Tesla · sedan

Tesla Model 3 novated lease and the FBT cliff

177days left to commit,
for the dearer variants
Last day: 31 March 2027

Treasury draft · not law yet

Electric carVariant

Car’s value for FBT ($, incl. GST)Maker's price with delivery, before government charges. Add any options you choose.

Salary ($ a year)Before tax and packaging, from $45,000.Lease term

How the estimate works

Without a concession, FBT’s statutory formula makes 20% of the car’s value taxable each year.
Novated leases clear that by moving the same amount from pre-tax to after-tax pay.
The saving is the 2026–27 income tax and Medicare levy you avoid on that amount.

Commit by 31 March 2027

$11,910 more tax

Estimated, if you commit after 31 Mar 2027 under the draft. Estimate only. General information, not tax advice.

Breakdown

$75,000 to $91,661Tesla Model 3 Performance AWD

Commit by 31 March 2027 to keep the full exemption.

$11,910

Estimated extra tax over a 3-year lease if you commit from 1 April 2027 instead, when the draft cuts the exemption to a 25% discount ($3,970 a year).

177 days left to commit by 31 March 2027

$82,700

$25,000$75,000$91,661$125,000+

Up to $75,000: full exemption for commitments until 31 Mar 2029$75,001 to $91,661: full exemption only if you commit by 31 Mar 2027Over $91,661: no FBT concession

Estimated tax effect by when you commit to the lease

If you commit	DiscountFBT discount	Saved a yearTax saved a year
By 31 Mar 2027	100%	$5,290
Apr 2027 – Mar 2029	25%	$1,320
From Apr 2029	25%	$1,320

Reportable fringe benefits: about $31,210 a year would appear on your income statement if you commit by 31 March 2027. It isn’t taxed, but income tests such as HELP repayments and the Medicare levy surcharge count it.

Estimate only. General information, not tax advice. It uses 2026–27 tax rates and the FBT statutory formula, and assumes you pay an after-tax contribution to clear any FBT. The rules for commitments from 1 April 2027 are a Treasury exposure draft, not law, and may change. Confirm your numbers with your employer, your novated lease provider or a registered tax agent.

Updated 3 Oct 2026 · every figure links to its source · Some links are referral links; that never changes the order.

The RWD, Premium RWD and Premium Long Range RWD are under $75,000 and keep the full exemption until 31 March 2029 under the draft. The Performance AWD sits between $75,000 and $91,661: full exemption only if you commit by 31 March 2027, then a 25% discount.

$25,000$75,000$91,661$125,000+

Up to $75,000: full exemption for commitments until 31 Mar 2029$75,001 to $91,661: full exemption only if you commit by 31 Mar 2027Over $91,661: no FBT concession

What to know about the Tesla Model 3

With Tesla's order and delivery fees included, the Model 3 runs from $47,700 for the RWD to $82,700 for the Performance. Only the Performance crosses $75,000, and by a margin no option list can undo, which makes it the single Model 3 with a 2027 deadline.

The Premium Long Range RWD has the longest quoted range of any Tesla here, 750 km on its standard 18-inch wheels, for $63,700. Tesla's configurator shows a lower figure on the optional 19-inch wheels, so check the exact car you order.

Sedan buyers weighing the Model 3 against BYD's Seal will find the two level on FBT until the performance versions. The Seal Performance stays under $75,000; the Tesla Performance doesn't. If you can't sign before April 2027, that gap is worth thousands over a three-year lease, and the salary table above puts the Tesla's side of it in dollars.

Tesla Model 3 variants against the lines

Tesla Model 3 at a $100,000 salary

Variant	Maker's price	Where it sits	By 31 Mar 2027	Apr 2027 – Mar 2029	From Apr 2029	Price source
RWD	$47,700with delivery	Under $75,000	$3,050	$3,050	$760	Tesla, 3 Oct 2026
Premium RWD	$56,700with delivery	Under $75,000	$3,630	$3,630	$910	Tesla, 3 Oct 2026
Premium Long Range RWD	$63,700with delivery	Under $75,000	$4,080	$4,080	$1,020	Tesla, 3 Oct 2026
Performance AWD	$82,700with delivery	$75,000 to $91,661	$5,290	$1,320	$1,320	Tesla, 3 Oct 2026

Estimated income tax and Medicare levy saved each year compared with a car that gets no FBT concession. “Close” means within $3,000 of a line, where dealer delivery, options or on-road costs can move the car across it.

Tax saved a year on the Performance AWD, by salary

Performance AWD, $82,700

Salary	By 31 Mar 2027	Apr 2027 – Mar 2029	From Apr 2029	Missing the deadline, 3-year lease
$60,000	$5,360	$1,210	$1,210	$12,470
$90,000	$5,290	$1,320	$1,320	$11,910
$120,000	$5,290	$1,320	$1,320	$11,910
$160,000	$6,450	$1,610	$1,610	$14,510
$220,000	$7,770	$1,940	$1,940	$17,490

The last column is the extra tax over a three-year lease from committing just after 31 March 2027 instead of just before. Salaries between $45,000 and $66,667 can show a slightly bigger figure than higher ones, because the low income tax offset phases out across that range.

About these prices

4,597 Tesla Model 3s were sold in Australia from January to August 2026. (CarExpert Sales Atlas, VFACTS and EV Council data, checked 3 October 2026)
Tesla's NSW price breakdown adds a $400 order fee and a $1,400 delivery fee to the trim price. (Tesla Australia, checked 3 October 2026)
Prices are the maker’s own: including its delivery fee but before registration, stamp duty and CTP. The value FBT uses includes dealer delivery and options but not registration, stamp duty or CTP.

Getting a quote for a Tesla Model 3

Check that your employer offers novated leasing, then ask a provider to quote the exact car, with delivery and options, and to confirm the date your commitment becomes binding. These providers offer novated leases; we list them alphabetically and don’t rank them.

Carbar (opens in a new tab) Referral link: we may earn a commission. It never changes the order.
Maxxia (opens in a new tab) Referral link: we may earn a commission. It never changes the order.
Oly (opens in a new tab) Referral link: we may earn a commission. It never changes the order.
RemServ (opens in a new tab) Referral link: we may earn a commission. It never changes the order.
Smart (opens in a new tab) Referral link: we may earn a commission. It never changes the order.

We compare only the 5 providers listed here, not the whole market.