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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My brother owned a house and he wants to gift me that in a way of gift deed,how much stamp duty i will have to pay on that ? Its in India
Hello Mrs Sharma,
thanks for the question.
Unfortunately we’re not able to give general advice regarding stamp duty in India, as we currently only provide information on Australian stamp duty. I recommend conducting a web search of Indian stamp duty rules to get some accurate information or contact an expert.
Cheers,
Marc.
If I am looking at purchasing a property which I intend to be my primary residence within 12 months, but it currently has tenants in the property and will have them during and post settlement do I still pay the Transfer Duty as tho it were an investment property? This property will not be an investment property – I will be moving into it….but I was told that it may still be considered an investment?
Hi Little T,
Transfer duty is generally payable for both main residences and investment properties. There are some concessions in place but that generally applies to FHBs and pensioners.
Please speak to your local OSR about your specific situation, they will be able to give you an informed answer.
Cheers,
Shirley
Hi,
I’m from NSW. My brother and I bought a house together in 2011. This property is under my name and my brother name. It’s not an investment property. It our primary residency.
Now I decide to remove my name off the title of the property. My brother will take over the property. The question is will my brother have to pay stamp duty?
Thank you.
Hi Rob,
Thanks for your question.
Generally the person obtaining the property is liable for stamp duty.
However, it’s best that you confirm this with your OSR or conveyancer as there could be some exemptions.
Cheers,
Shirley
Hi,
Are there any stamp duties on house that was bequeathed to a son before death and/or after death of the person be bequeathing the property?
Thank you,
Paul
Hi Paul,
thanks for the question.
In most cases stamp duty is not payable in this situation, although it depends on the will and how the transfer document was drawn up, so I’d recommend contacting your relevant state office of revenue.
I hope this helps,
Marc.
Hi Marc & Shirley,
I live in Melbourne, Victoria. I have purchased a land in west and the settlement is in October; First home buyer. My question is regarding Stamp Duty. Does the Stamp Duty calculated on basis of Vacant Land Price or does it depend on Land + Building price? I know its bit of novice question but I couldn’t get a proper answer anywhere. Thanks for your help.
Hi Mihir,
thanks for the question.
Stamp duty is calculated using the land and buildings, and is based on the market value of the property or the property price – whichever is greater.
I hope this helps,
Marc.