Build-to-Rent short series | Subdivisional solutions

The Gadens Build-to-Rent short series will focus on emerging property and development issues that affect Build-to-rent (BTR) projects – covering planning, subdivision structuring, fund through models and management issues. Click through the following links to read each instalment.  Build-to-Rent short series | Has the planning scheme caught up? Subdivisional solutions BTR Projects often seek to […]

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Build-to-Rent short series | Has the planning scheme caught up?

The Gadens Build-to-Rent short series will focus on emerging property and development issues that affect Build-to-rent (BTR) projects – covering planning, subdivision structuring, fund-through models and management issues. Click through the following links to read each instalment.  Build-to-Rent short series | Subdivisional solutions Has the planning scheme caught up? As BTR projects are increasing in popularity […]

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Pretending that the Surplus is Real – Gadens’ take on the Federal Budget

Buttressed by the record tax windfall from commodity exports, the second Chalmers Budget shirks the responsibility to pursue substantive tax reform and defaults to a series of measures which, whilst preserving a sense of political “Chalm”, appear lacking in coherent policy direction or strategy. On a night when a tax avoidance scandal cost the Government […]

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Countering Victoria’s Land Tax Grab

Amidst the outcry over the Victorian Government’s recently announced increases in land tax rates, it is more important than ever for landowners to consider potential strategies for containing their land tax cost. Indeed the latest announcement is just a further symptom of the Government over-reliance on land tax, which is also impacting landlords in a […]

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The good, the bad and the ugly of pandemic budgeting

Gadens’ view of the Federal Budget 2021/22 The Government’s second pandemic era Budget continues the theme of massive deficits being used in part to accelerate investment in productive assets and fund other targeted relief. Amongst the ‘good’ news however lurk several ‘bad’ and ‘ugly’ measures which will result in varied impacts across our client base. […]

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A New Year, a new beginning, and a new foreign investment regime

On 5 June 2020, the Treasurer announced major reforms to the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act 1975 (Cth) (FATA). The reforms are intended to strengthen the foreign investment framework and ensure that the framework keeps pace with emerging national security risks and global developments. On 18 September 2020, the Federal Government released exposure draft legislation […]

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A Federal Budget with Paradox befitting a Pandemic

Gadens’ view of the Federal Budget 2020/21 The Government’s historic pandemic-era Budget is the most unashamedly pro-business budget in memory which also seeks to buttress employment from the headwinds of recession and technological change. In a seemingly counterintuitive outcome for a ‘pro-jobs’ strategy, the Budget’s tax depreciation policy change is poised to accelerate the inexorable […]

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Discretionary Trusts to be automatically deemed foreign trusts – Victoria and NSW

The Victorian State Revenue Office (SRO) has come out with an announcement that from 1 March 2020 it will no longer apply its practical approach in determining whether a discretionary trust is a foreign trust for stamp duty purposes. From 1 March 2020, any discretionary trust that does not specifically exclude foreign beneficiaries will automatically […]

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Stamp duty changes to hit residential developments in Victoria

The Victorian Government is proposing a sweeping reform of the “economic entitlement” provisions of the Victorian duties legislation. The result of the proposed changes would be to effectively bring to duty a common form of project funding and structuring used for residential developments in Victoria. Typically these transactions enable a residential developer to secure rights […]

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Death and taxes – one’s really going to hurt

As you will be aware, between February and May each year, the State Revenue Office issues land tax assessments for the calendar year to Victorian land owners (except where all landholding is exempt). The 2019 land tax assessment assesses landholdings owned by a land owner as at midnight on 31 December 2018. With property prices […]

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Are you ready for the GST withholding regime?

Changes to the payment of GST on new residential property are due to take effect from 1 July 2018.  The changes are an administrative measure which although not imposing a new tax, do have significant ramifications for property developers as it will impact the settlement process and cash flow. The changes apply to sales of […]

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Housing affordability policy initiatives create concerns and uncertainty for Victorian property investors and developers

Significant housing affordability policy initiatives were unveiled by the Victorian government over the weekend.  Whilst the announcements have focused on the impact of these initiatives on first home buyers and the efforts to tackle housing affordability for these buyers, the proposals contain cause for concern for Victorian property investors and developers.  A proposed stamp duty relief for […]

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