Australia: Capital Territory announces 2025-26 budget, includes conveyance duty concessions
The ACT's 2025-26 Budget focuses on tax reform, including reduced conveyance duties, increased land tax exemptions, new thresholds for general rates, a short-term rental levy, and adjusted motor vehicle duty for zero-emission vehicles. The
See MoreAustralia: Western Australia improves housing affordability as part of 2025–26 budget
Western Australia passed the Duties Amendment Bill 2025, expanding concessions for first-home buyers and off-the-plan purchases to improve housing affordability as part of the 2025-2026 budget, with no new taxes. The Western Australian Parliament
See MoreUganda presents 2025–26 budget, proposes income tax exemption for start-ups
Uganda's Ministry of Finance unveiled a UGX 72.136 trillion national budget for 2025-26. Uganda’s Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development has unveiled a UGX 72.136 trillion national budget for the 2025-26 financial year on 12
See MorePhilippines enacts Capital Markets Efficiency Promotion Act (CMEPA)
Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has signed the Capital Markets Efficiency Promotion Act (CMEPA) into law on 30 May 2025, which goes into force on 1 July 2025. Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., has signed the Capital
See MoreAustralia: Tasmania unveils 2025–26 budget, abolishes stamp duty for first home buyers
The 2025-26 budget introduces no new taxes or changes to existing ones. Its key initiative is removing stamp duty for first home buyers in Tasmania on homes up to AUD 750,000. Guy Barnett, Treasurer and Deputy Premier of Tasmania, presented the
See MoreUK: Scotland extends LBTT group relief provision
The legislation extends LBTT group relief to non-partition demergers and clarifies that the sub-sale relief period begins on the qualifying sub-sale date. Scotland’s government released legislation titled “The Land and Buildings Transaction
See MoreAustralia: Victoria proposes extension of off-the-plan stamp duty concession
Australia’s Victorian government announced on 14 May 2025 that it will extend its stamp duty concession for eligible “off-the-plan” homes for another 12 months. The Victorian Budget 2025-26 will invest AUD 61 million to slash stamp duty for
See MoreAustralia: Northern Territory presents tax measures for 2025 budget
Australia’s Northern Territory (NT) newly elected Country Liberal Party has presented its 2025-26 budget for the province on 13 May 2025. Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro and Treasurer Bill Yan have emphasised key priorities in the budget,
See MoreHong Kong approves stamp duty changes on real property
The Hong Kong Legislative Council approved the Stamp Duty (Amendment) Bill 2025 on 7 May 2025 to implement the 2025-26 budget proposal to raise the maximum value of properties chargeable to the HKD 100 stamp duty from HKD 3 million to HKD 4 million,
See MoreSpain: Catalonia announces changes to property transfer tax and stamp duty
Spain’s Catalan government passed Decree-Law 5/2025 on 25 March 2025. The Decree was later published in the Official Gazette on 26 March 2025. This Decree-Law adopted various measures regarding taxes, personnel expenses, and other
See MorePhilippines issues guidance on excise tax exemption for EVs, securitisation tax rules
The Philippines Department of Finance (DoF) has released Revenue Regulations (RR) No. 1-2025, which amends section 9 (E) of RR No. 25-2003, has went into effect on 6 January 2025. The amendment updates the documentary requirements motor vehicle
See MorePhilippines: Congress passes Capital Markets Efficiency Act (CMEPA)
The Congress of the Philippines has approved the Capital Markets Efficiency Promotion Act (CMEPA) on 5 February 2025. These tax measures include reducing the stock transaction tax rate from 0.6% to 0.1% and cutting the documentary stamp tax on
See MoreAustralia: Queensland proposes full transfer duty relief for first-home buyers
Australia’s Queensland government has proposed the Revenue Legislation Amendment Bill 2024 to Parliament, which proposes full transfer duty relief for first-home buyers. The bill amends the Duties Act 2001 to offer full duty relief for
See MoreCosta Rica announces stamp tax reforms
Costa Rica has published Law 10586 - Tax Simplification to Increase Efficiency and Competitiveness (Phase 1), in the official gazette no. 195 on 3 December 2024, eliminating various taxes, including those on cattle cutting and importation, as well
See MoreUK: House of Commons debates Finance Bill 2024-25
UK’s Finance Bill 2024-25, which is based on the Autumn Budget 2024, underwent its second reading debate in the House of Commons on 27 November 2024. This followed its initial introduction and first reading on 6 November 2024. The bill passed
See MoreMalaysia updates global minimum tax, Labuan self-assessment rules in Finance Bill 2024
Malaysia’s Deputy Minister of Finance has presented the Finance Bill 2024 and the Labuan Business Activity Tax (Amendment)(No. 2) Bill 2024 to the Parliament, on 19 November 2024, proposing amendments to the Income Tax Act 1967 (ITA), Real
See MoreHong Kong gazettes stamp duty waiver legislation introduced in 2024-25 budget
Hong Kong has gazetted the Stamp Duty Legislation (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2024 on 8 November 2024, which eliminates stamp duties payable on the transfer of real estate investment trust (REIT) units and the jobbing business of option
See MoreAustralia: Victoria government announces off-the-plan stamp duty discount
Victoria’s government introduced a temporary off-the-plan land transfer stamp duty concession starting 21 October 2024. This duty concession will be valid for 12 months and will allow a 100% deduction of outstanding construction and
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