Interest and penalty tax
Late or non-payment of duties and taxes may result in interest being charged on the outstanding amount. Further information about interest is available in Revenue Circular GEN009.4 732.4 KB.
The following table lists the interest type and rates for overdue debts, deferred debts and refunds administered by the ACT Revenue Office.
1 January 2026 to 30 June 2026
| Interest type | Interest rate |
|---|---|
Overdue debts for
| Simple daily interest – 11.65% |
Overdue debts for
|
Compound monthly interest – 11.65% eg. 16 January to 15 February |
| Deferred Lease Variation Charge |
Compound monthly interest – 5.45% eg. 16 January to 15 February |
| Deferred rates | Simple daily interest – 3.65% |
| Deferred duty | Simple daily interest – 3.65% |
|
Refunds from over-payments (interest may apply) | Simple daily interest – 3.65% |
1 July 2025 to 31 December 2025
| Interest type | Interest rate |
|---|---|
Overdue debts for
| Simple daily interest – 11.78% |
Overdue debts for
|
Compound monthly interest – 11.78% eg. 16 July to 15 August |
| Deferred Lease Variation Charge |
Compound monthly interest – 5.58% eg. 16 July to 15 August |
| Deferred rates | Simple daily interest – 3.78% |
| Deferred duty | Simple daily interest – 3.78% |
|
Refunds from over-payments (interest may apply) | Simple daily interest – 3.78% |
1 January 2025 to 30 June 2025
| Interest type | Interest rate |
|---|---|
Overdue debts for
| Simple daily interest - 12.42% |
Overdue debts for
|
Compound monthly interest - 12.42% eg. 16 March to 15 April |
| Deferred Lease Variation Charge |
Compound monthly interest – 6.22% eg. 16 March to 15 April |
| Deferred rates | Simple daily interest - 4.42% |
| Deferred duty | Simple daily interest - 4.42% |
|
Refunds from over-payments (interest may apply) | Simple daily interest - 4.42% |
Historical interest rates
For information on historical interest rates please click here.
Penalty tax
Penalty tax is imposed where a taxpayer fails to meet certain obligations. This includes the underpayment, late payment or failure to pay tax.
The penalty tax rate imposed ranges from 25 per cent to 90 per cent of the tax payable depending on the level of culpability.
Penalty tax may be reduced if you make a voluntary disclosure before the commencement of an investigation. We encourage you to voluntarily disclose any discrepancies you discover. If you obstruct or hinder an investigation, penalty tax may be increased.
Additional information on penalties can be found:
- Revenue Circular GEN006.3 208.0 KB - Penalty Tax; and
- Revenue Circular FHOG001.1 82.2 KB - First Home Owner Grant Offences Penalties and Interest