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Member engagement leads to service improvements

  • September 15, 2017

At a meeting with the Office of State Revenue this week, the Property Council received an update on the Government’s efforts to address administrative challenges surrounding the Foreign Purchaser Duty and Absentee Owner Surcharge.

The meeting addressed the issue of lengthy assessment periods for exemption applications, which was raised as a key concern by members at a Property Council Boardroom Lunch with the Commissioner of State Revenue earlier this year.

We are encouraged by the Commissioner’s efforts since this meeting in July, including:

  • Dedicating additional resources and prioritising exemptions to ensure timeframes for decisions are monitored closely and ensuring that determinations for surcharge exemptions keep within a 60-day timeframe.
  • Reducing the number of outstanding applications for exemption from the Absentee Owner Surcharge to 16 out of a total of 147 received to date, with 96% of applications approved.
  • Reducing the number of outstanding applications for Foreign Purchaser Additional Duty exemption to 8 out of a total of 42 received to date, with 76% of applications approved.

Going forward the Property Council will continue working productively with the SRO to identify and address greater efficiency and clarity for the exemptions framework and the Guidelines which govern its implementation.