Australia: 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 More
Hong 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 More
Spain: 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 More
Philippines 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 More
Philippines: 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 More
Australia: 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 More
Costa 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 More
UK: 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 More
Malaysia 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 More
Hong 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 More
Australia: 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
See More
Western Australia increases first homeowner duty concessions
The Western Australian Parliament has approved a bill to increase duty concessions for first-time homeowners. The Duties Amendment (First Home Owner Concessions) Bill 2024 amends the state's Duties Act 2008 so that: Properties valued up to
See More
Australia: NSW imposes higher surcharges, land tax limits for foreign property investors
Australia’s New South Wales (NSW) government announced an increase in the foreign purchaser duty surcharge and foreign owner land tax surcharge for 2025. From 1 January, 2025, the foreign purchaser duty surcharge will increase from 8% to 9%.
See More
Australia: Queensland government to increase in stamp duty exemptions for home buyers
The Queensland government announced the 2024-25 state budget on 9 June, 2024. It primarily aims to increase duty and land tax rates for foreign individuals and offer first-time home buyers increased stamp duty exemptions. As per the policy,
See More
Australia: Victoria parliament approves 2024 commercial and industrial property tax reform bill
Australia’s parliament of Victoria has passed the Commercial and Industrial Property Tax Reform Bill 2024, new provisions will come into effect starting 1 July, 2024. Under the reform, stamp duty will be payable one last time on commercial and
See MoreIMF Report Looks at the Economy of Hong Kong SAR
On 8 March 2022, the IMF published a report following discussions with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China, under Article IV of the IMF’s articles of agreement. The economy of Hong Kong SAR has undergone a strong
See MoreUK: Summary of responses to consultation on VAT exemption for land
On 30 November 2021 the UK government published a summary of responses to the consultation on aspects of the VAT exemption for land and the option to tax. A consultation paper in May 2021, asked for evidence to assess potential options for
See MoreUK: Amendments to Securitisation Tax Regime
On 30 November 2021 the UK government published a summary of responses to the consultation on the securitisation tax regime. The consultation paper issued on 23 March 2021 contained suggestions on the reform of the taxation of securitisation
See More