The Treasurer has issued new guidelines pursuant to s 3BB(2) of the Land Tax Act 2005 (‘Land Tax Act’) and s 3E of the Duties Act 2000 (‘Duties Act’). Absentee owner land tax surcharge Guidelines made under s 3BB(2) of the Land Tax Act concerns the exercise of the Treasurer’s (or his delegate’s, or their sub-delegate’s) powers to: exempt an absentee person, who holds an absentee controlling interest in a corporation, from being taken to hold that controlling interest (s 3B); or exempt an absentee beneficiary in relation to an absentee trust from being taken to be an absentee beneficiary of that trust (s 3BA). Subject to the exercise of above exemption powers, land that is owned by an absentee person will incur the absentee owner land tax surcharge. Foreign purchaser additional duty Guidelines made under s 3E of the Duties Act concerns the exercise of the Treasurer’s (or his delegate’s, or their sub-delegate’s) powers to exempt a person who has a controlling interest in a foreign corporation, or a substantial interest in the capital of a trust estate of a foreign trust, from being taken to hold that interest.