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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Hi there. I would like to know if your previously own a home in another country but you are a first home buyer in Australia, do you have to pay stamp duty? Thanks
Hi Leah,
Thanks for your question.
This depends on the rules and regulations set out by your local Office of State Revenue and the nature of the property that you’re purchasing.
Generally as a first home buyer you are eligible for a concession or exemption for stamp duty depending on the state or territory you live in.
Cheers,
Shirley
I am planning to buy a property with my partner. He is a first home buyer however I am not – I purchased a property years ago which i no longer own.
Both of our names will be on the title. I am just wondering whether he will be eligible to receive the reduced stamp duty rate for his half of the value of the property or if we will both be ineligible due to me having owned a property in the past.
Thank-you in advance.
Hi Cynthia,
Thanks for your question.
Please note that rules and regulations for stamp duty are different for each state and territory.
Generally to be eligible you and your spouse/partner must not have owned residential property, either jointly, separately or with some other person prior to 1 July 2000, in any State or Territory of Australia.
However, it’s best to check this with your local Office of State Revenue to confirm.
Cheers,
Shirley
Hi
I’m buying a new to be constructed apartment off-the-plan in WA. Will I have to pay stamp duty and if so is this based on the final value of the contract? Is there also land tax that needs to be paid or is this the developers cost?
Thank you
Hi Yvonne,
Thanks for your question.
Please note that these questions are best directed to your trusted solicitor or conveyancer.
You may be liable for stamp duty, though first homeowners can receive a reduced rate. This would be based on the aggregated taxable value or the final value.
Land tax may also payable by you. You can use the WA Department of Finance Land Tax Calculator to check.
Cheers,
Shirley
Hi,
I am buying a Vacant Land which is due to get settled in August 2015. This is my property and i will be building house on this land. The broker has asked me to pay full stamp duty and included it as a part of my loan amount.
My question is should i be paying full stamp duty and then awaiting for a refund or should i be paying the 50% reduced Stamp duty ?
Hi Prashyt,
Thanks for your question.
Please note that stamp duty regulations vary depending on the state or territory. For example, in NSW, you can get a concession for land tax if the land is to be used as your primary place of residence.
Typically, your conveyancer or solicitor handles stamp duty for you during settlement, and so if you’re eligible for any concessions or exemptions the applicable forms are submitted at that current point in time.
Your question is best directed to your conveyancer or solicitor rather than your mortgage broker.
Cheers,
Shirley
Hello
My partner and his uncle built a house together in 2009 his uncle moved out in 2012 and we have now finished paying him out (not through the bank or courts) he is still on the title of the house and we have been told from the bank in order to get his name of the mortgage we need to have his name removed from the title, can you please advise me what the charges are of this and if there is anyway we can get out of not paying to remove his name and my partners name is also on the title so all we want to do is simply remove his name and keep my partners on it.
Thanks
Hi Carly,
Thanks for your question.
Our article ‘how to remove someone off a property title’ can give you more information about this.
If you would like to use a solicitor, which is highly recommended, there could be a legal fee involved. Depending on the state or territory you reside in, there could be government fees involved as well.
Stamp duty in these situations are generally not payable.
Cheers,
Shirley