Following the devastating Victorian bushfires over summer, the Victorian Government announced a range of tax relief measures in January 2020 for people and businesses in six affected regional local government areas.
The State Taxation Acts Amendment (Relief Measures) Act 2020 received Royal Assent on 28 April 2020, introducing various changes, including land transfer duty, land tax and payroll tax relief measures for bushfire-affected areas.
To June 2020:
- $306,270 in stamp duty relief was provided to those purchasing replacement homes for those destroyed in the bushfires, with a four-year period in which people can claim this relief.
- $86,570 in stamp duty relief was provided to those purchasing commercial and industrial properties in the bushfire-affected regions.
- $792,003 in bushfire payroll tax relief was provided to regional employers.
Customers in bushfire-affected local government areas also availed themselves of the coronavirus land tax and payroll tax relief that became available.