Stamp duty is one of the biggest costs you'll pay when buying property in Australia. Stamp duty is a form of tax charged by the state government, and it applies when you buy a property, but not when you sell. Our stamp duty calculator can help you work out how much stamp duty you'll pay when buying a home or investment property.
Luckily, first home buyers in most states and territories can qualify for one-off discounts or concessions, depending on the type of property you buy and the purchase price.
Stamp duty calculator
To use this calculator select your state or territory, enter the value of your property (the full value, not your loan amount), choose the type of purchase (home to live in, investment or land) and select yes or no if you're a first home buyer or not.
Stamp duty exemptions and concessions by state/territory
Your stamp duty cost varies depending on where you live. Governments update these costs every few years, depending on state budgets and tax policy.
Click your state or territory below to find out about stamp duty exemptions.
Home Buyer Concession Scheme
The ACT offers the Home Buyer Concession Scheme for home buyers buying new properties, established properties or vacant blocks of land (from 1 July 2019).
There are a number of conditions, including that the applicant/s can not have held an interest in any land in the last two years.
They'll also need to live in the property for at least one year after buying it.
They also need to have an income which is lower than the threshold. For those with no dependent children, this threshold is $160,000 for the year prior to the property transfer, grant or agreement of property transfer - whichever is first. For those with one child, it's $163,330.
Total income (including partner)
Number of dependent children
$160,000
0
$163,330
1
$166,660
2
$169,990
3
$173,320
4
$176,650
5+
As always, check with the ACT Revenue Office to find out the full list of conditions.
There are a number of circumstances where a buyer in NSW could be excused from paying extra funds for the acquisition of a new home. First time home owners are exempt from stamp duty in the following circumstances:
Existing home: no stamp duty on properties valued up to $650,000, concessions up to $800,000.
New home: no stamp duty on properties valued up to $800,000, concessions up to $1,000,000 (this expires at the end of July 2021).
Vacant land: no stamp duty on land valued up to $400,000, concessions up to $500,000 (this expires at the end of July 2021) .
Purchase Price
First Home - New Home Duty
$650,000
$0
$680,000
$6,267
$700,000
$10,445
$720,000
$14,623
$750,000
$20,890
$770,000
$25,068
$800,000
$31,335 (no discount)
Source: Revenue NSW
For first home buyers buying vacant land, exemptions are available for land valued up to $350,000. Concessions are available for land valued between $350,000 and $450,000.
Rate of stamp duty in NSW, for further information, visit the NSW Office of Revenue website.
First time home buyers in Victoria (VIC) are entitled to an exemption from stamp duty for both new and established homes less than $600,000, and reductions are applied on a sliding scale for homes valued between $600,000 and $750,000.
Purchase Price
First Home - New Home Duty
$605,000
$1,045
$625,000
$5,428
$650,000
$11,356
$675,000
$17,758
$700,000
$24,713
$725,000
$32,141
Stamp duty is subject to changes so please use the above as a guide only.
For a limited time, eligible Victorian home buyers can get 50% discounts on their stamp duty costs if buying a residential property valued at up to $1 million.
In Queensland stamp duty concessions are available on homes valued at up to $550,000 and vacant land valued at up to $400,000. There are exemptions depending on the value of the property, and concessions above that.
Here are some examples of stamp duty concessions and exemptions in Queensland.
Purchase price
Stamp duty after concession
$500,000
$0
$530,000
$6,300
$580,000
$11,950 (no concession)
Vacant land $240,000
$0
Vacant land $300,000
$4,125
Vacant land $450,000
$14,175
There are few exemptions or concessions available in South Australia (SA) that can assist with offsetting the stamp tax duty when purchasing a home. In fact, the taxes imposed in SA are the highest of any Australian state.
The off-the-plan concession ended on 1 July 2018.
Regular SA stamp duty rate examples
These example calculations come from Revenue SA's calculator and are for an Australian resident purchasing a residential home that isn't an off-the-plan apartment.
Purchase price
Stamp duty
$20,000
$280
$60,000
$1,430
$100,000
$2,830
$150,000
$4,830
$250,000
$8,955
$300,000
$11,330
$400,000
$16,330
Source: revenuesa.sa.gov.au. Stamp duty is subject to changes so please use the above as a guide only.
First home buyers in Tasmania can receive a 50% concession on stamp duty when purchasing a property valued at up to $40,000.
In WA the First Home Owner Rate of Duty provides exemptions and concessions when purchasing homes valued at less than $530,000 and vacant land less than $400,000.
Purchase Price
Grant/Concession
Less than $430,000
Exempt from stamp duty
$430,000 to $530,000
Duty payable at a rate of $19.19 for every $100, or part of $100, by which the value exceeds $430,000
$530,001 or more
No concession or exemption
Vacant land less than $300,000
Exempt from stamp duty
Vacant land $300,000 to $400,000
Duty payable at a rate of $13.01 for every $100, or part of $100, by which the value exceeds $300,000
Vacant land $400,001 or more
No concession or exemption
The home must be purchased as a primary place of residence in order to qualify. Other types of exemptions apply to family farms and transactions between family members.
Residential rates of duty in WA for buyers who don't qualify for concessions or exemptions are:
Dutiable value range
Duty payable
Up to $120,000
$1.90 per $100 or part thereof
$121,001 to $150,000
$2,280 plus $2.85 per $100 or part thereof above $120,000
$150,001 to $360,000
$3,135 plus $3.80 per $100 or part thereof above $150,000
$360,001 to $725,000
$11,115 plus $4.75 per $100 or part thereof above $360,000
$725,000+
$28,453 plus $5.15 per $100 or part thereof above $725,000
Stamp duty is subject to changes so please use the above as a guide only.
Buyers in the Northern Territory are eligible for stamp duty when buying property.
Here are some examples of NT stamp duty costs for buyers who don't qualify for any concessions.
Dutiable value
Duty cost
$50,000
$914.25
$100,000
$2,157.10
$150,000
$3,728.55
$200,000
$5,628.55
$250,000
$7,857.15
$300,000
$10,414.25
$350,000
$13,300.00
$400,000
$16,514.30
$500,000
23,928.60
Your stamp duty is determined by several factors beyond where you live. These are:
The cost of the property. The more you pay for your property the higher your stamp duty cost will be.
Whether you're a first home buyer. If you've never owned a property before then you may quality for a concession (discount) on your stamp duty or even a full exemption. Pensioners and seniors may also qualify for a discount or exemption.
The type of home you buy. The amount of stamp duty that you will be charged may depend on the type of property you purchase, with concessions or exemptions for buying new or off-the-plan properties.
What is stamp duty?
Stamp duty in Australia is a state/territory level tax levied on large transactions such as property purchases, cars or other assets. Historically, stamp duty was levied on the signing of various legal documents, hence the word stamp. Stamp duty is sometimes referred to as transfer duty.
How do I pay my stamp duty?
Many buyers pay stamp duty at settlement. Depending on your state or territory, it may be due on settlement day, and in other states you have around 30 days from settlement to organise the payment.
Your lawyer or conveyancer can help you with the logistics of paying stamp duty and will advise you of deadlines. Your conveyancer can also help you organise your paperwork when applying for a concession or exemption.
Can I borrow stamp duty with my loan?
Depending on your borrowing power and the size of your deposit, you may be able to have the amount of stamp duty added to your loan. This is known as having your stamp duty capitalised into the principal of the loan.
This means you are borrowing the money to pay stamp duty, so you'll pay interest on that amount for 30 years.
Keep in mind that this may increase your loan to value (LVR) ratio, which could require you to pay a higher Lenders Mortgage Insurance premium, if your loan is above 80% of the property's overall value.
Stamp duty in unique cases
Do I have to pay stamp duty on vacant land?
All transfers of land come with these costs, which you see by using the stamp duty calculator above. The exception to this is through the various concessions and exemptions available from each state, particularly for first home buyers.
Do I have to pay stamp duty on off-the-plan property?
Yes, stamp duty is still payable on off-the-plan property, but keep in mind there are concessions and exemptions available in different states.
Do I have to pay stamp duty on a loan I am refinancing?
In most cases you will have to pay stamp duty again even if you are refinancing. However, there are situations in which you can avoid paying stamp duty. For example, if the names of the borrowers are the same and the amount of the loan is the same, there might be a chance you could avoid paying stamp duty. In some cases, you might also have to refinance with the same lender to avoid this cost.
If you're borrowing more when refinancing (say, a home loan top up) you may have to pay stamp duty on any amount above the original loan.
Note that in some situations you may have to pay the fees but you can then apply for a refund from the lender. Thus, it pays to make sure you do your research before deciding to refinance because any savings you incur from a lower rate might be completely obliterated if you have to pay stamp duty again. In this case, refinancing may simply not be worth the hassle.
Divorce and stamp duty
Stamp duty isn’t payable if one of you is transferring the title to a home or land to another. However, you can only save on stamp duty if the transfer is done so you can obey a court order. The court must be able to know what assets are owned by each of the parties. This includes all of your assets like land, bank accounts and superannuation. It may be necessary to hire an expert to value an asset.
It’s important to know that parenting is seen as a very important contribution. If the marriage has been a long one, it is often seen as equal to financial contributions. Usually, the court gives the party whose financial future is not as good as the other some extra part of the property owned by the parties.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
Richard Whitten is a money editor at Finder, and has been covering home loans, property and personal finance for 6+ years. He has written for Yahoo Finance, Money Magazine and Homely; and has appeared on various radio shows nationwide. He holds a Certificate IV in mortgage broking and finance (RG 206), a Tier 1 Generic Knowledge certification and a Tier 2 General Advice Deposit Products (RG 146) certification.
Hi,
I’m looking at refinancing, but unfortunately I lost my husband and now only have a single income, and the banks keep rejecting me.
I have a very close friend that is willing to help me out but the banks won’t allow it unless her name is on my house title.
Am I able to add a friend to my house title and what cost are involved.
It’s possible to do this, but then your friend would be a part-owner of the house. You can talk to a conveyancer about how to set up the title if this is something you wish to do.
Hi,
My husband wants to have his name added to his elderly mother’s house. We all live there together. The house is very old and needs a lot of work, which we would pay for and do but can’t unless he is on the title. Do we have to pay stamp duty to do this?
You may need to pay stamp duty in this scenario. Some purchases may be exempt from stamp duty, but usually only between spouses. But it’s worth checking with your state revenue office or a similar body.
Hi there,
my husband, his 2 sibling and mother are on the house title. The house was knocked down and 1 brother built a double story in the front and a 2bdr unit at the back for 1 of the brothers and their mum. My husband has not lived there for over 45years. He wants his name removed from the house title as he doesn’t want to have anything to do with the properties, what are the procedures and costs to do this.
I plan to buy properties under option in Victoria as a developer. Can you please help explain the stamp duty implications in Victoria. I am keen to understand if there is any stamp duty payable by me in taking out the option. Is there a difference across states on how stamp duty gets applied across different states?
The calculation of stamp duty varies per state and territory. In Victoria, stamp duty’s computation is based on the purchase price or the property’s value on the open market (whichever is higher).
You may use the stamp duty calculator available on the page to have an idea of how much it would cost. Please don’t forget to select VIC in the input box to make sure you get the correct calculation. The figures displayed are just an estimate, not an exact calculation.
Hi. I own a home outright in NSW (no mortgage). I have married and want to change the title deeds to my married surname, and also add my husband to the title deeds. Can you please advise if I would be liable for stamp duty to do this? TIA
In many cases, stamp duty is not payable when a partner is added to a property title. This includes married, de facto, and same-sex couples. To get this exemption, you’ll need to fill out an exemption form. This is available from your state office of revenue.
There are a number of conditions you need to meet to qualify for this exemption and these can change from state to state. As mentioned above, always check with your lender before carrying out any transfer of title or mortgage.
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Hi,
I’m looking at refinancing, but unfortunately I lost my husband and now only have a single income, and the banks keep rejecting me.
I have a very close friend that is willing to help me out but the banks won’t allow it unless her name is on my house title.
Am I able to add a friend to my house title and what cost are involved.
Hi Lorrie,
It’s possible to do this, but then your friend would be a part-owner of the house. You can talk to a conveyancer about how to set up the title if this is something you wish to do.
Hi,
My husband wants to have his name added to his elderly mother’s house. We all live there together. The house is very old and needs a lot of work, which we would pay for and do but can’t unless he is on the title. Do we have to pay stamp duty to do this?
Hi Marney,
You may need to pay stamp duty in this scenario. Some purchases may be exempt from stamp duty, but usually only between spouses. But it’s worth checking with your state revenue office or a similar body.
Kind regards,
Richard
Hi there,
my husband, his 2 sibling and mother are on the house title. The house was knocked down and 1 brother built a double story in the front and a 2bdr unit at the back for 1 of the brothers and their mum. My husband has not lived there for over 45years. He wants his name removed from the house title as he doesn’t want to have anything to do with the properties, what are the procedures and costs to do this.
Thank you in advance
Hi Eleni,
You may refer to our guide for the general steps on how to remove someone’s name from a property title. As for the costs, they would vary depending on which state the property is in. Feel free to visit our Finder page for tips on how to transfer property titles at a minimal cost.
Kind regards,
Rebecca
I plan to buy properties under option in Victoria as a developer. Can you please help explain the stamp duty implications in Victoria. I am keen to understand if there is any stamp duty payable by me in taking out the option. Is there a difference across states on how stamp duty gets applied across different states?
Hi Talak,
The calculation of stamp duty varies per state and territory. In Victoria, stamp duty’s computation is based on the purchase price or the property’s value on the open market (whichever is higher).
Feel free to visit Finder’s Stamp duty Victoria guide <<https://www.finder.com.au/stamp-duty-victoria-guide>> for more insights.
You may use the stamp duty calculator available on the page to have an idea of how much it would cost. Please don’t forget to select VIC in the input box to make sure you get the correct calculation. The figures displayed are just an estimate, not an exact calculation.
All the best,
Rebecca
Hi. I own a home outright in NSW (no mortgage). I have married and want to change the title deeds to my married surname, and also add my husband to the title deeds. Can you please advise if I would be liable for stamp duty to do this? TIA
Hi Elizabeth,
In many cases, stamp duty is not payable when a partner is added to a property title. This includes married, de facto, and same-sex couples. To get this exemption, you’ll need to fill out an exemption form. This is available from your state office of revenue.
There are a number of conditions you need to meet to qualify for this exemption and these can change from state to state. As mentioned above, always check with your lender before carrying out any transfer of title or mortgage.
I hope this helps.
Kind regards,
Richard