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
Everything you need to know about stamp duty in the NT and how it’s calculated.
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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.

My wife and I are aged pensioners and are separating shortly. We have purchased two apartments off the plan valued at $ 510,000.00 each and plan to live in each apartment. What would the stamp duty be at settlement on each apartment?
Regards,
Gary
Hi Gary,
Thank you for your enquiry.
The cost of the stamp duty that you’ll need to pay depends on several factors, such as the cost of the property, the type of house or home you buy, and the state or territory where the property is located since some states will charge more stamp duty than others. You may use the Stamp Duty Calculator on this page to check the estimates of how much stamp duty that you’ll need to pay.
Since you are a pensioner, there are some concession or exemptions that you will be able to apply for, depending on what state you live in. Please check out your local Office of State Revenue to find out if you are eligible for the said concession or other stamp duty exemptions.
I hope this helps.
Kind regards,
Jason
I bought a house for $420,000. How much stamp duty do I have to pay?
Hi Lamia,
Thank you for your enquiry.
The cost of government stamp duty may depend on several factors, such as the type of home that you’ll buy, the cost of the property and the state or territory where the property is located, since the stamp duty of some states would cost more than the other states, but most will be around the same amount.
Please use the Stamp Duty Calculator featured in this page. Just indicate the property value, appropriate state or territory, the property type and select ‘Yes’ if you’re a first home buyer then click the green ‘Calculate’ button and the fees should show up at the right side of the calculator.
Kind regards,
Jason
do you pay stamp duty on a home that has been left to you in a will??
Hi Terry,
Thanks for your question.
Stamp duty is also payable when a property is transferred from one person to another. A transfer occurs when a property is given by one person to another without involving any funds or money. This includes passing of property to a person as an inheritance after the death of a relative. In this case, a stamp duty will be charged when the property is transferred and will be calculated based on the market value of the property in question.
Cheers,
Anndy
I have a property valued at $500,000. If I want to transfer 20% to each of my 3 kids. How much stamp duty will each one incur?
Hi Sephi,
Thank you for your question. You’ve reached finder.com.au – we are a financial comparison website and general information service we are not mortgage specialists so can only offer general advice.
The stamp duty you will have to pay will depend on the state and territory where your property is located. Generally, the rates are based on a sliding scale, with percentages increasing according to the value of the property. To get more information on how it is calculated in your state please click on your state in the list above.
Cheers,
May
What fees or stamp duty or additional costs are payable when I SELL my home other than the Agents fees in the Northern Territory
Hi Maree,
Thank you for contacting Finder.
Possible costs involved when selling a home are outlined in our selling your home guide.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
May