Stamp Duty

In a significant policy move aimed at stimulating the property market, the Victorian government has announced a major reduction in stamp duty for off-the-plan apartments, units, and townhouses.

Effective from October 21, 2024, the expanded concessions will apply to all eligible off-the-plan purchases and will remain in place for one year.

This initiative, designed to address the state’s housing affordability crisis, opens a window of opportunity for prospective buyers, particularly investors and owner-occupiers, to secure substantial stamp duty savings.

Key Changes to Stamp Duty Concessions

Previously, stamp duty on off-the-plan purchases was calculated based on the total price of the property, including the construction value. Under the new scheme, stamp duty will be calculated solely on the land value before construction begins. This shift in policy significantly reduces the financial burden for buyers, particularly in metropolitan areas where property prices continue to rise.

For example, a Victorian purchasing an off-the-plan apartment valued at $620,000, with the land component valued at $77,500, will now pay just $4,000 in stamp duty—down from $32,000. This $28,000 saving represents a significant reduction in upfront costs for property buyers, potentially unlocking the market for a wider demographic.

The changes also eliminate the previous cap on concessions, expanding eligibility beyond first-home buyers to include any purchaser of off-the-plan apartments, units, or townhouses within a strata subdivision.

<a data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="69bb2163-758b-4133-85ae-a669cf3061bb" href="https://www.urban.com.au/developments/melbourne-vic"><img alt="Search New &amp; Off-the-Plan Property across Victoria" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202024-10-21%20at%208.49.26%20am.png?VersionId=tO1ATB0FSWLbOgFkHuqwpy6iUKclkflP" /></a>

Who Benefits from the Scheme

The new stamp duty concessions are aimed at boosting sales in Victoria’s off-the-plan sector, which has been slowing due to high taxes and market uncertainty. The scheme covers properties that are part of a strata subdivision. However, it excludes house and land packages or dwellings not part of a strata subdivision.

Existing concessions for first home buyers remain unchanged. Homes valued up to $600,000 will continue to benefit from full stamp duty exemptions, and concessions apply to properties valued up to $750,000.

A Limited-Time Opportunity for Buyers

The stamp duty concession is a time-sensitive initiative, with the expanded benefits available only until October 21, 2025. Buyers who are considering entering the market are urged to act promptly to take advantage of the scheme, as the concession will revert to its previous structure after this period.

For developments currently under construction, buyers are also eligible for reduced stamp duty, although the exact savings will depend on how much of the construction has been completed at the time of purchase.

Impact on the Market

The Victorian property industry has long advocated for a reduction in stamp duty, arguing that the high upfront cost has acted as a deterrent for both buyers and developers. By lowering these barriers, the government aims to revitalise the market, particularly in Melbourne, where apartment supply has struggled to keep pace with demand.

The concessions are expected to have a positive ripple effect on the rental market as well, as more off-the-plan properties come online. Developers will benefit from increased pre-sale success, helping them to meet financing requirements and commence construction sooner.

What Buyers Need to Know

For those interested in purchasing an off-the-plan property, the expanded stamp duty concessions represent a rare financial advantage. The Victorian government's removal of the concession cap makes this offer more widely available than previous schemes, opening the door for both investors and owner-occupiers to secure valuable savings.

Urban.com.au will continue to provide updates on off-the-plan developments and related policy changes. Buyers interested in learning more about the stamp duty reduction can explore our latest listings or contact us for further insights into how this change could benefit them.

Summary of Eligibility:

<ul>
	<li>Applies to off-the-plan apartments, units, and townhouses within a strata subdivision.</li>
	<li>Stamp duty calculated based on land value, not total property price.</li>
	<li>Available for one year, ending October 21, 2025.</li>
	<li>No cap on eligibility; open to all buyers, not just first-home purchasers.</li>
	<li>With the Victorian government’s stamp duty concession, now is an ideal time for property buyers to enter the market while this limited offer remains available.</li>
</ul>

Victorian government's stamp duty cuts on off-the-plan apartments, units, and townhouses offer significant savings for property buyers. Learn more about eligibility, how to benefit, and why now is the prime time to buy with these expanded concessions.

Michael Bird

VIC Government slashes stamp duty for off-the-plan property buyers - savings available immediately, Oct 2024

As of January 16, property buyers in New South Wales who are seeking to spend under $1.5 million on their first home, can now opt to pay an annual land tax as opposed to the upfront cost of stamp duty.

The First Home Buyer Choice scheme, will also apply to those who&nbsp;signed a contract of purchase between 11 November 2022 and 15 January 2023. For this group, applications to choose the property tax can be made at any time between 16 January 2023 and 30 June 2023.

If settlement occurs on or before 15 January 2023, they will need to pay stamp duty, and then will be able to apply for a refund of the stamp duty from 16 January 2023.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=29359 project_image_fid=207473]

If settlement occurs on or after 16 January 2023, and they have chosen property tax, they will not need to pay stamp duty.

For those who are purchasing land with the intention to build their first home, the price cap will be up to $800,000.

The aim of the scheme is to remove a significant barrier impacting first home buyers entering the property market.

Analysis by Canstar showed that the&nbsp;number of owner-occupier first home buyer loans is over 31.3 per cent down over the 12 months to November, after numbers retreated a further 5.5 per cent over the month.

For a $1.5 million purchase in New South Wales, buyers would be expected to pay $67,000 in stamp duty, which is in addition to a minimum 10 per cent deposit, a total of over $210,000 upfront with both costs before taking ownership of the property.

Annual property tax payments are based on the land value of the purchased property. The property tax rates for 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 will be $400,&nbsp;plus an additional cost of 0.3 per cent of land value.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112005 project_image_fid=191253]

Premier Dominic Perrottet said this choice will empower first home buyers as they head out to auctions and inspections over the weekend.

“Starting today, first home buyers will get a huge boost with a system that helps rather than hinders their journey to owning their first home,” Perrottet said.

“The opportunity starts now, with buyers able to choose the option that will suit their own financial circumstances and see them come out ahead in the long run.”

Treasurer Matt Kean said more than 6,000 first home buyers are estimated to choose the annual property fee each year.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6552 project_image_fid=202005]

“This is about giving home hunters the chance to decide what works best for them. It will give people greater flexibility as they approach one of the biggest investment decisions most will make in their lifetime,” Kean said.

“Home ownership builds economic security, financial independence, personal freedom and offers people a stake in our nation. This reform will bring thousands of people closer to that dream, sooner.”

The First Home Buyer Choice is a key component of the Government’s $2.8 billion Housing Package announced in the 2022-23 NSW Budget.

For more information visit the NSW Government website <a href="https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/services/housing-and-property/land-tax-property-tax-and-stamp-duty">here</a>.&nbsp;

Analysis by Canstar showed that the number of owner-occupier first home buyer loans is over 31.3 per cent down over the 12 months to November


Joel Robinson

Changes to NSW stamp duty explained: What it means for first home buyers

Removing stamp duty would increase housing mobility, and lead to more efficient use of the nation’s housing stock, according to research by the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation (NHFIC).

Families across all states and territories, except the ACT, are paying substantially more stamp duty when they move currently than they were 20 years ago, it noted.

Victoria now has Australia’s largest effective rate of transfer duty on a median property at around 5.4% (around $45,000), compared to 4.2% (around $12,000) back in 2002.

The report dubbed stamp duty an inefficient tax that impacts housing market mobility.

A household that bought a Sydney median priced house four times over the past 20 years would have paid more than 10 times the amount of duty than a household making only one purchase at the start of this period, it pointed out.

“Households that are considering downsizing and upsizing, or just seeking more space when they are working at home during COVID-19 wouldn't be penalised under a broad-based land tax compared with the current stamp duty arrangements across most states,” NHFIC CEO Nathan Dal Bon said .

“Encouraging more household mobility through reductions in stamp duty leads to more efficient use of the housing stock which means people can better ‘right-size’ their own housing arrangements in line with their individual preferences,” Dal Bon added.

The aim of transitioning from stamp duty to land tax is not to increase revenue per se, and the paper demonstrates that the transition can be achieved in a revenue neutral way.

"The typical household across all states (except the ACT) would be better off paying land tax on a median property than transfer duty," it suggested, noting a household in NSW would have to pay a broad-based land tax for more than 14 years to be worse off, which is greater than the 12 year average holding period of a property.

It noted the challenge of a revenue neutral swap between transfer duty and a broad-based land tax, under a slow house price growth scenario, would require approximately three times the amount of revenue as a faster transition ($94bn over a 20-year transition, compared with $32bn under a 5-year transition).

The National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation (NHFIC) commenced operations in 2018,  a corporate Commonwealth entity, part of the Treasury portfolio of agencies. 

The responsible Minister is the Minister for Housing, Michael Sukkar.


Removing stamp duty will have the benefit of reducing barriers to home ownership, according to the report of the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation

jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Federal Treasury entity gets behind push to scrap state government stamp duty

The ACT Government has scrapped stamp duty for off-the-plan apartments and townhouses up to $500,000.

The stamp duty abolition will apply to any buyer &ndash; first-home buyers, upgraders, downsizers and everyone else in between &ndash; who purchase off-the-plan, the territory government said.

Under these changes, anyone purchasing a newly built apartment or townhouse valued at $500,000 will save $10,360 in stamp duty.

The welcomed phase-out of stamp duty is effective from 1 July 2021.

This is great news if you are looking for the perfect property to purchase and benefit from the new stamp duty reforms.

Urban takes a look at five off-the-plan properties in the ACT listed for under $500,000.

1. WOVA, Phillip 
Developer: Geocon Group 
Two-bedroom apartments from $475,900

[smartcode_project:default project_id=95099 project_image_fid=167553]

Situated in Canberra&rsquo;s Woden Valley, WOVA by Geocon Group is set to redefine contemporary community living.

The four-tower development boasts a collection of one, two and three-bedroom apartments with unrivalled transport connectivity and abundant amenity.

Designed by Fender Katsalidis and Oculus Urban Design, WOVA features spacious balconies, functional living areas and is located at the heart of a multi-billion dollar regeneration project.

2. Marlu, Denman Prospect 
Developer: Core Developments 
Two-bedroom apartments from $429,900

[smartcode_project:default project_id=29327 project_image_fid=84947]

Settled amongst Denman Prospect&rsquo;s finest homes, Marlu presents one, two and three-bedroom dwellings.

Designed by Stewart Architecture, the development visually fits into the surrounding context, with northern frontage overlooking Molonglo Valley and Black Mountain.

The space is equipped with an outdoor pool, gym, and communal entertaining area, as well as a central garden which provides amenity, solar aspect and privacy.

3. Nightfall, Belconnen 
Developer: Geocon Group 
Two-bedroom apartments from $484,900

[smartcode_project:default project_id=29898 project_image_fid=167586]

The final stage of Geocon&rsquo;s Republic Precinct, Nightfall, is due to reach completion at the end of this year.

The 21-storey tower boasts one and two-bedroom apartments with 30 different floorplans to meet the needs of a variety of buyers.

Designed by Fender Katsalidis, Nightfall includes a private sky garden, fully equipped kitchen, residents&rsquo; dining room and an established ground-floor plaza with retailers, supermarkets, caf&eacute;s and restaurants.

4. Dawn at Founders Lane, Braddon 
Developer: JW Land Development 
One-bedroom apartments from $415,000

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6542 project_image_fid=164004]

Dawn occupies one of the most coveted positions in Canberra, located at the boundary of Civic and Braddon.

Founders Lane is set to bring a fresh new wave of life to the city centre with open flowing space and a fresh look.

Each one and two-bedroom apartment boasts access to a central courtyard, a rooftop garden, an abundance of natural light and a sense of calm and wellbeing.

5. The Brooke, Bruce 
Developer: AVANTUS 
Two-bedroom apartments from $455,000

[smartcode_project:default project_id=88669 project_image_fid=144662]

The Brooke includes 99 beautifully thought-out apartments in one and two-bedroom configurations.

Inspired to optimise the best of Canberra, the development is nestled between Belconnen and the City and boasts convenient access to medical, educational, sporting, retail, and commercial precincts.

Designed by JUDD.studio, the homes include traditional and futuristic elements, spacious backyards and balconies and a contemporary colour palette.

This ACT Government's stamp duty reform is great news if you are looking for a new off-the-plan property to purchase in Canberra.

max.kwok_55688

 Five Canberra apartments under $500,000 that benefit from ACT’s new stamp duty reforms

The ACT government has scrapped stamp duty for off-the-plan apartment and townhouse purchases up to $500,000 from July 1.

The stamp duty abolition will apply to first-home buyers and other owner occupiers who exchange purchases for off-the-plan in the territory from July 1.

<a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developments/act">Buyers of newly built apartments or townhouses at $500,000 will save $10,360 in stamp duty.</a>

The eligibility criteria includes satisfaction of residency requirements, that at least one buyer must live in the home continuously for at least one year, starting within 12 months of the date of completion/settlement date.

Since 2012 the ACT has been reducing stamp duty.

&ldquo;This is a further step in our tax reform program and one that encourages an increased supply of housing below the $500,000 threshold,&quot; ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said.

The announcement is part of the territory&rsquo;s 20-year plan to phase out stamp duty and replace it with an annual land tax.

The plan has been underway since 2012.

Stamp duty has also beeen reduced by $1040 for any owner-occupier established property purchase between $200,000 to $1.455 million in 2021-22.

As part of the ACT tax reform program, average general rates have increased to offset revenue that would otherwise be lost due to the abolition of stamp duty.&nbsp;

This did not occur in 2020-21 as part of the Government&rsquo;s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ACT government has scrapped stamp duty for off-the-plan apartment and townhouse purchases up to $500,000 from July 1

jchancellor

ACT stamp duty scrapped for owner occupier off the plan purchases up to $500,000

ASX-listed developer AVJennings is matching the government stamp duty concession on all Piper Townhomes for those who buy before the end of June.

Piper is a boutique collection of 14 modern, low-maintenance townhouses in the stunning bayside suburb of Williamstown.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102256 project_image_fid=163752]

The development references Williamstown&rsquo;s well-known local personality Richard Piper, the postmaster&nbsp;of the Williamstown Post Office during the mid-nineteenth century.

&ldquo;With a rich maritime history, this picturesque suburb is situated within Hobson Bay and offers cafes, restaurants, supermarket, shops, swimming beaches and renowned boating clubs&rdquo;, the project marketing reads.

Residents can secure one of nine three-bedroom homes facing Nelson Place, an extension of the neighbouring Lonsdale and Lysander townhomes at Waterline Place.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102256 project_image_fid=163757]

According to the developers, the vision for Waterline Place is to be &ldquo;a village within a village&rdquo;. It will be home to approximately 500 residences and feature a series of green, active and pedestrian-friendly streets and laneways.

Featuring bluestone and an angled roofline that pays homage to Williamstown&rsquo;s industrial past, the three-bedroom homes blend in with the established character of the area.

With full-height windows, clever storage solutions and a large living area that opens into a room-sized balcony, these larger residences are ideal for couples, young families and downsizers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102256 project_image_fid=163754]

The five two-bedroom, two-bathroom terraces fronting Waterline Place are designed for first time buyers or couples looking for intelligent layouts.

Delivering a compact design, the two-bedroom townhomes include a ground-floor study, living room, under-stair storage and a single-car garage.

Prices for the homes in the Piper collection start from $830,000 and reach up to $1,495,000 for a three-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom property.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102256 project_image_fid=163752]

For residents who purchase the off-the-plan residence before 30th June, AVJennings will pay a rebate at settlement to the same value as the government concession.

The development is expected to reach completion in mid-2022.

About the developer

AVJennings is a leading residential property development company that has been part of the Australian landscape for more than 85 years.

With over 12,700 lots in its portfolio, the company has experience in home building, land development, pre-planned integrated housing and medium density activities.

Other projects by AVJennings include <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-townhouses/parkside-26-32-radke-road-bethania" target="_blank">Parkside, a townhouse project in Queensland&rsquo;s Bethania</a>. 
[smartcode_project_cta: project_id=102256]

For residents who purchase the off-the-plan residence before 30th June, AVJennings will pay a rebate at settlement to the same value as the government concession

Pay $0 stamp duty on the brand-new Piper Townhomes in Williamstown

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<h2>What is Stamp Duty?</h2>

Stamp duty, or land transfer duty as it’s known in Victoria, is a once-off government tax on buying property payed by the purchaser. It is based on the purchase price and calculated via a scale, in a similar manner to income tax.

However, these standard rates don’t apply to all property purchases, particularly first home owners and foreign buyers.

Pictured below is a full tabulation of how transfer duty is calculated in Victoria.

<img alt="" height="246" src="https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/stamp_duty_guide_vic.jpg" width="786">

<h2>Stamp duty on foreign purchasers</h2>

However, these rates don’t apply to all buyers or all types of property purchases. Foreign purchasers often have to pay additional duty of up to seven percent.

You can read more about the stamp duty provisions affecting foreign purchasers on the <a href="https://www.sro.vic.gov.au/foreignpurchaser" target="_blank">State Revenue Office website</a>.

<h2>Stamp Duty exemptions for first home buyers</h2>

The Victorian government’s current policy as of 2017 is the complete exemption of stamp duty for first home owners purchasing a property valued at up to $600,000. A saving of up to $31,070.for first home buyers.

For first home buyers purchasing a home valued between $600,001 and $750,000 a concessional rate of stamp duty applies.

Unlike the NSW First Home Owner Grants (FHOG), the stamp duty concession and exemption apply to all property types.

<h2>Other Stamp Duty exemptions and concession</h2>

Victoria also provides a concession to all purchasers of properties valued between $130,000 and $550,000 from paying stamp duty where they intend to use that property as their principal place of residence.

The rate of concession equates to a one percent reduction for all properties valued between $130,000 and $440,000 and a flat reduction of $3,100 for properties valued between $440,001 and $500,000.

There is also a “principal place of residence (off the plan concession)”, which only people purchasing an off the plan property they intend to use as their home are eligible and a threshold applies to the dutiable value of the property. This is $550,000 for non-first home buyers and $600,000 (for an exemption) $750,000 (for a concession) for first home buyers.

The Victorian government also provides a stamp duty exemption to pensioners buying a home valued at under $330,000 and a concessional rate to pensioners buying a home valued between $330,001 and $750,000.

Below are some properties eligible for stamp duty exemptions in Victoria:

1. Melbourne Quarter, Docklands 
Address: 628 Flinders Street, Docklands VIC 3008 
One-bedroom apartment from $458,000

[smartcode_project:default project_id=3459]

2. Live City, Footscray 
Address: 124-188 Ballarat Road, Footscray VIC 3011 
Two-bedroom apartments from $460,000

[smartcode_project:default project_id=3565]

3. Melbourne Grand, Melbourne 
Address: 556-558 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 
One-bedroom apartments from $489,000

[smartcode_project:default project_id=3490]

 

Click here to view <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/news/vic/save-thousands-melbourne-apartments-you-can-buy-without-paying-stamp-duty" target="_blank">six homes in Melbourne you can purchase without paying stamp duty</a>.
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Stamp duty, or land transfer duty as it’s known in Victoria, is a once-off government tax on buying property payed by the purchaser

jordan_55689

What is stamp duty? A guide to stamp duty in Victoria

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More than ever as we emerge from the crisis we are going to have to get the most out of our economy.

Swapping stamp duty for land tax as the <a href="https://theconversation.com/abolish-stamp-duty-the-act-shows-the-rest-of-us-how-to-tax-property-105378">ACT government</a> is doing (over 20 years) and the <a href="https://www.treasury.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-11/NSW%20TSY%20TF%20-%20Glossy.pdf">NSW government</a> is planning (using an opt-in arrangement), is one of the best ways the tax system can help.

This graph from the federal treasury’s 2015 <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2019-03/c2015-rethink-dp-TWP_combined-online.pdf">tax discussion paper</a> makes the point.

It says the “marginal excess burden” (damage) done by real estate stamp duty amounts to 70 cents for each dollar raised.

It discourages people and businesses from changing addresses as often as they should, meaning workers live further away from their work than they would and are reluctant to move to where there is better work.

<figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/370724/original/file-20201123-19-16bujkx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img alt="" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/370724/original/file-20201123-19-16bujkx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/370724/original/file-20201123-19-16bujkx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=397&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370724/original/file-20201123-19-16bujkx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=397&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370724/original/file-20201123-19-16bujkx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=397&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370724/original/file-20201123-19-16bujkx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=498&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370724/original/file-20201123-19-16bujkx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=498&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370724/original/file-20201123-19-16bujkx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=498&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w"></a>

<figcaption><a class="source" href="https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2019-03/c2015-rethink-dp-TWP_combined-online.pdf">Tax discussion paper, Australian Treasury March 2015</a></figcaption></figure>In contrast, treasury found the marginal excess burden of land tax was negative. Land tax makes sure land was used for its most useful purpose and not left idle.

Efficiency-wise it makes sense to swap one for the other, but as with all changes there will be winners and losers, some of them surprising.

In our <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3760893">just-published study</a>, we use real-world data on living arrangements from the Melbourne Institute’s <a href="https://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/hilda">Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia</a> survey and data on house prices and stamp duty rates from the Real Estate Institute Australia in an attempt to work out who the winners and losers will be.

<h2>Good for the young, and the old</h2>

We find that overall the swap should reduce the purchase price for home buyers, increase the sale price for sellers, increase the total number of transactions and reduce the degree of mismatch in housing.

It should also increase the rate of home ownership.

Young adults, particularly those who are currently having difficulty saving for a deposit would be better off.

Current homeowners would generally be worse off.

Renters would benefit because they are currently excluded from home ownership.

Older landlords, perhaps surprisingly, would also benefit. In many cases the increase in the value of their houses would outweigh the cost of the land tax.

Our findings raise a challenge for governments.

In the long run, the swap would improve the working of the economy, but in the short run it will hurt many current voters.

A gradual transition – either through a very long phase in (of the kind adopted by the ACT) or by allowing households to select into different tax systems (as NSW is planning) would help make the switch more palatable.

But the sooner we start, the better.<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/154935/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important" width="1">

 

This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/identifying-the-losers-and-surprising-winners-from-phasing-out-stamp-duty-154935">original article</a>.

 
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Swapping stamp duty for land tax as the ACT government is doing and the NSW government is planning, is one of the best ways the tax system can help our economy

Identifying the losers (and surprising winners) from phasing out stamp duty

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GUEST OBSERVER
The domestic market fundamental’s remain strong for housing development following yesterday’s announcement from The Treasury to implement a four percent stamp duty charge on foreign investors.
The Treasury’s move may intend to stabilize foreign investment and increase revenue for the State, however it has little regard for dealing with the ever increasing issue of housing affordability, particularly in Sydney. 
Based on the Sydney median house price of $995,804, the stamp duty bill for an off-shore investor will increase from $40,305 to $80,137 and generate $1 billion over four years for the government.
Increased investment in employment, transport, health, education and recreation infrastructure has been committed by the private and public sector particularly the South West Sydney, and for this reason there is a continued surge of new property sales and importantly ‘occupation’ in developments offering properties well below Sydney metro’s median price.
Sekisui House Australia’s outlook is supported by the newly reported industry data. 
According to the latest Autumn Housing Industry Association (HIA) report for NSW, the ‘AIG–HIA Performance Of Construction Index’ reports new orders in the house sector during early 2016 were somewhat stronger than at the end of 2015.  The index reading in March 2016 was 53.0 points, indicating an expansion in new orders during the month, a positive signal for detached house building activity over the near to medium term.
As the Government shifts goal posts for property investment particularly from off-shore investors, it’s important to focus on the owner-occupier market returning to the fore. Foreign property investors will always play their part in the NSW residential market, but with lower Loan-to-Value ratio being offered by the major banks, we foresee property sales for occupation potentially taking the lead in 2016 and beyond.
Craig D'Costa is the project director at Sekisui House Australia and can be contacted <a href="https://www.sekisuihouse.com.au/" target="_blank">here</a>.
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Treasury's stamp duty move to increase state revenue: Craig D'Costa 

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GUEST OBSERVER
It is time for the state government to put the interests of first homebuyers at the top of its agenda.
As part of a review of its Real Tax Policy ahead of the June 10, 2016 NSW Budget, REINSW has called for the state government to make amendments to stamp duty for first homebuyers.
Home ownership is not only something that individuals should aspire to, it is also something that government should foster and encourage as a means of building wealth and providing for a persons care post employment.
The NSW government needs to provide first homebuyers with a 50 percent reduction in the stamp duty on a purchase of a residential property less than $1 million and provide the ability to pay the stamp duty over time. 
Not supporting first homebuyers is to say the least short sighted and creates the risk that our best and brightest will be enticed to other states where the dream of home ownership can be a reality. 
The existing first homebuyer incentives are focused on new dwellings. The strategy being, by focusing demand toward new properties this will correct the supply problem. 
Unfortunately the strategy has two major short comings, firstly most first homebuyers buy existing properties as new dwellings are financially beyond their capacity. Secondly increasing demand will not solve the supply problem. 
We refer to ourselves us the Premier State, if there is truth behind the words then providing a pathway for our first homebuyers into their own home, is a clear way to demonstrate that the words have substance,.
John Cunningham is president, REINSW and can be contacted <a href="https://www.reinsw.com.au/imis15_Prod/web" target="_blank">here</a>. 
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