Register for insurance duty
If you are an insurer who has written a contract of life insurance or received premiums, you must register for insurance duty and lodge returns using our online lodgement system, QRO Online.
Brokers, agents and other parties can also apply for registration.
Knowing more about the types of insurance and who pays insurance duty will help you decide if you need to register.
If you are not an insurer but have effected or renewed general or life insurance with a person who is not registered for insurance duty, complete an insurance duty statement (Form D8.2).
Types of insurance
The types of insurance where payment of duty is needed are:
- General insurance—any insurance that applies wholly or partly in Queensland, other than compulsory third party insurance, accident insurance and life insurance
- Life insurance—insurance that applies to the life, or an event relating to the life, of a person living in Queensland when the policy is issued
- Accident insurance—insurance under section 8 of the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003
- Compulsory third party insurance—insurance under the Motor Accident Insurance Act 1994.
Usually, the insurer or broker pays the insurance duty to us.
In some cases, the insured person or the insurance policy holder must pay the duty (e.g. if the insurer is not registered or is an overseas insurer).
If you are the insured person and you were not charged insurance duty on your premium, and your policy is not exempt, you may need to pay the insurance duty.
Overseas insurers
Certain overseas insurers may not have to register with us if they do not conduct business in Queensland.
If this is the case, the insured person must still pay insurance duty on any policy taken out with an overseas insurer that relates to:
- property in Queensland
- risks associated with Queensland
- life insurance for a Queensland resident.
This ensures that overseas insurers do not have an unfair advantage over their Australian competitors.
Register online
Insurers conducting business in Queensland must apply to be registered as a self assessor. As a self assessor, you are required to lodge an insurance duty return every month.
In certain cases, we may allow insurance agents, brokers and insured people to register as self assessors.
- Have the following details on hand.
- Business details
- Legal entity name
- Australian Business Number (ABN)
- Trading name (if applicable)
- Address, business and postal
- Phone number, business and mobile
- Email address
- Commencement date (general and/or life insurance)
- Trust details
- Trustee name
- ABN (if applicable)
- ACN (if applicable)
- Partnership details
- Full names of partners (e.g. John Citizen, Jane Doe Pty Ltd)
- Business details
- Determine if you are applying as:
- an agent (e.g. a broker for an insurer)
- an insurer
- a party to the transaction.
- Determine which insurance you are applying for (e.g. general, life or both).
- Create an individual QRO Online account, verify your details and create your contact card. (You cannot set up a generic account for a company.)
After you have created and verified your individual account, and created your contact card, you are now ready to register as a self assessor.
- Log in to QRO Online.
- Select the Registration tile on your QRO Online home page.
- Select Insurance duty registration form.
- Enter your ABN and click the magnifying glass icon to search.
The ACN and company name will be displayed.
- Complete the rest of the form with the relevant details.
- Select Submit to lodge the registration.
A pop-up window will appear if the form was submitted successfully. A 12-digit transaction number will be displayed.
- Record the transaction number. You may need this number to activate your registration if it is approved.
We will send you an email requesting information that is specific to your registration. Once we have all the information we need, we will aim to make a decision within 10 business days.
What happens next
We will respond in writing to all applications. If you are successfully registered, we will inform you of:
- the registration date
- your client number
- the records and documents that you must keep on file.
Once you have received your notice of registration, you need to log in to QRO Online and activate your registration.
Also consider…
- Read the public rulings for duties.
- Learn about when we apply interest and penalties.
- Discover how we handle complaints and objections.
- Read sections 349 to 370 of the Duties Act 2001.