Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 section 653AC

Surcharge for late return of the relevant site

Section 653AC imposes a surcharge on liable persons who fail to file their residential zoned land tax (RZLT) return by the due date, with the surcharge rate increasing according to the length of the delay.

• A surcharge applies where an RZLT return is not filed by the return date (23 May), calculated as a percentage of the tax due for the year: 10% if filed within 3 months, 20% if filed between 3 and 6 months late, and 30% if filed more than 6 months late.
• Interest is payable on the surcharge as if it were RZLT, and both the surcharge and any interest on it are chargeable and recoverable in the same manner as the tax itself.
• A person who deliberately or carelessly files an incorrect return on or before the return date is treated as having failed to file on time, unless the error is corrected before the return date or the person pays the full penalty due under the incorrect return provisions.
• A person who files an incorrect return that is neither deliberate nor careless is treated as having failed to file on time if, once the error comes to their attention, they do not correct it without unreasonable delay.