Policy Watch

Unlock expert property insights and market intelligence

The Missing CGT Rule That Could Sting Property Investors

A rental-property sale can create years of profit in one tax return. Under the proposed CGT reset, the missing safeguard may matter most.

Labor’s Budget Retreat Could Leave Investors in a Tax Trap

Canberra is signalling room to soften parts of its tax reset, but the biggest investor rules are still on the table.

Negative Gearing Reform: Greens Raise Price of Labor Deal

Labor has set its property tax plan. The Greens may demand more, putting investor protections and the bill’s timing in play.

The 70pc Tax Shock Hiding Inside Family Trusts

Bucket company tax bills may climb far beyond early estimates, but the real damage depends on the rules still being tested.

Labor’s Wealth Bet Could Backfire With Young Voters

A budget sold on fairness could sharpen a deeper voter fear: that getting ahead is becoming harder, not fairer.

Holiday Home Owners Are Being Squeezed. Buyers Know It

Victoria’s land tax bills are forcing some coastal owners to sell, but the buyer advantage may not last forever.

The Tax Shield Property Investors Are Rushing to Check

Budget tax changes could reshape negative gearing and CGT. The real test is whether your structure still works.

Melbourne’s tax squeeze is real, but other cities may dodge the fallout

Victoria has given first-home buyers breathing room. The bigger test is whether other capitals can get the same relief without worsening the housing shortage.

Why investors are freezing property buys before budget night

Tax reform talk is already changing behaviour. The bigger risk is not just what Canberra announces, but what uncertainty does before it does.

Why a CGT cut sold as reform could deepen the housing squeeze

Canberra may pitch a CGT change as housing reform, but the real hit could land on rental supply, investor timing and new construction.

The Property Shortcut Young Buyers Count On Is Starting to Break

Higher rates are already squeezing buyers. If tax settings shift as well, two of the most popular paths into home ownership could get a lot harder, but the real damage may not show up straight away.

The 5% deposit trap pushing first-home prices even higher

Homes inside Labor’s buyer scheme caps have jumped 6.7% in six months. That may get buyers in sooner, but it could also leave them thinner on margin if rates bite again.

AUSTRAC’s property crackdown starts well before July

Real estate businesses can already enrol with AUSTRAC before the 1 July 2026 deadline. The real risk is treating a major compliance shift like a paperwork exercise.

Labor wants super gatekeepers to pay after $1bn wipeout

A $1bn super scandal has forced Canberra to act, but the fix could shift costs and risks across the whole system before investors know where the line is drawn.

The overseas home dream could trigger a brutal tax bill

An offshore move can turn an Australian family home into a tax problem. The lifestyle upside is obvious, but the real cost often appears only when you sell.

Budget tax hit could trap property investors for longer

A CGT cut is meant to cool investors. The catch is it may give many of them one more reason to hold, not sell.

PEXA kept its moat. So why did the market punish it?

PEXA kept a key threat at bay, yet its shares still slid sharply. That points to a bigger problem inside the business and around its pricing power.

Why Australia’s migration fight could make housing worse

Migration is slowing, but the political push to cut it harder risks hitting housing supply, labour and growth all at once. The real question is what breaks next.

Sydney’s new crane fee could make housing even dearer

Hills Shire wants to charge $610 a week for some cranes. The stated aim is safety, but the bigger question is who ends up paying.

Follow us

HomePolicy Watch