Have high rates hurt households? Analysis to find out

The territory's contentious tax reform regime began in 2012 as part of a 20 year plan to gradually phase out taxes like stamp duty in favour of hiking up residential rates.

The government argues it is revenue neutral, a more efficient way of collecting tax and hard for large companies to avoid.

Such claims have been supported by the Grattan Institute which says the ACT is showing the way for other jurisdictions.

But others - like former ACT Treasury policy director Dr Khalid Ahmed - believe the government's implementation has disproportionately impacted lower to middle income Canberrans.

A recently released tender shows the government is looking for consultants to undertake a "detailed analysis" of the impacts of tax reform so far.

The consultants will look at the impacts on households, equity, economic efficiency, housing affordability and rental affordability.

Among the questions to be answered is: "Is there any evidence that higher annual general rates have impacted taxpayer welfare or behaviour?"

The government may pick a different contractor to assess each category.

The analysis will need to be completed and a report given to government by February 2020.

The 2019-20 budget showed rates for home owners were set to rise by an average of 7 per cent this financial year, while apartment owners will pay an extra 11 per cent.

The year before they rose on average 7 per cent for detached homes and 10 per cent for units.

A spokeswoman for Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the technical analysis would help a Treasury advisory group provide its advice to government on the next five year stage of tax reform.

That advice - which will asses whether the tax reform has been revenue neutral in practice - will be released as part of the 2020 budget.

"The Chief Minister has been clear that with the abolition of insurance taxes, the removal of stamp duty for first home buyers, the removal of stamp duty for small and medium commercial properties (under $1.5 million), and the increase in the payroll tax free threshold (to $2 million), the largest component of tax reform has now been achieved," she said.

"As we approach the half-way mark of the tax reform program, and look to the next five-year phase, Canberrans can expect much smaller increases in annual rates."

Opposition leader Alistair Coe questioned the claims made by the government that the reforms have been revenue neutral.

"In truth, rates revenue has more than doubled and will soon triple. Canberrans know they can't trust the Barr Government to end the rates pain," he said.

He has pledged to freeze rates increases and last week said he may consider freezing or lowering increases in land tax to help lower rents.

How the opposition would fund such cuts remains uncertain.

"Our commitments to freeze rates, improve the planning system, remove land tax for approved community housing providers and the provision of more land will improve affordability," he said. "We will have further announcements about land tax as we get closer to the election."