How to Object to Land Tax in Victoria
Does your latest residential Land Tax assessment have you falling off your chair? In this article we give you the information you need to lodge an objection because if you don't it may mean you end up paying too much tax.
The Basics
Land Tax is calculated as a percentage of the “Site Value” of your property, which in other words means the value of your property as if it were vacant land. You can find the Site Value for your property on your council rates notice.
The State Revenue Office (SRO) uses the Site Value of your property to calculate your Land Tax but it doesn’t set the Site Value. This is done by valuation firms who are contracted by the government to provide annual property valuations for the use of the SRO and other government agencies.
How do I object to my Land Tax?
You need to write to the SRO and your objection letter or email should contain the following:
The address of the property and property reference number
Your name and an explanation that you own the land
The postal address if it is different to the address of the property in question
Your telephone contact details
The land area size of the property, if you know it
Identify the Site Value amount which you are objecting to
Be sure to date your letter so that this can be noted as the date the objection was lodged.

Whilst you may wish to include further information as to why you are objecting, we suggest it may be more advantageous to wait until after you receive a response (see below).
What happens next?
You should receive an acknowledgement from the SRO that your objection has been lodged. Under legislation, the valuation firm that valued your property is obliged to respond to your objection. The legislation states that the valuation firm's letter should contain:
the address of the land and the property reference number
details of the land (e.g. its land area size)
a description of the approach they took when valuing your property and any property sales they have relied on when making comparisons
a response to the information contained in your objection.
If the letter you receive does not contain any one or more of the items above, we suggest that you ask the valuation firm to provide this.
You have one month, from the date you receive this letter, in which to submit your written response giving reasons why the assessed Site Value of your property is incorrect.
The information contained in your response must be relevant and persuasive for your objection to be successful. If your submission includes irrelevant or even unhelpful information in valuation terms, then you might end up paying more tax needlessly.
The strongest and most persuasive means of challenging your Land Tax assessment is to have a professional valuation that supports your objection.
Vantage Valuation have considerable expertise in providing valuations for the purposes of Land Tax objections. We can provide you with a valuation for your submission that could assist you in reducing your Land Tax. Contact us today to discuss your objection.