Objecting to an assessment or a decision

If the ACT Revenue Office issues an assessment or makes a decision that affects you, you have the following rights under ACT law:

Seeking more information

If you wish to seek more information about the assessment or decision, you can  email the Commissioner through our Contact us form or send your request by post to:

ACT Revenue Office
GPO Box 293
CANBERRA ACT 2601

Objecting to an assessment or decision

If you are not satisfied with the assessment or decision, you can lodge an objection with the Commissioner. An objection is a written notice to the Commissioner challenging the assessment or decision.

You can lodge an objection through our Contact us form or by post. There is no fee to lodge an objection.

Keep in mind that despite your objection, you’re still responsible for paying all charges; if you don’t pay them while your objection is being considered, the charges will accrue interest. You are also responsible for any expenses relating to the objection, such as legal fees and valuers’ fees.

Time limit for objection

There is a 60 day time limit to lodge an objection. The 60 day period begins on the day you receive your notice of assessment or written decision.

An objection is considered late if it is lodged more than 60 days after you receive the decision. If your objection is late, you should explain the reasons for the delay in the objection.

This does not apply to valuation objections, which must be lodged within 60 days. (Note, for valuation objections on commercial or rural land, the 60 day period may also be from the date additional information is received.) Late valuation objections cannot be accepted.

Content of objection

Your correspondence should clearly state the reasons for your objection, fully and in detail. You can provide copies of documents to support your case. You bear the burden of proving to the Commissioner that the objection should be upheld.

The existence of an Objection does not impact or defer your obligation to pay the disputed assessment or liability.  If you are unable to pay in full by the due date please contact the ACTRO as soon as possible to discuss your circumstances and the possibility of a payment plan.

Objection decisions

Objections are always determined by an independent officer who reviews the information you provide in your objection, along with all information relied on by the original decision maker. You may be asked to provide additional information while the objection is being considered.

The Commissioner will disallow, partly allow, or fully allow the objection. You will be issued a written notice of the objection decision.

Refunds

If an objection is allowed or partly allowed, we’ll make an adjustment to your account or application status, and issue you with a refund on charges you’ve already paid.

Review by the ACAT

An objection decision can be appealed to the ACAT for external review. The time limit for applying for a review of an objection is 28 days after the date of the objection decision.

There are fees for lodging an ACAT application. For current fees, fee waivers, information on how to lodge a late application, or any other information in relation to the ACAT review process, you can contact the ACAT Registry at:

ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal
ACT Health Building
GPO Box 370
CANBERRA  ACT  2601

Objections targets

The ACT Revenue Office has a target of six months for determining objections, starting from the day we receive the objection. This time frame does not include: