17Eligibility requirement for Commonwealth HomeBuilder grant

17 Eligibility requirement for Commonwealth HomeBuilder grant

(1)  An applicant for a Commonwealth HomeBuilder grant is eligible for the grant if –

(a) the applicant is a natural person; and

(b) the applicant has attained the age of 18 years at the time of entering into the eligible transaction to which the application relates; and

(c) the applicant is an Australian citizen; and

(d) in the case of a joint application, the only other applicant in respect of the application is, at the time of the application, the spouse of the applicant; and

(e) for the 2018-19 financial year, or any subsequent financial year that has been completed before the eligible transaction to which the application relates –

(i) in the case of a single applicant, the taxable income for the applicant is less than $125 000; or

(ii) in the case of a joint application, the combined taxable income of all applicants is less than $200 000; and

(f) if the application relates to an eligible transaction for a renovation of a home, the home was the principal place of residence for the applicant at the time he or she entered into the eligible transaction; and

(g) subject to subsections (2) and (3) , the applicant must occupy the home to which the application relates as the applicant’s principal place of residence –

(i) for a continuous period of at least 6 months; and

(ii) commencing within the 12-month period immediately after the completion of the relevant eligible transaction; and

(h) the applicant has not previously been paid the Commonwealth HomeBuilder grant in respect of another eligible transaction.

(2)  The Commissioner may approve a lesser period of occupation under subsection (1)(g)(i) if the Commissioner is satisfied that there are good reasons why the applicant cannot comply with the requirement to occupy the home for a continuous period of 6 months.