| When insurance duty applies | How insurance duty is calculated |
|---|---|
Insurance duty is payable on general insurance policies. General insurance applies to property in WA, or a risk, contingency or event concerning an act or omission that, in the normal course of events, may occur within WA. Common general insurance policies cover motor vehicles, house and contents, travel insurance, non-life insurance etc. | Duty is calculated at a rate of 10% on the total premium for a policy. This is the consideration paid to an insurer, including any GST that applies. Premiums can be apportioned between jurisdictions if more than one jurisdiction has nexus to the contract of insurance. See the fact sheet below which contains a schedule that details the basis upon which the premium paid or payable on policies of insurance is to be apportioned. |
Lodge and pay insurance duty
Use Revenue Online to register for insurance duty.
Lodge and pay your monthly return via Revenue Online on or before the 21st day after the end of the month. Lodge a nil return if you didn't receive any insurance premiums. We may apply penalty tax if the return is not lodged and paid by the due date.
See videos about Online Insurance Duty on our YouTube channel.
Who pays insurance duty?
Show moreA general insurer is usually liable to pay duty. If the insurer is not a general insurer, an intermediary or an insured person is liable.
| General insurer | Intermediary | Insured person |
|---|---|---|
| A general insurer is an entity or person that writes general insurance, or is authorised under the Insurance Act 1973 (Cth) or registered under the Life Insurance Act 1995 (Cth). | An intermediary is an entity or person that effects a policy of insurance with an entity or person other than a general insurer or unregistered insured person. | An insured person is someone who has obtained a policy of insurance from an entity or person who is not a general insurer or an intermediary. |
The Insurance Commission of Western Australia (and any similar body of another State or Territory) is a general insurer.
Lloyd's Underwriters are treated as a general insurer.
A duty liability may exist within the Indian Ocean Territories as if they were Western Australia. See details of the arrangement between Western Australia and the Commonwealth.
Exclusions
Show moreGeneral insurance effected by a public authority that is an exempt body is not liable for insurance duty. The Minister for Finance must publish a notice of declaration in the Government Gazette to declare a public authority as an exempt body.
General insurance does not include any of the following:
- life insurance
- insurance against an employer’s liability to pay compensation under the Workers’ Compensation and Injury Management Act 1981
- reinsurance (that is, the indemnification of one party by another against liability or payment arising under a contract of insurance or reinsurance)
- insurance in respect of goods in the course of being transported, whether by rail, road, air or sea, and whether within Western Australia or elsewhere
- insurance in respect of a marine hull used primarily for commercial purposes
- insurance effected by an exempt body (under s92 of the Duties Act 2008)
- insurance issued by a private health insurer (as defined in the Private Health Insurance Act 2007 (Cth) Schedule 1) in the course of its health insurance business (as defined in section 121(1) of that Act)
- insurance under the Defence Service Homes Insurance Scheme (as defined in the Defence Service Homes Act 1918 (Cth) section 38)
- offshore risk insurance
- insurance of a prescribed class
