Stamp Duty Calculator

Our stamp duty calculator can help you estimate your costs and find out if you're eligible for an exemption or discount in your state or territory.

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.

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.

First home buyer? Learn how to find the right home loan here

More questions about stamp duty

Start comparing mortgages now

5 of 14 results
Finder Score Interest Rate p.a. Comparison Rate p.a. Fees Custom Badges Monthly Payment
Finder score
Interest Rate
5.29%
Comparison Rate
5.33%
Fees
  • Application: $0
  • Ongoing: $0 p.a.
Principal & Interest10% min. equityOwner-occupierOffset accountLMI
Monthly Payment
$833
per month
Go to siteMore info
Compare product selection
Finder score
Interest Rate
5.34%
Comparison Rate
5.60%
Fees
  • Application: $0
  • Ongoing: $248 p.a.
Principal & Interest40% min. equityOwner-occupierOffset account
Monthly Payment
$838
per month
Go to siteMore info
Compare product selection
Macquarie Bank logo
Finder score
Macquarie Bank Basic Home Loan
Finder score
Interest Rate
5.39%
Comparison Rate
5.41%
Fees
  • Application: $0
  • Ongoing: $0 p.a.
Principal & Interest20% min. equityOwner-occupierNo LMI
Monthly Payment
$843
per month
Go to siteMore info
Compare product selection
Unloan logo
Finder score
Unloan Variable Home Loan
Finder score
Interest Rate
5.39%
Comparison Rate
5.30%
Fees
  • Application: $0
  • Ongoing: $0 p.a.
Principal & Interest20% min. equityInvestmentNo LMI
Monthly Payment
$843
per month
Go to siteMore info
Compare product selection
Macquarie Bank logo
Finder score
Macquarie Bank Basic Home Loan
Finder score
Interest Rate
5.34%
Comparison Rate
5.36%
Fees
  • Application: $0
  • Ongoing: $0 p.a.
Principal & Interest40% min. equityOwner-occupier
Monthly Payment
$838
per month
Go to siteMore info
Compare product selection
loading
Showing 5 of 14 results

What is Finder Score?

The Finder Score crunches 7,000 home loans across 120+ lenders. It takes into account the product's interest rate, fees and features, as well as the type of loan eg investor, variable, fixed rate - this gives you a simple score out of 10.

To provide a Score, we compare like-for-like loans. So if you're comparing the best home loans for cashback, you can see how each home loan stacks up against other home loans with the same borrower type, rate type and repayment type. We also take into consideration the amount of cashback offered when calculating the Score so you can tell if it's really worth it.

Read the full breakdown

Sources

Richard Whitten's headshot
Senior Money Editor

Richard Whitten is Finder’s Senior Money Editor, with over eight years of experience in home loans, property, credit cards and personal finance. His insights appear in top media outlets like Yahoo Finance, Money Magazine, and the Herald Sun, and he frequently offers expert commentary on television and radio, helping Australians navigate mortgages and property ownership. Richard started his career in education and textbook publishing in South Korea. He holds multiple industry certifications, including a Certificate IV in Mortgage Broking (RG 206) and Tier 1 and Tier 2 certifications (RG 146), as well as a Bachelor of Education from the University of Sydney and a Graduate Certificate in Communications from Deakin University. See full bio

Richard's expertise
Richard has written 686 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Home loans
  • Credit cards
  • Personal finance
  • Money-saving tips

Get rewarded $$ for switching with Finder Rewards

Find a better deal, save on your bills and get a free gift card. Sign up to be the first to hear about new Finder Rewards.

Ask a question

You are about to post a question on finder.com.au:

  • Do not enter personal information (eg. surname, phone number, bank details) as your question will be made public
  • finder.com.au is a financial comparison and information service, not a bank or product provider
  • We cannot provide you with personal advice or recommendations
  • Your answer might already be waiting – check previous questions below to see if yours has already been asked

Finder only provides general advice and factual information, so consider your own circumstances, or seek advice before you decide to act on our content. By submitting a question, you're accepting our Terms Of Service and Finder Group Privacy & Cookies Policy.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

339 Responses

    Default Gravatar
    CarolJune 23, 2018

    Buying a house in Adelaide, can the stamp duty be paid in installments or do you have to pay the full amount?

      Default GravatarFinder
      JeniJune 23, 2018Finder

      Hi Carol,

      Thank you for getting in touch with Finder.

      In real estate, stamp duty is paid by the purchaser and must be paid within 30 days of the property settlement.

      The RevenueSA online is an internet-based system that allows an easy, flexible, and more efficient way for you to do business with RevenueSA. It provides you with the ability to perform the following functions in the comfort of your own office in relation to stamp duty, job accelerator grant and Commonwealth reporting.

      I hope this helps. Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any other enquiries.

      Thank you and have a wonderful day!

      Cheers,
      Jeni

    Default Gravatar
    SimonJune 16, 2018

    Hi guys

    Me and my dad are living in a PPR and he wants to sign the property into my name . We have both lived in the same property since 1991.

    I’m just wondering will stamp duty be involved? Or could I avoid it seeing it’s a PPR not an investment.

    Thank you

      Default GravatarFinder
      JeniJune 17, 2018Finder

      Hi Simon,

      Thank you for getting in touch with finder.

      Your ‘main residence’ (your home) is generally exempt from capital gains tax (CGT). However, stamp duty is imposed by state and territory governments. It can vary depending on the state or territory, and may be called stamp duty, transfer duty or general duty so you better seek professional advice to your local state revenue office regarding this.

      I hope this helps.

      Have a great day!

      Cheers,
      Jeni

    Default Gravatar
    AdamApril 16, 2018

    I want to transfer the title of our property into the name of my long term partner. Will there be a stamp duty charge? Is capital gains tax payable?

      Default GravatarFinder
      MayApril 16, 2018Finder

      Hi Adam,

      Thanks for your question.

      There are cases that you need not pay stamp duty if you will be adding a partner to the property. You would need to fill out an exemption form that can be obtained from your state office of revenue.

      As for the CGT, generally, even if you are gifting property, CGT is applicable. Although if you are transferring or gifting a property that is your main place of residence to your family or someone else, you may be exempted from paying CGT. You may have to check your local revenue office to confirm if you qualify. As a general guide, you may want to read our article about avoiding charges when transferring property within the family.

      Hope this helps.

      Cheers,
      May

    Default Gravatar
    MaroOctober 22, 2017

    Do I have to pay stamp duty for a house that I share with my brother, if my brother owes 35% and I owe 65% of the house and he is transferring his part to me?

      Default GravatarFinder
      JoanneOctober 23, 2017Finder

      Hi Maro,

      Thanks for your question.

      Typically, while stamp duty is often associated to sale of a property, it may also apply when there is a transfer of ownership from one person to another even if there is no monetary consideration involved.

      As to how much you would pay, it depends on the type of property as well as your status. Stamp duty rates vary across the country and would change every now and then. Usually, these are based on a sliding scale, with percentages increasing according to the value of the property. I’d encourage you to speak with a professional such as tax accountant to ensure whether or not you have to pay stamp duty and exactly how much you will need to pay. Checking with your local government is also best.

      Cheers,
      Joanne

    Default Gravatar
    HienOctober 17, 2017

    Three brothers bought a house in 1985, so our names are in the property title. Over the years, two of the brothers moved out and left the remaining brother lives in that property and take over the financial aspect of the property. Now we (other 2 brothers) would like to transfer the full ownership to the real owner and no money involved. Would we have to pay for stamp duty?
    Many thanks in advance

      Default Gravatar
      DanielleOctober 17, 2017

      Hi Hien,

      Thank you for contacting finder. We are a comparison website and general information service, we’re more than happy to offer general advice.

      Stamp duty tax is not a pre-set amount, but rather determined by the state or province you are purchasing in, the cost of the property and its type. There are certain circumstances that may allow an individual to be exempt or to receive discounts from this tax. As stamp tax can be a major cost, it’s important to do your research to see if you can receive any exemptions or concessions. You may scroll up to check your state’s exemption rules.

      I hope this helps.

      Cheers,
      Danielle

Read more on Home Loans

Go to site