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4 Changes Foreign Investors Need To Know About Purchasing Property in Australia

Anfernee Lai Perth, ATO Investigation, Blog & Articles, FIRB, FIRB Investigation, Foreign Investment Review Board, Property Investment, Tang Legal

The total value of foreign investment in Australia stood at $2.8 trillion at the end of 2014

(Statistic obtained from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade)

WHAT ARE THE RECENT CHANGES?

The current Government has introduced various changes to the foreign investment rules and the important ones include:
  1. Tougher penalties for foreigner who breached the rules relating to purchase of residential real estate – e.g. the existing criminal penalties have been increased to $135,000 or 3 years imprisonment or both for individual foreign citizens who breached the law;
  2. Although acquisition of agricultural land holdings are generally not required to be approved by the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB), Foreign-owned agricultural land holdings are required to be registered with the Australian Taxation Office’s newly established Agricultural Land Register;
  3. Introduction of an application fee for obtaining FIRB approval – e.g. $5,000 fee for obtaining approval for buying residential land where the price is $1 million; $10,000 fee for obtaining approval for buying residential land where the price is over $1 million and less than $2 million;
  4. Stronger enforcement process – the ATO has now taken over full responsibility for enforcing residential real estate purchases by foreign citizens. 

The recent changes are aimed to have stronger, more effective and more enforceable rules regarding foreign investment. The days where people thought that their breach of the foreign investment laws would never be caught are gone and every foreign citizen must carefully consider the legality of their intended purchase of assets in Australia.

THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY

Australia has a long established policy to strictly regulate the purchase of established houses by foreigners in order to maintain sufficient housing supply to its residents.

 

If you are a non-resident foreign person, you should consider the following general rules before buying any residential property:
·         you are prohibited from buying established dwellings(2nd hand house) in Australia;
·      you will need to apply and receive FIRB approval before buying new dwellings (e.g. newly developed apartment) and usually approval will be granted without any condition;
·        you will need to apply and receive FIRB approval before buying vacant residential land for development and usually approval will only be granted under the condition that you must develop the land within certain period of time.

 

 

THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING COMMERCIAL/AGRICULTURAL PROPERTY

Whether a non-resident foreign person requires to notify FIRB prior to buying a commercial property depends on if the commercial land is vacant or developed. If the commercial land is vacant (no substantive permanent building on the land), FIRB notification is required. If the commercial land is developed(there is substantive permanent building on the land used for commercial purpose), foreign persons generally do not need to notify FIRB prior to the purchase unless the land is valued more than $252 million.
 
If a non-resident foreign person propose to buy an agricultural land, generally approval from FIRB is not required if the agricultural land valued less than $15 million. Agricultural land means land that is used wholly and exclusively for a primary production business. It is important to understand that “hobby farms” are not considered to be agricultural land and approval from FIRB will be required.


THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING BUSINESS ASSETS

Australia usually encourages foreign investment into its business sector and therefore rules regulating business acquisition by foreigners is less stringent than rules regulating purchase of residential properties.
Generally, foreign persons (except foreign government investors) can buy business assets in Australia without approval if the interest to be acquired valued at less than $252 million. If the business is an “agribusiness” then approval is generally not required if the value of the investment is less than $55 million. Agribusiness includes industries such as agriculture, forestry, fishing, meat processing, poultry processing, dairy product manufacturing, grain mill product manufacturing, sugar manufacturing etc.
 

 

Finally, if you are a non-resident foreign person and you have any doubts about your proposed purchase of assets in Australia, you should seek legal advice before signing any contract because fail to comply with the foreign investment laws may result in very severe penalties (including imprisonment) being imposed against you.  
 

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About the Writer

Kelvin Tang

Kelvin has over 14 years’ experience practising law in Western Australia. He is the founder and Principal Partner of Tang Law based in Perth, Western Australia. Kelvin is a Registered Migration Agent (MARN: 1386452) and has extensive experience in providing service on Commercial Law, Dispute Resolution & Litigation, Family Law, Wills & Estate Planning and Settlements.