Key takeaways
- Stamp duty is one of the biggest additional costs you'll have to pay when buying property in Australia.
- It's a form of tax charged by the state government and only applies when you buy property, not sell.
- First home buyers in most states and territories qualify for one-off exemptions or discounts.
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.
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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.
Stamp duty rates 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 costs where you live.
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?
Typically your stamp duty is an upfront cost, not rolled into your home loan. However, if you're not using your full borrowing power to buy the property, you may be able to use your loan to pay stamp duty. This is known as having your stamp duty capitalised into the principal of the loan.
It will depend on your borrowing power and the size of your deposit. But because you're borrowing money to pay for the duty, you'll be paying 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.
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.
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I’d like to get a loan to buy land on one of the Moreton Bay islands, I only have a 10 percent deposit, I can easily afford the repayments but dont have a credit history or credit card as I was a single mum for 25 years and now an empty nester, I have a good job and can easily afford the repayments, I intend to put a tiny home or something similar on the land in the next 2 years, will I be rejected for the loan because its land and it’s on the islands or should I put in an application ? I was told by a broker I would easily get a loan, but his interest rate was very high and it’s taking over a month to try to get an answer, he’s unreliable and inconsistent, I want a fast answer and approval if possible? Thank you :)
Hi Cath,
That’s a frustrating experience. I suggest talking to another broker, because your situation is quite unique and some banks may not lend because your situation is unique (buying land to build a tiny house).
You could approach a lender directly and ask if they consider giving people loans in your situation, before submitting a full application. I’m sorry I can’t give you more direct information. Finder is a comparison site and we don’t issue loans ourselves we just provide general information.
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/home-loans/stamp-duty-calculator/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