Business loans and support in South Australia

South Australia quietly has one of the friendliest property tax set-ups in the country for business buyers. Duty on commercial land is gone, and so is duty on business transfers, mortgages and leases. The trade-off is a land tax system that needs care, especially if your premises sit in a family trust. Add a payroll tax threshold that’s among the highest of the states and a set of practical state programs, and SA can be a good place to grow — if you plan around the right numbers.

Is there stamp duty on business property in South Australia?

For most business property, no. RevenueSA’s rule is that no duty arises on a conveyance or transfer of non-residential, non-primary production land (“qualifying land”) executed on or after 1 July 2018, unless it stems from a contract signed before that date.

Qualifying land covers commercial, industrial, institutional and recreational property: shops, offices, factories, warehouses and similar. Two categories still attract duty:

• Residential land, including a house you might buy to use as an office.
• Primary production land, such as farms and vineyards.

South Australia also abolished duty on several other documents years ago:

Document	Duty abolished
Leases	1 July 2004
Mortgages	1 July 2009
Transfer of a business	18 June 2015
Share transfers	18 June 2015
Qualifying (non-residential) land	1 July 2018

For a buyer comparing states, that’s a real difference. The same warehouse bought in Adelaide rather than Melbourne or Brisbane can save the whole duty bill, which frees up cash for the fit-out. Our stamp duty comparison shows the other states.

How does land tax work for SA business premises?

Land tax is where SA needs attention. The general threshold is $936,000 for 2026–27, up from $833,000 in 2025–26, and RevenueSA adjusts it each year in line with site values set by the Valuer-General.

The catch is the trust threshold of $25,000. Land held in a trust is taxed from that much lower level, and many owners hold business premises through family or unit trusts. A small factory worth a few hundred thousand in land value might attract no land tax held one way and a meaningful annual bill held another. Talk to your accountant before choosing how to hold premises. The land tax comparison covers the other states.

What does payroll tax cost in South Australia?

RevenueSA sets the threshold at $1.5 million a year. Instead of a hard cliff, there’s a graduated band:

• Up to $1.5 million — no payroll tax.
• $1.5 million to $1.7 million — a rate that increases progressively from nil to 4.95%.
• Above $1.7 million — 4.95%.

That softens the jump for a business just over the line, but it doesn’t remove the need to register once you pass the threshold. The usual rules about super counting as wages, grouping and interstate apportionment apply. Try the payroll tax threshold checker to see how much room you have.

What support is available for SA businesses?

The Office for Small and Family Business runs business.sa.gov.au and a set of programs, including:

• Small Business Fundamentals — tailored support to build business know-how.
• Growth Accelerator Program — for businesses with high growth potential expanding into new markets.
• Powering Business Grants — funding for energy-efficient upgrades.
• Women in Business Program, an AI Capability Pilot Program, and a mental health and wellbeing program for owners and staff.

The Small Business Commission SA handles disputes across retail and commercial leasing, franchising, farming, building and construction, and motor vehicle businesses. See how it compares in our small business commissioners guide.

How do lenders look at South Australian property?

Adelaide’s property market is well regarded by lenders, and homes and commercial buildings across the metro area are routinely accepted as security. The Adelaide page covers the city.

In regional SA, Mount Gambier, Whyalla, Port Augusta, Port Lincoln, Murray Bridge, the Barossa and the Riverland all have established markets. Lenders ask more questions about farmland, small towns and specialised buildings such as wineries, where the pool of buyers is narrower. Our regional business loans guide goes into what they look for.

Why SA owners come to us

• Buying premises now that duty isn’t part of the cost — deposit and fit-out funding.
• Wine, food and agribusiness cash flow between vintage, harvest and payment.
• Defence and advanced manufacturing supply contracts with long payment cycles.
• Payroll tax and BAS catch-ups after fast growth.
• ATO debt considered case by case.

Illustrative example: a Lonsdale fabrication business has been renting its workshop for eight years. The landlord offers to sell. Because the building is qualifying land, there’s no duty on the transfer, and the owner uses a property-secured loan against the workshop and the family home to fund the purchase. The accountant recommends holding it outside the family trust to avoid the lower trust land tax threshold.

If you’re weighing a purchase like that, check what your business could qualify for before you negotiate price.

Talk to someone who knows SA

Whether you’re in the Adelaide Hills or Port Pirie, the enquiry takes a minute: your location, what you need, what it’s for and whether property’s involved. There’s no credit check to ask, and we won’t pass your details down a chain of lenders. A real person looks at your situation and phones you. Please take care with your answers — accuracy is what lets us match you properly first time.

Start your South Australian enquiry →