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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Hello.
My wife and I have purchased our first property off my parents. The property is a duplex worth more than 550,000. We are buying a half share and with the plan to occupy one tenancy out of the two. Our purchase price is below the 550,000.
We’ve been told that that we are to pay stamp duty based on the total value not our financed and purchased value. Is this correct? We are not receiving rental income from the other dwelling.
Hi Will,
Thanks for your enquiry.
The legislation for stamp duty differs from state to state, so it would be best to contact your state government department directly to discuss your options.
Thanks,
Belinda
If I buy a block of land for $250000 and then build a house on it for $250000 (this is an investment property, do I have to pay stamp duty on the value of the land only or on the total ($500K)
Hi Danny,
Thanks for your question.
Please note that rules and regulations regarding stamp duty vary according to the state or territory that holds the property, please contact your local state government agency for further details.
You may however be liable for land tax if you own vacant land, assessed on a calendar year basis. Generally if your land holdings have a total taxable value of at least $250,000 you must pay land tax.
Regards
Jodie
Hi being on a disability pension do i have to pay stamp duty on the insurance of my house and contents. Thank You.
Hi Steven,
Thanks for your enquiry.
Depending on which state you reside in, your may be exempt from paying stamp duty tax if you are on a disability pension.
Please contact your local state government agency for more details.
Thanks,
Belinda
Hi
My brother is first home buyer he is buying a property of 650k in vic and i will be joint holder with 20 percent value of the property. I am not first home buyer, would my brother still be eligible of first home owner stamp duty reduction, because of the value of the home is over 600k. But his share value is 570k and he will be living in there.
Hi Sany,
Thanks for your enquiry.
To be eligible for first home buyer duty concessions, no co-purchaser may have previously owned a residential property within Australia.
However, it would be best to contact the VIC Revenue Office to discuss your options.
Thanks,
Belinda
Hi,
We are buying a property for personal use, but have to sell our current property before we move into the new property. If we pay primary residence stamp duty, are we able to let the property out whilst our current property is being sold – i.e. for about 6 to 8 months?
Thanks,
Linda
Hi Linda,
Thanks for your enquiry.
Please note that rules and regulations regarding stamp duty vary according to the state or territory that holds the property, please contact your local state government agency for further details.
Thanks,
Belinda