down its decision and declared the Victorian Zero & Low Electric Vehicle road user charge to be constitutionally invalid.

It has been a busy month for State Taxes around the country. This month we saw the validity of foreign surcharges in question, proposed changes to NSW stamp duty in the lead up to the State election, Victoria’s recent inquiry into stamp duty and windfall gains tax changes.

From 19 May 2022, substantial amendments were made to the Duties Act 1997 (NSW) (Duties Act), including the introduction of a new category of dutiable transaction which imposes duty on a change in beneficial ownership of dutiable property.

As part of its justified trust program, the ATO seeks greater assurance that Top 100 and Top 1000 assurance taxpayers are reporting the right amount of Goods and Services Tax (GST).

There has been an ongoing debate amongst those of us who practice in stamp duty as to how duty should appropriately apply to tenant’s fixtures, particularly in the context of renewable energy projects.