• Skip to content
  • Skip to navigation
Revenue NSW logo
  • About us
  • Help centre
  • News
  • Login
  • Contact us
  • Home
  • Taxes, duties, levies and royalties Expand this menu
    Return to previous menu Taxes, duties, levies and royalties
    • Make a payment
    • Payroll tax
    • Land tax
    • Transfer duty
    • More options
  • Fines and fees Expand this menu
    Return to previous menu Fines and fees
    • Pay your fine
    • Request a review
    • Nominate someone else
    • Overdue fines and fees
    • More options
  • Grants and schemes Expand this menu
    Return to previous menu Grants and schemes
    • First home owner grant
    • First home buyer assistance
    • Small business grant
    • More options
  • Unclaimed money Expand this menu
    Return to previous menu Unclaimed money
    • Search for unclaimed money
    • Make a claim
    • Lodge unclaimed money
    • More options
  • About us
  • Help centre
  • News
  • Login
  • Contact us
alert icon

Your safety is our priority. If you are impacted by bushfires and need to discuss payments or lodgements, call us on 1300 138 118. More information

Taxes, duties, levies and royalties
  • About

    How to meet your obligations and make payments.

  • Land tax

    Paying tax on property you own.

  • Payroll tax

    Calculate and lodge tax on the wages paid by your business.

  • Transfer duty

    Calculate and pay transfer (stamp) duty on purchases.

  • Royalties

    We collect and audit mineral resources royalties.

  • Gaming and wagering

    We collect gaming and wagering taxes.

  • Health insurance levy

    For businesses that provide health benefits to contributors.

  • Insurance duty

    Providers of general and life insurance pay a duty.

  • Parking space levy

    Aims to reduce traffic congestion in Sydney's busiest areas.

  • Foreign buyers and land owners

    Surcharge fees that apply to residential land.

  • Motor vehicle duty

    Duty applies to some vehicle registrations and transfers.

  • Passenger service levy

    Applies to authorised taxi and booking service providers.

  • Emergency services levy

    We collect funds to support emergency services in NSW.

  • Income tax equivalent regime

    How government and the private sector compete

  • Home
  • Taxes, duties, levies and royalties
  • Land tax
Listen
In this section
  1. Pay your land tax
  2. Register
  3. Assessment
  4. Clearance certificates
  5. Exemptions and concessions
  6. Trusts
  7. Surcharge land tax
  8. Compliance

Land tax

  • Pay your land tax
  • Payment options
  • Rates and thresholds

Land tax is an annual tax levied at the end of the calendar year on all property you own that is above the land tax threshold. Your principal place of residence is exempt, and other land tax exemptions and concessions apply.

Register for land tax

Manage your land tax online: you can lodge a land tax return, view your assessment notice or opt-in to receive your assessment notice by email.

Land tax online

Use the residential property buyer tool to find out the taxes and duties you may need to pay, as well as exemptions and grants that you're entitled to receive.

When land tax doesn't apply

Generally, you don't pay land tax on:

  • your home, known as your principal place of residence
  • your farm, known as primary production land
  • any land you own with total taxable value below the land tax threshold.

Read more about land tax exemptions and concessions.

When land tax does apply

Apart from the above exemptions, land tax applies to property you own with total taxable value above the land tax threshold. You may have to pay land tax if you own, or jointly own:

  • vacant land, including vacant rural land
  • land where a house, residential unit or flat has been built
  • a holiday home
  • an investment property or properties
  • company title units
  • residential, commercial or industrial units, including car spaces
  • commercial properties, including factories, shops and warehouses
  • land leased from state or local government.

Land tax applies regardless of whether income is earned from the land.

Pay your land tax now

Land tax assessment

Rates and thresholds

Land tax is calculated on the total value of all your taxable land above the land tax threshold.

The thresholds for land values change each year and is applied as follows.

  • General threshold: $100 plus 1.6 per cent of land value above the threshold, up to the premium threshold.
  • Premium threshold: $60,164 plus two per cent of land value above the threshold.
  • The threshold is published in the Government Gazette in October each year, and is applied to land holdings on 31 December each year.
  • Land tax is applied for the full year following the taxing date of 31 December, and no pro-rata calculation applies.
Tax year General threshold Premium threshold
2020       $734,000$4,488,000
2019 $692,000 $4,231,000
2018 $629,000 $3,846,000
2017 $549,000 $3,357,000
2016 $482,000 $2,947,000
2015 $432,000 $2,641,000
2014 $412,000 $2,519,000
2013 $406,000 $2,482,000

Calculating land tax

  • How land tax is calculated
  • When land tax is calculated

You pay tax based on the combined value of all taxable land you own, not on each individual property. If the combined value of your land does not exceed the threshold, no land tax is payable.

If the value is above the land tax threshold, you pay tax for the amount over the threshold, plus a base tax of $100.

Your liability for each year is based on the value of all property you owned on 31 December in the previous year. Any changes to the land you own in the current year will only affect how much you pay next year.

If the ownership of any of your land changes, you’ll need to notify us using Land tax online.

Sample land tax calculations for 2020

Basic land tax calculation

(A minus B) multiplied by C plus D = land tax payable.

  • A is the total land value = $1,000,000
  • B is the land tax threshold for 2020 = $734,000
  • C is the land tax rate = 1.6%
  • D is the standard tax = $100

Example: ($1,000,000 - $734,000) x 1.6% + $100 = $4,356.00

Premium land tax calculation

(A minus B) multiplied by C plus D = total premium land tax payable.

  • A is the total land value = $5,000,000
  • B is the premium land tax threshold for 2020 = $4,488,000
  • C is the land tax rate = 2%
  • D is the maximum basic land tax payable = $60,164.00

Example: ($5,000,000 - $4,488,000) x 2% + $60,164.00 = $70,404.00

Note: A premium land tax marginal rate of 2% applies for special trusts on the total taxable land value above $4,488,000.

Special trusts land tax calculation

A multiplied by B = total special trust land tax payable.

  • A is the total land value = $1,000,000
  • B is the land tax rate = 1.6%

Example: $1,000,000 x 1.6% = $16,000.00

Note: A premium land tax marginal rate of 2% applies for special trusts on the total taxable land value above $4,488,000.

How land is valued for land tax

Every year, the Valuer General determines the value of all land in NSW at 1 July each year in line with the Valuation of Land Act 1916.

Land value is the unimproved value of your land.

The taxable value of each parcel of land is determined on the average value from the current year and the two past years, where applicable.

When a parcel of land has been created less than three years ago – for example, through a subdivision or amalgamation – Revenue NSW can only take into consideration the years after it was created.

If you're a foreign person who owns residential land in NSW, you must pay a land tax surcharge.

Example: how land is valued for land tax

Year Your land value
2017 $830,000
2018 $910,000
2019 $930,000
Average value ($830,000 + $910,000 + $930,000) / 3
= $890,000

Your average land value for land tax purposes in 2019 is $890,000.

Find out more about the method for valuing land.

You can also look up the average values in your local area or object to the valuation of your land.

Residential land

Residential land includes any of the following.

DescriptionConditions
Parcel of landOn which there are one or more dwellings, or on which there is a building under construction that, when completed, will constitute one or more dwellings.
Strata lotIf it is lawfully occupied as a separate dwelling, or suitable for lawful occupation as a separate dwelling.
Utility lotIf its use is restricted to the owner or occupier of a strata lot.
Land-use entitlementIf it gives the holder of the land-use entitlement to occupy a building, or part of a building, as a separate dwelling – eg company title and residential flats.
Parcel of vacant landZoned or otherwise designated for use for residential or principally for residential purposes.

Residential land doesn't include land used for primary production that is exempt from land tax.

The surcharge applies if a building has both residential and commercial purposes. In this case, an apportionment factor is used to apportion the land value.

  • Back to top
  • Next
    Payroll tax

Quick links

  • Make a payment

  • Online services

  • Use a calculator

  • Forms and publications

  • Data and statistics

  • What's happening now

  • Legislation and rulings

  • Compliance program

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • Email
  • Download as PDF
  • Taxes, duties, levies and royalties
  • Fines and fees
  • Grants and schemes
  • Unclaimed money
  • Terms
  • Privacy
  • Accessibility
  • Sitemap
  • nsw.gov.au
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn