If you owned property in the areas affected by the 2019-20 summer bushfires, relief from land tax may have been available.

When was relief available?

If your property was destroyed or substantially damaged by a bushfire in a specified bushfire area, relief from your 2019-20 and 2020-21 land tax liability may have been available.

Please see the properties destroyed or substantially damaged by bushfire section below for more information.

If your property was affected but not destroyed or substantially damaged by a bushfire in a specified bushfire area, relief from your 2020-21 land tax liability may have been available.

Please see the properties affected by bushfire but not destroyed or substantially damaged section below for more information.

What is the specified bushfire area?

Property must be located within an area affected by the bushfires in the Local Government Areas of Adelaide Hills, Kangaroo Island, Mount Barker, Murray Bridge, Mid-Murray, Yorke Peninsula and Kingston District.

My home was destroyed. Does this mean I had to pay land tax?

If your home was destroyed or rendered uninhabitable by the bushfire, you may have been eligible for an exemption from land tax for up to 3 years while your home is being rebuilt.

See our Land Tax Exemption page for more information.

Is other relief available?

Yes. Relief is also available for:

A land tax exemption may also be available while you rebuild your destroyed or uninhabitable home.

Properties Destroyed or Substantially Damaged By Bushfire

What relief could I get?

If your property was destroyed or substantially damaged by a bushfire in a specified bushfire area, relief from your 2019-20 and 2020-21 land tax liability may have been available.

Did I need to apply for relief?

We worked with authorities to identify the properties which were destroyed or substantially damaged in the bushfire.

Where a property is identified by the relevant authorities, we endeavoured to automatically apply the land tax relief.

I had already paid my 2019-20 land tax liability, could I get a refund?

If you have already paid land tax for the 2019-20 year and your property is eligible for relief you could receive a refund of the amount of land tax paid on properties substantially damaged or destroyed by the bushfire.

RevenueSA generated these refunds once these properties have been identified.

How will I know relief has been applied?

RevenueSA contacted owners of properties that are identified as destroyed or substantially damaged in the bushfire. Relief is also reflected on your 2020-21 Land Tax Assessment should you be liable to pay land tax for the 2020-21 financial year.

I didn't received relief – could I apply?

Yes. If your property was destroyed or substantially damaged by bushfire, but you did not receive relief, you needed to email landtax@sa,gov,au to apply.

You needed to provide

  • ownership details (such as name, ownership number).
  • details of the property affected, including assessment number if known.
  • a copy of the police report or insurance claim that evidences that the property has been affected by the bushfire. If you do not have a police report or insurance claim, other sufficient evidence or a declaration may be provided.

These will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Properties Affected by Bushfire but not Substantially Destroyed or Damaged

What relief could I get?

If your property was affected but not destroyed or substantially damaged by a bushfire in a specified bushfire area, relief from your 2020-21 land tax liability may have been available.

Did I need to apply for relief?

Yes, you needed to email landtax@sa.gov.au to apply.

You needed to provide:

  • ownership details (such as name, ownership number).
  • details of the property affected, including assessment number if known.
  • a copy of the police report or insurance claim that evidences that the property has been affected by the bushfire. If you do not have a police report or insurance claim, other sufficient evidence or a declaration may be provided.

These will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

How will I know relief has been applied?

RevenueSA would have contacted you to advised of the outcome of your application for relief.

If approved, relief is also be reflected on your 2020-21 Land Tax Assessment should you be liable to pay land tax for the 2020-21 financial year.