If you recently received a letter from the SRO about an overpayment of land tax, please read the following to confirm if you have made an overpayment and the steps needed to claim a refund.
Why does the SRO think I am owed a land tax refund?
Often when people sell a property, land tax is paid as part of the settlement process.
In some instances, landowners are not aware of the payments made at settlement and make separate payments when they receive a land tax assessment, causing an overpayment.
An overpayment can be the full amount of annual land tax, or it may be a portion of that amount depending on the calculations made at settlement and the payments made.
We regularly contact people we believe have made overpayments, asking them to confirm the payments they have made and to claim a refund of any overpayments.
Why do I have to apply for a refund? Can’t the SRO just send me the money?
Unfortunately, we can only pay refunds when a valid Refund Claim Form is submitted.
This is a legislative requirement that ensures refunds are only paid to the rightful owner of any amounts that have been overpaid.
What information does the SRO need from me?
We have developed an online form to help you claim a refund quickly and easily.
You will need to provide information about the person that is entitled to the refund, and as much detail about the payments you have made and amount of the refund.
If you don’t know all this information, you should lodge the refund request with as much information as possible. We will then contact you to work through any information gaps to assist in determining whether a refund can be paid.
The online form will ask for bank account details of where to issue any refund. If you are uncomfortable about providing these details, leave the fields blank and your refund can be paid by cheque. To ensure the cheque is sent to your correct mailing address, please provide current details in the online form.
