State governments ride stamp duty tidal wave

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A new report from the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation (NHFIC) claims that the states have generated $60 billion in windfall stamp duties over the past 20 years.

The NHFIC has found that the effective tax rate goes up if states and territories do not adjust stamp duty rates and thresholds to account for surging house prices, and it has urged other states and territories to follow the lead of the ACT and NSW in replacing stamp duties with land tax:

Mobility will increase if transfer duty is reduced or removed.

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About the author
Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.