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Buying with less than a 20% deposit? Stamp duty is only one of the two upfront costs due at settlement. If your loan is more than 80% of the property value you will also pay Lenders Mortgage Insurance — often five figures, and a one-off. Estimate it with the LMI calculator (premium by LVR band and loan size, plus First Home Guarantee eligibility, which can remove LMI entirely), then add the two together for the real cash you need on top of your deposit.
One more settlement check: on any contract signed from 1 January 2025, the buyer must withhold 15% of the price and pay it to the ATO unless each seller hands over an ATO clearance certificate by settlement. Your conveyancer normally handles it, but if you are buying from someone who lives overseas, see how the foreign resident capital gains withholding works and what it means for the seller.
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Australia's hidden property tax — calculated for all 8 states & territories.
Stamp duty (also called transfer duty) is a state tax you pay when buying property in Australia. Rates vary dramatically — buying the same $800,000 home could cost you $30,187 in NSW or $43,070 in Victoria. Domestic investors pay the same standard duty as owner-occupiers; only foreign buyers pay a surcharge.
Most states offer first-home buyer exemptions: NSW exempts properties under $800,000, VIC under $600,000, and QLD up to $700,000 (stepped concession to $800,000; a brand-new first home is duty-free at any price). From 7 May 2026 Western Australia lifted its first-home exemption to $600,000 (concession to $800,000), and from 1 July 2026 the ACT abolished transfer duty for all first home buyers — no property-value or income limit, an Australian first. Foreign buyers face an additional duty surcharge in most mainland states — 9% in NSW and 8% in QLD. Buying vacant land to build on? Switch the property type — QLD, SA and the ACT charge no first-home duty on land at any value, while TAS and the NT offer no land concession. Select your state and situation below for an accurate estimate.
Stamp duty (or transfer duty) varies by state and territory. In NSW, a $800,000 property costs approximately $30,187 in stamp duty (2026/27 rates). First-home buyers may be exempt on properties below $800,000 (NSW) or $600,000 (VIC). Each state has its own rates and thresholds — use a state-specific calculator for accurate figures.
Most states offer stamp duty exemptions or concessions for first-home buyers. In NSW, first-home buyers pay no stamp duty on properties up to $800,000. Victoria exempts purchases under $600,000. Queensland charges no duty on an established first home up to $700,000, a stepped concession to $800,000 and the lower owner-occupier home concession rate above that; a brand-new first home is duty-free at any price (contracts from 1 May 2025). In the ACT, first home buyers pay no transfer duty at all from 1 July 2026 — no property-value or income limit. These thresholds change regularly — check your state's revenue office for current limits.
No. From 1 July 2026 the ACT abolished transfer (stamp) duty for all first home buyers, with no property-value cap and no income test — the first Australian jurisdiction to do so. It replaces the old Home Buyer Concession Scheme, which had income and price limits. Pensioners, eligible NDIS participants, and people re-entering the market after five years or more without owning a home also benefit. Standard duty still applies to non-first-home purchases.
From 7 May 2026, Western Australia's First Home Owner Rate gives a full transfer-duty exemption on homes up to $600,000 (up from $500,000) and a phased concession up to $800,000 (up from $700,000), statewide. Vacant land is exempt up to $450,000 with a concession to $550,000. Eligible buyers can save up to about $22,515 on a home. Above $800,000, standard WA rates apply.
It depends on the state. Vacant land is taxed on the same duty scale as a home, but first-home concessions differ: Queensland, South Australia and the ACT charge NO duty on vacant land bought by an eligible first home buyer to build on, at any value. WA exempts land up to $450,000 (concession to $550,000) and NSW up to $350,000 (concession to $450,000). Victoria applies its usual first-home thresholds to the land value ($600k exempt, $750k concession). Tasmania and the Northern Territory offer no first-home duty relief on bare land — full duty applies. Switch the property type toggle to 'Vacant land' to see your state. Most concessions require you to build and live in the home within a set period.
They're the same thing. 'Stamp duty' is the traditional name, while 'transfer duty' is the modern legal term used in most Australian states. Both refer to the state tax you pay when purchasing property.
On the general scale, the ACT charges the least of the eight: $11,500 on a $500,000 home and $24,750 on $800,000. Victoria charges the most ($25,070 at $500,000). The Northern Territory is NOT cheap: its formula applies from the first dollar, with no tax-free threshold, so a $500,000 NT home pays $23,929, and above $525,000 the NT charges 4.95% of the whole price. First home buyers in the ACT pay no transfer duty at any price from 1 July 2026. For first-home buyers, exemption thresholds matter more than the headline scale.
Most lenders don't allow you to add stamp duty to your mortgage directly. You typically need to pay stamp duty from your savings at settlement. However, some lenders offer 'capitalisation' of stamp duty for loans with higher LVRs, though this increases your loan amount and interest costs.
Stamp duty is due at settlement in most states — typically 30-90 days after exchange of contracts. In NSW, you must pay within 3 months of settlement. In Victoria, you have 30 days. Your conveyancer or solicitor will usually arrange payment on your behalf.
Last updated 14 October 2026. QLD first-home duty is the home concession rate minus QRO's stepped first home concession ($17,350 to $709,999, nil from $800,000; contracts from 9 June 2024), and a new first home is exempt at any value (from 1 May 2025). NT duty follows the Stamp Duty Act 1978 (NT), Schedule 1: a formula up to $525,000, then 4.95% (5.75% from $3m, 5.95% from $5m) of the whole value. First-home-buyer rules reflect WA's First Home Owner Rate from 7 May 2026 ($600k home / $450k land exemption; legislated commencement ~28 Jul 2026, applied to transactions from 7 May 2026) and the ACT's abolition of transfer duty for first home buyers from 1 July 2026. Vacant-land first-home rules verified per state: QLD (no cap, from 1 May 2025), SA (no cap, from 6 Jun 2024) and ACT (no cap) charge nil duty; NSW ($350k/$450k) and WA ($450k/$550k) cap the concession; VIC applies its $600k/$750k thresholds to the land value; TAS (first-home established-home exemption expired 30 Jun 2026) and the NT offer no first-home land concession. General rates are estimates — confirm current thresholds with your state revenue office before relying on a figure. Sources: Revenue NSW, SRO Victoria, QRO Queensland, RevenueWA, RevenueSA, SRO Tasmania, ACT Revenue Office, and the NT Territory Revenue Office.
Stamp duty (or transfer duty) varies by state and territory. In NSW, a $800,000 property costs approximately $30,187 in stamp duty (2026/27 rates).
First-home buyers may be exempt on properties below $800,000 (NSW) or $600,000 (VIC). Each state has its own rates and thresholds — use a state-specific calculator for accurate figures.
Most states offer stamp duty exemptions or concessions for first-home buyers. In NSW, first-home buyers pay no stamp duty on properties up to $800,000.
Victoria exempts purchases under $600,000. Queensland charges no duty on an established first home up to $700,000, a stepped concession to $800,000 and the lower owner-occupier home concession rate above that; a brand-new first home is duty-free at any price (contracts from 1 May 2025).
In the ACT, first home buyers pay no transfer duty at all from 1 July 2026 — no property-value or income limit. These thresholds change regularly — check your state's revenue office for current limits.
No. From 1 July 2026 the ACT abolished transfer (stamp) duty for all first home buyers, with no property-value cap and no income test — the first Australian jurisdiction to do so. It replaces the old Home Buyer Concession Scheme, which had income and price limits.
Pensioners, eligible NDIS participants, and people re-entering the market after five years or more without owning a home also benefit. Standard duty still applies to non-first-home purchases.
From 7 May 2026, Western Australia's First Home Owner Rate gives a full transfer-duty exemption on homes up to $600,000 (up from $500,000) and a phased concession up to $800,000 (up from $700,000), statewide. Vacant land is exempt up to $450,000 with a concession to $550,000.
Eligible buyers can save up to about $22,515 on a home. Above $800,000, standard WA rates apply.
It depends on the state. Vacant land is taxed on the same duty scale as a home, but first-home concessions differ: Queensland, South Australia and the ACT charge NO duty on vacant land bought by an eligible first home buyer to build on, at any value.
WA exempts land up to $450,000 (concession to $550,000) and NSW up to $350,000 (concession to $450,000). Victoria applies its usual first-home thresholds to the land value ($600k exempt, $750k concession).
Tasmania and the Northern Territory offer no first-home duty relief on bare land — full duty applies. Switch the property type toggle to 'Vacant land' to see your state.
Most concessions require you to build and live in the home within a set period.
They're the same thing. 'Stamp duty' is the traditional name, while 'transfer duty' is the modern legal term used in most Australian states. Both refer to the state tax you pay when purchasing property.
On the general scale, the ACT charges the least of the eight: $11,500 on a $500,000 home and $24,750 on $800,000. Victoria charges the most ($25,070 at $500,000).
The Northern Territory is NOT cheap: its formula applies from the first dollar, with no tax-free threshold, so a $500,000 NT home pays $23,929, and above $525,000 the NT charges 4.95% of the whole price. First home buyers in the ACT pay no transfer duty at any price from 1 July 2026.
For first-home buyers, exemption thresholds matter more than the headline scale.
Most lenders don't allow you to add stamp duty to your mortgage directly. You typically need to pay stamp duty from your savings at settlement.
However, some lenders offer 'capitalisation' of stamp duty for loans with higher LVRs, though this increases your loan amount and interest costs.
Stamp duty is due at settlement in most states — typically 30-90 days after exchange of contracts. In NSW, you must pay within 3 months of settlement.
In Victoria, you have 30 days. Your conveyancer or solicitor will usually arrange payment on your behalf.