Personal Finance

The paper, "Paying for the road you use", was written by e61 economists Amy Tramontozzi and Lachlan Vass and published on 2 October 2026. It is independent think-tank research. It is not government policy, and no government has adopted its recommendations.

The WA Government set out the changes on 29 July 2026 in its 2026–27 housing taxation package. For transactions on or after 7 May 2026, first home owners pay no duty on new or established homes up to $600,000, compared with $500,000 before. A …

The exemption began in July 2024, replacing a 50% duty concession for first-home buyers, according to Yahoo Finance's reporting of the change in May. A July 2024 release from the Tasmanian Premier said the cap on eligible property values had originally been set at …

the email claims to come from the ATO. It tells recipients either that there is "a new payment update in your ATO profile" or that they need to review their income statement.

Scamwatch, which is run by the ACCC, says investment scams increasingly arrive through channels that feel friendly and familiar. One tactic starts with an invitation to a WhatsApp group built around a shared interest such as fishing or sport.

the ATO confirmed on Thursday 8 October that it is scoping data sharing with the major banks. "work was underway on measures funded under the 2026-2027 federal budget".

which is run by economist Dr Andrew Wilson, the national result was down from 45.1% the previous week. "an average clearance rate of just 44.4% over the past week," Dr Wilson said.