Why change and why now?

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Making the dream of home ownership more achievable

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The Government’s vision for NSW is for more people to be able to own their own home, with more freedom to choose the right home for themselves and their family at every stage of life. That vision extends to all – from first home buyers looking to get a foot on the property ladder, to frontline workers moving to serve our regional communities, to retirees who are ready to downsize.

Removing the upfront cost of stamp duty could remove tens of thousands of dollars from the home purchase process and make it easier for first home buyers, families looking to upgrade and others looking to change their property to save what is needed to purchase their next home.

The proposed changes could also place downward pressure on home prices over the longer term, making housing more affordable for all.

Australian and international evidence suggests property transactions could increase by 20-30 per cent in the short-term and 40-60 per cent in the long run by introducing these changes.

 

 

Example: the median property in NSW costs $680,000. A buyer who opts-in to the property tax could save up to $20,000 over the first four years of ownership.

 

Delivering a strong economy for NSW

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Over the years, numerous experts have called for the abolition of stamp duty. The most recent call for stamp duty reform was made by the NSW Review of Federal Financial Relations (2020), chaired by David Thodey. The FFR Review found that an annual tax on land values would be more productive and would raise the same revenue at a lower economic cost.

Other expert reports have also reached a similar conclusion, including IPART (2008), the Henry Review (2010), the NSW Financial Audit (2011), the ACT Taxation Review (2012), the McKell Institute (2016), the Commonwealth Productivity Commission’s ‘Shifting the Dial’ report (2017), the Grattan Institute (2018), the Australia Institute (2020) and NSW Productivity Green Paper (2020).

The NSW Government is now taking the first practical step, by seeking your feedback on a possible property tax proposal. If implemented, this proposal could stimulate the economy and put money back in the pockets of the people of NSW.  

 

 

These proposed changes could inject around $11 billion into the NSW economy in the first four years. In the long run, property tax is estimated to lift Gross State Product (GSP) by 1.7 per cent, or $3,300 per household; and increase employment by 1.4 per cent, or 75,000 additional jobs​.

 

Last updated: 04/02/2021