Tax relief measures for eligible Victorian businesses impacted by COVID-19

Overview

As part of the Victorian government's COVID-19 economic survival package the following tax relief measures are available to eligible businesses:

Payroll tax relief

• Businesses with annual taxable wages up to $3 million will have their payroll tax waived for the 2019-20 financial year and they can also defer paying payroll tax for the first quarter of the 2020-21 financial year.
• Any additional payments made to bridge the gap between an employee's wage and the $1500 a fortnight required for the JobKeeper program are now exempt from payroll tax.
• Eligible businesses with payrolls up to $10 million can defer their 2020-21 payroll tax liabilities until the 2021-22 financial year.

Liquor licence fees waived

• Reimbursement of 2020 renewable liquor licence fees that have already been paid.
• A waiver of any outstanding 2020 renewable liquor licence fees.
• A waiver of 2021 liquor licensing fees.

Land tax relief

• Land owners due to pay 2020 land tax that own at least one non-residential property and total taxable landholdings below $1 million are not required to pay their 2020 land tax assessment until 31 March 2021.
• A range of land tax reductions and deferments for land subject to commercial and residential leases.
• A full waiver of 2021 vacant residential land tax liabilities.

Motor vehicle duty relief

• A temporary adjustment of the length of ownership rule associated with exemptions from motor vehicle duty available for licensed motor car traders for their demonstrator or service demonstrator vehicles.

Commercial passenger vehicle service levy relief

• A waiver of the commercial passenger vehicle service levy for the 1 April 2020 to 30 June 2020 quarter.
• Larger booking service providers must sign an agreement with the Department of Transport agreeing to fully return the levy to drivers before they can access this relief. The Department of Transport will contact these businesses directly.

Congestion levy relief

• A 25% waiver of the 2020 congestion levy, with car park owners also able to defer any outstanding balances until next year.

Duty concession for commercial or industrial properties in regional Victoria

• The 50% stamp duty discount introduced at the time of the 2019-20 bushfires in affected LGAs will be available across all of regional Victoria and is brought forward to 1 January 2021.

You can find out more about these measures at Tax relief for eligible businesses.