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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Stamp duty in the Northern Territory
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Stamp duty in South Australia
Here’s everything you need to know about stamp duty in South Australia and how it’s calculated.
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Stamp duty in Tasmania
Everything you need to know about stamp duty in Tasmania and how it’s calculated.
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Queensland stamp duty calculator
Everything you need to know about stamp duty in Queensland and how it’s calculated.
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Stamp duty in the ACT
Everything you need to know about stamp duty in the ACT and how it’s calculated.
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Stamp duty in WA
Everything you need to know about how much stamp duty you'll pay when you buy a home in Western Australia.
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Stamp duty Victoria
Your complete guide to stamp duty in Victoria, including new discounts that could save homebuyers up to $27,500.
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NSW stamp duty calculator & guide
Stamp duty is just one of the many costs associated with property ownership. Learn everything you need to know about transfer duty in NSW.

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