How to view, lodge or pay a vacancy fee return
Foreign owners of residential dwellings in Australia must lodge a yearly vacancy fee return (return). The vacancy fee return must be lodged within 30 days of the end of each vacancy year. The foreign owner or their representative who has been authorised to use Online services for foreign investors, can lodge the return.
To view, lodge or pay the vacancy fee return (the return), log in to the Online services for foreign investorsExternal Link home page and select either:
- Lodgments then Vacancy fee return
- the Lodge or pay vacancy fee return quick link.
Then select Add then Start.
You can view details of previous returns.
If your details (foreign person, asset) have changed:
- this may affect your obligation to lodge a vacancy fee return or pay a vacancy fee
- update your details and the asset before completing your vacancy fee return.
For information about your vacancy fee return obligations and fees, see Vacancy fee return for foreign owners.
How to complete the return
You need to complete and lodge your return in one session, because you cannot save your progress to complete later.
To complete the return you will need:
- the vacancy return year (use the year only)
- the number of days the property was residentially occupied (more or less than 183 days)
- a date listed at Occupancy date, if there is no date showing, see Troubleshooting Online services for foreign investors for help.
You can find the vacancy return year in your reminder to lodge email. If you do not have a reminder to lodge email, you can still complete the return.
The vacancy return year is the last date in the vacancy year period. For example, if the vacancy return year is 2 February 2022 to 2 February 2023, the vacancy return year is 2023.
When you have completed the return, check the details and select:
- Submit
- Back – to update any details.
After you have successfully submitted your return, a message will display to let you know if you need to pay a vacancy fee or not.
Select the Print-friendly version button to print a copy of your return or save it as a PDF.
How to review and update your contact details
You can have a different authorised contact for your vacancy fee return than your authorised contacts listed in your profile. If we have questions about your vacancy fee return, we will contact the authorised contact for your vacancy fee return.
To review and update your preferred contact details, select Entity or Another contact.
You need to provide the following information:
- Entity – the details are prefilled. You need to include a person as the contact.
- Another contact – name, email, phone, role (lawyer or solicitor, migration agent, real estate agent, accountant, conveyancer, other), company legal name, country.