Lodge your documents for a duty assessment or duty refund
Duties Online makes it easy for customers or their representatives to electronically lodge all land transfers, declarations of trust, and refund applications.
Members of the public who are not using a professional service (such as a solicitor or conveyancer) can choose to lodge as an individual. This is called 'public lodgement'.
About public lodgement
Public lodgement is only available for members of the public, who cannot be Duties Online registered users.
All professional firms (usually solicitors, conveyancers or accountants) lodging documents for their clients must:
- become Duties Online registered users
- use Duties Online to submit declarations of trust or land transfer lodgements.
If you are lodging documents on behalf of your clients, to avoid unnecessary delays in assessment, please register now for Duties Online.
Learn more about public lodgement
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Register
If you are lodging as an individual, you will need to complete a quick and simple registration process and provide a valid email address.
Land transfers
You will be asked to activate your registration, and create a password to use Duties Online.
Trusts and refunds
We will email you a reference ID, which you will need to complete your lodgement.
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Identify the lodgement category and prepare your supporting documents
Before lodging, you will need to:
- choose the relevant category from the list below
- review the list of supporting documents you need, and make sure you have electronic versions.
1. Transfer between spouses/domestic partners
This is a transfer between persons who are married to each other or who are domestic partners where no other person is entitled to take an interest in the property under the transfer. The transferee(s) and transferor(s) must be natural persons (not a company or trust). We also have a guide for spouse or domestic partner property transfers.
You must provide:
- the transfer of land document
- a court order or a binding financial agreement, if applicable.
2. Gift between related parties
You must provide:
- transfer of land document
- valuation as at the date of the transfer
- notice of acquisition.
3. Transfer between related parties without concessions
You must provide:
- a covering letter
- transfer of land document
- contract of sale (optional)
- valuation
- notice of acquisition.
4. Transfer between unrelated parties without concessions
You must provide:
- covering letter
- transfer of land document
- contract of sale
- notice of acquisition.
5. Transfer between related parties with concessions
You must provide:
- covering letter
- transfer of land document
- contract of sale, including special conditions excluding vendor’s section 32 statement
- proof of payment of purchase price
- valuation as at the date of contract and the date of transfer
- notice of acquisition.
6. Transfer between unrelated parties with concessions
You must provide:
- covering letter
- transfer of land document
- contract of sale, including special conditions excluding vendor’s section 32 statement
- notice of acquisition.
7. Family farm transfer to relatives (natural person only)
You must provide:
- covering letter
- contract of sale (if applicable)
- transfer of land document.
8. Change in the manner of holding from tenants in common in equal shares to joint proprietors or vice versa
You must provide:
- transfer of land document
- certificate of title.
9. Deceased estate
You must provide:
- covering letter
- transfer of land document
- contract of sale, including special conditions excluding vendor’s section 32 statement
- will and probate/letter of administration
- inventory and distribution statement, if applicable
- certificate of title
- court order, if applicable.
10. Change of beneficial ownership in dutiable property where there is no written instrument
Dutiable transactions causing a change of beneficial ownership that are not affected by a written instrument may include:
- declaration of trust
- surrender
- vesting by court order or the Registrar of Titles
- enlargement of interest into fee simple
- change in partnership interest.
You must provide:
- a statement containing the following details:
- information on the dutiable property or properties - street address, volume/folio
- interest obtained in the property or properties expressed as percentage or specified part
- the name and date of birth, or ACN or trust details if applicable, of the transferee/person who obtained the interest
- the date the interest was obtained
- the total interest in the property or properties now held by the transferee
- the person who held the interest immediately before the change of beneficial interest, if applicable
- the name and date of birth, or ACN if relevant, of the legal owner of the property or properties, i.e. the person registered on title
- capacity or arrangement pursuant to which legal title is held, for example details, including name, of any partnership arrangement or trust
- valuation of the property or properties as at the date the change occurred
- agreement or contract of sale governing the arrangement, if any
- all relevant documents, as per the Evidentiary Requirements Manual, if you are seeking an exemption or concession.
11. Land use entitlement
You must provide:
- details of transferor and transferee
- name, address and ABN/ACN of the relevant company/unit trust scheme
- contract date and property details of the acquisition
- copy of the share or unit transfer form
- copy of the contract/s for the sale of the land use entitlement
- any other relevant supporting evidence.
12. Duty refund
Provide a completed Duties Refund SmartForm along with documents that prove the applicant’s eligibility for a refund (refer to the form for specific instructions).
13. Declaration of trust
For a declaration of trust to be lodged for assessment with the State Revenue Office, it must not contain identified or dutiable property, and it must have been executed in Victoria. All deeds relating to the declaration of trust must have been signed and dated by all the relevant parties involved in the trust.
You must provide an electronic copy of the original executed trust instrument - the Digital Duties Form is not required.
14. Other transactions not listed above
You must provide:
- transfer of land document (where applicable)
- other supporting documents for your particular transaction as outlined in the Evidentiary Requirements Manual.
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Start your lodgement
Land transfers
- Use the email address and password you have created to log in to Duties Online.
- Select 'New form' to start your Digital Duties Form.
- Complete your Digital Duties Form.
- You will be emailed a reference ID.
- Once the Digital Duties Form has been reviewed and signed by all parties, you can resume and submit your lodgement (see Step 4).
How to complete a Digital Duties Form
Trusts and refunds
Go to Step 4, Resume your lodgement.
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Resume and submit your lodgement
Use the lodgement reference ID that was emailed to you to resume your lodgement.
Before submitting your lodgement:
- check the accuracy of the data you have provided and the documents you have uploaded
- ensure you hold funds for paying duty.
Once you have lodged, the ‘Your forms’ screen will display ‘Claimed’ under ‘Status’ on the far right of your screen.
Next Steps
Once your lodgement is submitted, we will send you a confirmation email for your records.
Last modified: 29 November 2023
News and updates
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20 November 2024
State Revenue Office 2023–24 Annual Review is now available
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21 October 2024
A new temporary off-the-plan duty concession
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20 November 2023
Our 2022–23 Annual Review is now available
