Debt

Debt strategy

While the overwhelming majority of our customers meet their payment obligations, there is a small portion of debt that must be closely managed.

Our objective is to manage the recovery of debt in a thorough and timely manner so that outstanding liabilities are paid. This includes maintaining a focus on resolving smaller value, but larger volume debts so that the number of older debt cases is minimised. As a result of the coronavirus pandemic this year, our approach was modified to support customers in managing their payment obligations by way of extensions and payment arrangements.

In real terms, our debt level is consistently below our monthly average target of less than 2% of total annual revenue collected. This reflects our high standards in managing debt and keeping it at low levels. For 2019-20, the debt-to-revenue ratio monthly average was 1.68%.

Tax base Total debt
30 June 2020
($)
< 30 days
($)
30-90 days
($)
> 90 days
($)
Provision for doubtful debt ($) Total debt
30 June 2019
($)
Duties debt
Land transfer/mortgage 18,388,515 933,701 2,697,926 14,756,888 14,790,490 20,473,963
Insurance 5,266,535 5,216,316 49,918 301 10,966 51
Hire of goods duty 193 0 0 193 0 193
Motor vehicle duty 1,262,277 14,055 44,264 1,203,958 471,957 1,271,873
Total duties 24,917,520 6,164,072 2,792,108 15,961,340 15,273,413 21,746,080
Other taxes
Payroll tax 95,140,925 3,384,293 12,286,167 79,470,465 100,090,305 59,979,358
Land tax 552,030,935 410,771,200 29,013,764 112,245,971 0 488,233,663
Vacant residential land tax 3,290,201 124,350 280,356 2,885,495 0 1,272,041
Congestion levy 9,641,145 0 1,440 9,639,705 102,310 3,073,611
Commercial passenger vehicle service levy 2,278,915 389,744 100,963 1,788,208 0 1,256,655
Wagering and betting tax 76,859 20,707 53,352 2,800 0 0
Cattle and swine duty 74,615 4,882 6,100 63,633 0 39,903
Total other taxes 662,533,595 414,695,176 41,742,142 206,096,277 100,192,615 553,855,231
All taxes 687,451,115 420,859,248 44,534,250 222,057,617 115,466,028 575,601,311
Summary of written off debt 2019-20 $
Hire of goods duty 0
Congestion levy 1,680
Motor vehicle duty 41,049
Land transfer/mortgage duty 92,053
Payroll tax 3,156,517
Land tax 167,611
Commercial passenger vehicle service levy 3,566
Insurance duty 0
Sheep and goat duty 0
Cattle and swine duty 0
Sundry debts 0
Total debt written off 3,462,476
Debt to revenue ratio monthly average in 2019-20 1.68%
Debt to revenue ratio monthly average in 2018-19 1.27%