Land Tax Rebate Deadline Extended
The Queensland Government has extended the deadline to apply for land tax relief to October 31 2020.
The decision follows a concerted effort by the Property Council to bring the deadline into alignment with the deadline in place for the land tax rebate available in NSW. The Property Council thanks all member companies who supported the organisation in those advocacy efforts.
The Treasurer has also responded to several matters the Property Council has raised about the rebate conditions and the recently adopted Retail Shop Leases and Other Commercial Leases (COVID-19 Emergency Response) Regulation 2020, that are restricting the capacity of landlords to seek relief on behalf of tenants.
The Queensland Treasurer has written to the Property Council confirming that:
- The Office of State Revenue will be providing further guidance in relation to inconsistencies between the regulation and the leasing principles on the OSR website. The Property Council has sought to ensure consultation occurs prior to this information being published.
- Despite repeated requests, the Government has ruled out owner occupiers from receiving the rebate as well as landlords and tenants of properties purchased after 30 June 2020. The Property Council will continue to advocate that the State Government review this decision given the clear and obvious inequities it creates for affected businesses.
Members with specific examples of how this clarification impacts their ability to support tenants are encouraged to contact the Property Council so that we can provide further detailed advice to government.