Land Tax by State Australia 2026: VIC vs NSW vs QLD vs WA

Land tax is state based

There is no single Australian land tax system. Each state and territory sets its own thresholds, rates, exemptions and owner-type rules. That is why a property that looks efficient in Queensland may produce a very different annual bill in Victoria or NSW.

The three questions are always the same: what is the taxable land value, who owns the land, and what other taxable land is aggregated with it?

State comparison

Victoria is notable for lower thresholds and absentee/trust surcharge exposure. NSW uses general and premium thresholds and can treat discretionary trusts differently. Queensland has different scales for individuals, companies and trustees. WA, SA, TAS and ACT all have their own bands and exemptions.

Use the Land Tax Calculator to select a state and owner type, then model the impact on net yield.

Investor traps

• Using purchase price instead of land value.
• Ignoring existing holdings in the same state.
• Forgetting trust, company, foreign or absentee rules.
• Treating principal-place-of-residence exemptions as automatic for mixed-use or changed-use property.

Sources: State revenue office land tax guidance. General information only.