Novated leasing in Perth
Honest novated leasing for Western Australian employees. Real Perth stamp duty, rego, fuel and FBT figures — no sales pitch. millarX, ACL 569484.
Perth has the strongest salary-packaging culture of any capital, largely thanks to the mining and resources sector — Rio Tinto, BHP, Fortescue, Woodside, Chevron and dozens of contractors have run novated leasing as a standard benefit for two decades. If you work in the WA mining or oil-and-gas sector, your employer almost certainly already has novated leasing set up.
The other Perth-specific factor: distance. Perth drivers cover more kilometres per year on average than any other capital city (Sydney-Wollongong-Newcastle aside), and fuel prices in WA are typically 5-15c/L higher than the east coast. That makes the pre-tax fuel/electricity savings inside a novated lease genuinely larger than in Melbourne or Brisbane.
What's different about novated leasing in WA
Stamp duty: WA uses a sliding scale starting at 2.75% under $25,000, rising through bands to 6.5% for vehicles over $50,000. That's a relatively heavy stamp duty load on premium vehicles — but it's a one-off, and the federal FBT exemption on EVs under the LCT threshold wipes out the much larger annual tax hit anyway.
Rego: Standard WA vehicle registration is around $900-$1,000/year for a passenger vehicle. The state offered an EV rebate of $3,500 for new EV purchases under $70,000 — that program is closed to new applications as of mid-2024.
Mining sector salary packaging: WA mining and resources employers typically pay higher marginal-rate salaries (37% or 45% bracket), and novated leasing savings scale with your marginal tax rate. A Perth mining worker on $150k sees roughly twice the per-dollar saving of a Melbourne admin worker on $70k.
Major WA employers with novated leasing: Rio Tinto, BHP, Fortescue, Woodside, Chevron, INPEX, WA Health, WA Police, Western Power, Water Corporation, City of Perth, Bankwest, Curtin University, UWA.
Perth novated leasing FAQ
I'm FIFO — does novated leasing still work?
Yes. FIFO workers on a Perth-based payroll can absolutely use novated leasing. Your annual km in the lease budget should reflect how the car is actually used — if it sits at home in Perth while you're on swing, that's lower annual km and a smaller running-cost budget.
Is the WA EV rebate still available?
No. The WA Government's $3,500 EV rebate was for vehicles under $70,000 and is closed to new applications. The federal FBT exemption on EVs under the LCT threshold ($91,387 driveaway in 2025-26) is the much larger benefit and is still alive.
Perth fuel prices fluctuate weekly — how does the lease handle that?
Your novated lease running-cost budget is set as an annual figure based on average fuel prices and your declared km. If WA fuel prices spike, the budget is reconciled at the end of the lease year — you don't pay surcharges mid-year. Anything left over at the end is refunded; anything short is squared up.
Can I include a roof rack / bull bar / canopy in the lease?
Yes, generally. Accessories fitted at the point of purchase can be capitalised into the lease, which means you pay for them out of pre-tax salary just like the vehicle itself. Aftermarket accessories added later are case-by-case.