Are you a Queensland property investor or are you considering
investing in Queensland?
Well,
hold onto your hats!
In
what could only be described as an extraordinary cash grab, the Queensland
Government is making the most astonishing changes to land tax.
Once
you are over the shock it should have you up in arms, but it has barely been
raised by the media - mainstream or otherwise.
From
30 June 2023, an owner’s liability for land tax will be determined based on the
total value of their Australia-wide landholdings that are not exempt, rather
than solely on their non-exempt Queensland landholdings.
That’s right, if you also happen to own one or more properties
interstate, in the same entity, your new Queensland land tax bill will include
the statutory value of your interstate land.
So
not only will the State Government in that respective state potentially send
you a land tax bill, but you will also receive one from the Queensland
Government.
In
other words, this is a tax rate hike for all entities that hold land in
Queensland as well as another Australian jurisdiction but will have no impact
on Queensland-only landholders.
It
will have major implications for investors and also renters when it comes into
effect.
QLD Land Tax
To be clear, not everyone who owns property in Queensland will be up for the
land tax.
There
are exemptions for homeowners and for other uses of the land.
Also,
if you hold an investment property and you do not reach the threshold you will
remain exempt.
But
the land tax threshold in Queensland remains very low, meaning most investors
will get caught.
The
land tax kicks in for individuals when their rateable land value hits $600,000
or more, while assets in companies and trustees it is $350,000.
In
any case, purchase an investment-grade house in Brisbane, and there is a
high chance you will be straight into Land Tax territory.
From
here on in, the rates of land tax ramp up faster than in any other capital city.
Individuals
Companies and trusts
You
can read more about land tax essentials on the QLD Government
Website.
The new regulations
Qld
Government will now seek to assess all properties in
your portfolio under the same entity when calculating your land tax bill.
An
example below of how this will work has been obtained from the Qld Government
Website under Interstate Properties and Land Tax.
As
of 30 June 2022, Lena will receive a Land Tax bill of $1,950, and only 12
months later that Land Tax bill will now rise to $8,422.37.
That
will of course be in addition to the land tax bill for her Victorian asset!
Who will it hurt?
In
my mind, there is only one clear winner – the Government of Queensland.
On
the other hand, there is a range of people that will be detrimentally affected.
People
who own an investment property in Queensland are the more obvious ones.
Imagine
your land tax bill jumps threefold or more, the mere thought of it may be
enough to consider selling.
Others
will be forced to sell due to soaring land tax costs adding to higher interest
rates and inflation.
It
could also be a major issue for Renters with landlords looking to pass on
costs.
If
the recent boom was anything to go by, rental homes that were sold over the
last 12 months were purchased by home buyers, meaning that property did not
return to the rental market.
With
rental vacancies tightening to record levels, this may cause a greater fall in
supply and will again be yet another hurdle for those looking to rent.
Investors
are often jeered as being "greedy” but are often overlooked for the key role
they play in providing housing to the community.
Something
the Governments at all levels are struggling to offer.
RealRenta has all the
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Join now and the cost
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Jason Gwerder
Wednesday, 10 August 2022
