DESPITE Bass Coast having almost four times the state average for unoccupied housing and South Gippsland more than twice the state average, the government’s state taxes education roadshow will not be coming here.
The roadshow will visit Ballarat, Geelong, Bendigo, Echuca, Melbourne, Colac, Hamilton, Rosebud, Morwell, Lilydale, Sunbury, Lakes Entrance, Mildura and Warracknabeal.
But not Cowes, Wonthaggi, Inverloch or Leongatha.
Instead, those at a loss to know if they should be paying the Vacant Residential Land Tax of 1%, 2% or 3% CIV on their holiday house or investment property or the 7.5% short-stay levy will have to go online and listen to a one-hour webinar or remain (not so) blissfully unaware of their new responsibilities.
Meanwhile, as late as last month’s council meeting, the Bass Coast Shire Council is continuing to ask for a prescribed fee of $300 per short stay property in the shire, despite the State Government ruling in September 2023 when it introduced the Victorian Government’s 7.5% short stay levy, that local council charges on short stay accommodation would be removed (see Victorian Parliamentary Budget Office 2024 ‘The Victorian Government’s 7.5% short stay levy Impact on property owners HERE’).
As well as continuing to implement its Local Law #1 Neighbourhood Amenity 2022, designed to take action against the owners of short stay properties who allow anti-social behaviour at their properties, the council voted to lobby the state government to be allowed to keep their local law and $300 levy, despite the expressed policy of government to remove such levies as double-dipping against holiday homeowners.
Confused? You will be.
Here’s a pitch from the State Revenue Office to those interested in details about their responsibilities.
Register for the short stay levy
If you are accepting bookings for short stays in Victorian property, you may need to register for the short stay levy to lodge and pay your returns. If you have already registered, no further action is required until lodgement and payment of your return is due.
To help you understand about the levy, the government is holding a series of webinars which cover:
- Which properties the levy applies to and which properties are excluded
- Who pays the levy
- How to calculate the levy
- How to register
- How to lodge a return and make a payment.
The webinars go for one hour and are free to attend.
Booking platforms, owners and tenants that collect booking fees of $75,000 or more per year must lodge and pay the levy quarterly. Booking platforms, owners and tenants that collect booking fees less than $75,000 per year must lodge and pay annually
If you are a booking platform, or you accept direct bookings for short stays in short stay accommodation, you must register for the levy. After you register, the government will provide resources to help you easily pay the right amount at the right time.
Book your short stay levy webinar HERE.
There you’ll find a calendar of webinars and in-person roadshows. Each webinar will focus on a property tax to give you a greater understanding of how it works and what you need to do.
Property tax webinars are now available for:
- Land Tax
- Vacant Residential Land Tax
- Commercial and Industrial Property Tax
- Windfall Gains Tax.
If you can get to one of the State Taxes Education Roadshow you’ll hear details of all property taxes and recent changes to state taxes, including the short stay levy and vacant residential land tax.
