- Calendar year
- Holiday home
- Home
- Land tax
- Occupant
- Owner
- Principal place of residence
- Residential land
Calendar year
The period from 1 January to 31 December.
The vacant residential land tax applies from 1 January each year and is based on use and occupation in the previous calendar year. For example, tax liabilities for the 2023 tax year are based on vacancy in the 2022 calendar year.
Holiday home
A property which is used by the owner or vested beneficiary as a second home for at least four weeks in the calendar year. To be eligible for the exemption:
- the owner or vested beneficiary must have had a home (principal place of residence) in Australia in that year
- the Commissioner of State Revenue must be satisfied that the property for which the exemption is being sought is a genuine holiday home.
In considering whether the property is a genuine holiday home, the Commissioner will consider:
- the location of the property
- the distance between the property and the owner or vested beneficiary's main home
- the nature and frequency of the use of the property.
Home
Your home is where you live and is also known as your principal place of residence. This must be a building which can lawfully be used as a residence.
Land tax
A tax payable by people who own land in Victoria. Whether you are liable for land tax depends on what land you own, what it is used for, and its total value.
Occupant
A person who lives at the property with the permission of the owner (including a beneficiary of a discretionary trust), or who stays at the property under a lease or short-term letting arrangement.
Owner
Generally, you own land if you have an interest in the title for that land either on your own or with other individuals, companies or trusts. You may also be considered an owner of land if you are a life tenant or have a lease or licence from the Crown.
Principal place of residence
A principal place of residence is the home a person lives in. The land must have a building on it which can lawfully be used as a residence.
Residential land
Land which is able to be used solely or primarily for residential purposes.
Land is also residential land if:
- a residence is being constructed or renovated on the land
- the land was capable of being used solely or primarily for residential purposes before the commencement of the construction or renovation
- on the completion of the construction or renovation, the land will be capable of being used solely or primarily for residential purposes.
From the 2020 tax year, land is also residential land if:
- there is a residence that in uninhabitable on the land
- the land is not land on which a residence is being constructed or renovated.
Residential land does not include commercial residential premises, a residential care facility, a supported residential service or a retirement village.
