Today (20 December 2023) the coalition government announced that the bright-line test will be reduced to two years from 1 July 2024.
This is what Nicola Willis had to say:
"Today I am announcing our immediate decision to bring the brightline test for residential property back to two years, effective from 1 July 2024. Removing this effective capital gains tax means that properties sold after 1 July 2024 will only be subject to the rule if owned for less than two years."
At GRA we are very pleased, not only with the reduction of bright-line timeframe, but also that the government have followed through and done what they said they would.
A two-year timeframe is fairer for genuine investors, while still capturing those who are really traders but who would have liked to pose as ‘long-term investors’ in order to avoid paying tax on the capital gains they make.
We expect the definition of “sale” will likely be a binding contract, but we need to wait for the detail to be confirmed. We will keep you posted as the details come to light.
We want to thank you and your team for preparing these accounts for us. We have never been given such a detailed and extensive set of accounts in our lives! We’re very grateful and impressed with the amount of data you and your team have captured, deciphered and presented in such a professional manner. Thanks!
- Al & Michelle, September 2021
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