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Self assessor toolbox
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Tips to help you meet your self assessor obligations
Assessing tips
Use the following table to find out more about how to self assess documents.
| Topic | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Caveats | Can I assess caveats in house? |
No. Caveats by way of equitable mortgagee dated before 1 July 2008 must be sent to our office for assessment. All general caveats, and caveats by way of equitable mortgagee dated after 1 July 2008, are not dutiable and do not need to be endorsed. |
| Leases | Do leases need to be endorsed? |
In most cases, no, as lease duty was abolished on 1 January 2006. However, leases entered into on or before 1 January 2006 may still be dutiable. See the full list of lease documents (PDF 50 K) that no longer need to be endorsed. |
| Mortgages | Do mortgages need to be endorsed? |
In most cases, no, as mortgage duty was abolished on 1 July 2008. However, mortgages entered into on or before 1 July 2008 may still be dutiable. See the full list of mortgage documents (PDF 50 K) that no longer need to be endorsed. |
| Partial interests | What consideration do I use when transferring a partial interest? |
The full unencumbered value of the entire property must be entered, whether the transfer is between related parties or not. |
Payment tips
Use the following table to find out more about how to pay duty on transactions.
| Topic | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Client payments |
When can I endorse a document if my client pays electronically?
What do I do if my client has paid electronically, but their payment is not showing in my payment history screen? |
If your client makes an electronic payment directly to us, you can only endorse the document once your payment history screen in OSRconnect shows that the payment has been received. Your client's BPay reference number is not sufficient proof that the payment has gone into our bank account. If your client's payment does not appear in the payment history screen, contact us on 1300 300 734 to confirm that we have received the payment. Note: Electronic payments do not immediately appear in OSRconnect. The length of time it will take to appear in your payment history page will depend on the time of day that your client pays and how long their financial institution takes to process the payment. |
| Nil transactions | What paperwork do I need to send if I have a nil transaction? | You do not have to send us anything—your electronic record is enough. |
| Multiple transactions | Can I pay for multiple transactions using 1 cheque? | Yes. You must attach a lodgement confirmation page for each transaction to the cheque. If the amount of the cheque is less than the total amount payable, you need to advise us which transaction has been underpaid. |
|
Paying by cheque—lodging online |
If I pay by cheque, what paperwork do I need to send? | You only need to send the lodgement confirmation page together with your payment. We do not need any other paperwork. |
|
Paying by cheque—paper lodgement |
If I pay by cheque, what paperwork do I need to send? | You must send us a completed Form 12.6 (PDF 400 K) for each transaction, together with payment (if applicable). |
|
Paying online—electronic funds transfer (EFT), BPay or direct debit |
If I pay online, what paperwork do I need to send? | You do not have to send us anything—your electronic record is enough. |
| Payment methods | How can I pay for a transaction? |
You must pay with cleared funds. See payments for the different payment options. If you give your clients a copy of the lodgement confirmation statement, they can pay us direct using BPay or EFT. |
Lodging online tips
Use the following table to find out more about how to lodge your transactions online using OSRconnect.
See our eLearning section for step-by-step demonstrations of how to lodge particular types of transactions.
| Topic | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Entering a date range | What is the best way to enter a date range in the payment history or lodgement history screens in OSRconnect? | You should use the drop-down calendar when entering a date range in the payment history or lodgement history screens, as some clients have experienced problems when entering the dates manually. |
| 'Less duty payable on option agreement' field | What do I enter in the 'Less duty payable on option agreement' field? | Enter an amount only if you have already taken duty on an option agreement which has been paid for in another transaction. Do not enter the duty you are paying for the current transaction in this field. |
| Lodgement confirmation statement | What should I do if I can't print the lodgement confirmation statement from OSRconnect? |
You cannot reprint the lodgement confirmation statement. You will need to complete a lodgement confirmation form instead. If you are paying by cash or cheque, you must attach a copy to your payment. |
| Nil transactions | Do I need to lodge nil transactions in OSRconnect? | Yes. You must lodge a transaction statement for each transaction. This includes transactions where an exemption or concession is being claimed. |
| Reusing transaction numbers | Can I reuse a transaction number in OSRconnect? | No. If a transaction number has already been allocated, and that transaction is cancelled, you cannot reuse the transaction number. |
| Section 30 aggregations | Can I apply section 30 to a new transaction if the transaction I want to aggregate it with has already been submitted? |
Yes. You will need to enter the transaction number of the previous transaction/s on the interactive form. Our section 30 aggregation lesson shows you how. |
| Submitting transactions | What do I do if I have submitted a transaction by mistake? | You cannot make any changes to a transaction once it has been submitted. If you submit a transaction by mistake, contact us on 1300 300 734. |
| Transaction number |
How do I create a transaction number?
How do I display a transaction number on the Form 12.6? |
Open the online Form 12.6, then:
Note: If you do not answer all 3 of the drop-down questions, your form may not load properly and you will not be able to complete the transaction. First, you need to create a transaction number by following the above process. Then:
The transaction number will now display next to the client number on the Form 12.6. |
| Transferees | How do I enter more than 5 transferees in a single transaction into OSRconnect? |
To enter more than 5 transferees, you need to add the details of all the other transferees in the free text section. This section will become available once you add the fifth transferee. Make sure you enter all required transferee information:
|
Miscellaneous tips
Use the following table to find out more about self assessing duty.
| Topic | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Interest acquired | Do I enter interest acquired as a percentage or a fraction? | In OSRconnect, interest acquired is shown as a percentage—to transfer a whole share, you will need to input 100%. This is different to the calculator, which uses fractions—to transfer a whole share, you will need to input 1. |
| Lodging transactions | When do I need to lodge the transaction statement? | You must lodge the transaction statement within 30 days after the liability date. Once your transaction is lodged (submitted in OSRconnect), you must pay within 14 days or UTI will apply. If UTI was owing at the time of lodgement, it will continue to accrue until the outstanding amount is paid regardless of the 14-day payment period. |
| Record-keeping requirements | What do I need to keep? | You must keep copies of all documents, valuations and approved forms for a minimum of 5 years. |
| Unpaid tax interest (UTI) | Who is liable to pay UTI if the client doesn't pay on time? | The client is liable for any UTI that has accrued, as it is the client's responsibility to pay on time. UTI will continue to accrue until the outstanding amount is paid. |