How is stamp duty worked out?

Your stamp duty is determined by several factors beyond where you live. These are: The cost of the property. The more you pay for your property the higher your stamp duty cost will be. Whether you're a first home buyer. If you've never owned a property before then you may quality for a concession (discount) on your stamp duty or even a full exemption. Pensioners and seniors may also qualify for a discount or exemption. The type of home you buy. The amount of stamp duty that you will be charged may depend on the type of property you purchase, with concessions or exemptions for buying new or off-the-plan properties.

Do I have to pay stamp duty on vacant land?

All transfers of land come with these costs, which you see by using the stamp duty calculator above. The exception to this is through the various concessions and exemptions available from each state, particularly for first home buyers.

Do I have to pay stamp duty on off-the-plan property?

Yes, stamp duty is still payable on off-the-plan property, but keep in mind there are concessions and exemptions available in different states.

Do I have to pay stamp duty on a loan I am refinancing?

In most cases you will have to pay stamp duty again even if you are refinancing. However, there are situations in which you can avoid paying stamp duty. For example, if the names of the borrowers are the same and the amount of the loan is the same, there might be a chance you could avoid paying stamp duty. In some cases, you might also have to refinance with the same lender to avoid this cost. If you're borrowing more when refinancing (say, a home loan top up ) you may have to pay stamp duty on any amount above the original loan. Note that in some situations you may have to pay the fees but you can then apply for a refund from the lender. Thus, it pays to make sure you do your research before deciding to refinance a home loan because any savings you incur from a lower rate might be completely obliterated if you have to pay stamp duty again. In this case, refinancing may simply not be worth the hassle.

Stamp Duty Calculator: Personal estimate for your property

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.

Not the calculator you were looking for?

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.

Here are the rates of duty for owner occupiers in the ACT:

Home Buyer Concession Scheme

Property value	Duty rate (owner-occupier)
Up to $260,000	$0.40 for every $100 (or part of $100)
Between $260,001 and $300,000	$1,040, plus $2.20 per $100 (or part) above $260,000
Between $300,001 and $500,000	$1,920, plus $3.40 per $100 (or part) above $300,000
Between $500,001 and $750,000	$8,720, plus $4.32 per $100 (or part) above $500,000
Between $750,001 and $1,000,000	$19,520, plus $5.90 per $100 (or part) above $750,000
Between $1,000,000 and $1,455,000	$34,270, plus $6.40 per $100 (or part) above $1,000,000
More than $1,455,000	A flat rate of $4.54 per $100, applied to the total value

Here are the rates of conveyance duty in the ACT for investors:

Property value	Duty rate (investor)
Up to $200,000	$1.20 per $100 (or part of $100)
Between $200,001 and $300,000	$2,400, plus $2.20 per $100 (or part) above $200,000
Between $300,001 and $500,000	$4,600, plus $3.40 per $100 (or part) above $300,000
Between $500,001 and $750,000	$11,400, plus $4.32 per $100 (or part) above $500,000
Between $750,001 and $1,000,000	$22,200, plus $5.90 per $100 (or part) above $750,000
Between $1,000,000 and $1,455,000	$36,950, plus $6.40 per $100 (or part) above $1,000,000
More than $1,455,000	A flat rate of $4.54 per $100, applied to the total value

ACT stamp duty concessions

The ACT has the Home Buyer Concession Scheme, which offers $0 stamp duty for properties under $1,000,000 and reduced rates above that.

You may be eligible for this concession even if you've owned property before, but not in the last 5 years. Eligibility depends on household income and the number of dependent children you have. Buyers must also live in the home continuously for at least 1 year, starting within 12 months of settlement.

Read the complete guide to stamp duty in ACT

Here are the general rates of stamp duty in NSW, but there are exemptions if you're a first home buyer.

Value of the property subject to the transaction	Rate of duty
$0 - $17,000	$1.25 for every $100 (or part) of the value
$17,001 - $36,000	$212 plus $1.50 for every $100 (or part of) over $17,000
$36,001 - $97,000	$497 plus $1.75 for every $100 (or part of) over $36,000
$97,001 - $364,000	$1,564 plus $3.50 for every $100 (or part of) over $97,000
$364,001 - $1,212,000	$10,909 plus $4.50 for every $100 (or part of) over $364,000
Over $1,212,000	$49,069 plus $5.50 for every $100 (or part of) over $1,212,000
Premium Property Duty: over $3,636,000 (residential property only)	$182,389 plus $7.00 for every $100 over $3,636,000

NSW stamp duty concessions

The First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme offers different exemptions and concessions for first home buyers based on whether they're buying new homes or existing homes.

To find out more about NSW stamp duty, including the first home buyer concessions, visit the full guide.

Read the complete guide to stamp duty in NSW

Here are the general stamp duty rates in Victoria:

Dutiable value range	Duty payable
Up to $25,000	1.4% of the dutiable value of the property
$25,001 to $130,000	$350 plus 2.4% of the dutiable value in excess of $25,000
$130,001 to $960,000	$2,870 plus 6% of the dutiable value in excess of $130,000
$960,001 to $2,000,000	5.5% of the dutiable value
Above $2,000,000	$110,000 plus 6.5% of the dutiable value in excess of $2,000,000

Victoria stamp duty concessions

There are exemptions for first up buyers buying property up to $600,000 and concessions for property up to $750,000.

Find out more about stamp duty in Victoria, including exemptions and concessions, on the full guide.

Read the complete guide to stamp duty in Victoria

Here are the general rates of stamp duty in Queensland.

General rates of transfer duty in Queensland – buying an investment property:

Property value	Transfer duty payable
Up to $5,000	N/A
Between $5,000 and $75,000	$1.50 for every $100 over $5,000
Between $75,000 and $540,000	$1,050 plus $3.50 for every $100 over $75,000
Between $540,000 and $1,000,000	$17,325 plus $4.50 for every $100 over $540,000
More than $1,000,000	$38,025 plus $5.75 for every $100 over $1,000,000

General rates of transfer duty in Queensland – buying your own home:

Property value	Transfer duty payable
Up to $350,000	$1 for every $100
Between $350,001 and $540,000	$3,500 plus $3.50 for every $100 over $350,000
Between $540,001 and $1,000,000	$10,150 plus $4.50 for every $100 over $540,000
More than $1,000,000	$30,850 plus $5.75 for every $100 over $1,000,000

Queensland stamp duty concessions

Queensland offers a couple of stamp duty incentives. The First Home Concession offers a concession, which effectively means anyone buying property valued at $700,000 or less receives a full 100% discount. Eligibility criteria for this includes living in the property within 1 year of settlement.

If you're buying a new home that's never been lived in, you could benefit from the First Home (New Home) Concession. This is a full exemption for eligible buyers who buy a new home and commit to living in it. You can also claim an exemption if you're buying vacant land to build on.

For more information on stamp duty in Queensland and the full concession rates for first home buyers, make sure you read the full guide.

Read the complete guide to stamp duty in Queensland

Here are the stamp duty rates in South Australia.

Value of property	Stamp duty payable
Less than $12,000	$1.00 for every $100 (or part of)
Between $12,000 and $30,000	$120, plus $2.00 for every $100 over $12,000
Between $30,000 and $50,000	$480, plus $3.00 for every $100 over $30,000
Between $50,000 and $100,000	$1,080, plus $3.50 for every $100 over $50,000
Between $100,000 and $200,000	$2,830, plus $4.00 for every $100 over $200,000
Between $200,000 and $250,000	$6,830, plus $4.25 for every $100 over $200,000
Between $250,000 and $300,000	$8,955, plus $4.75 for every $100 over $250,000
Between $300,000 and $500,000	$11,330, plus $5.00 for every $100 over $300,000
More than $500,000	$21,330, plus $5.50 for every $100 over $500,000

South Australia stamp duty concessions

First home buyers in South Australia don't need to pay stamp duty if they're buying a new home, off-the-plan apartment or vacant land.

Read the complete guide to stamp duty in South Australia

The full rates of stamp duty are below.

Property value	Conveyance duty payable
Up to $3,000	$50
Between $3,000 and $25,000	$50, plus $1.75 for every $100 over $3,000
Between $25,000 and $75,000	$435, plus $2.25 for every $100 over $25,000
Between $75,000 and $200,000	$1,560, plus $3.50 for every $100 over $75,000
Between $200,000 and $375,000	$5,935, plus $4.00 for every $100 over $200,000
Between $375,000 and $725,000	$12,935, plus $4.25 for every $100 over $375,000
More than $725,000	$27,810, plus $4.50 for every $100 over $725,000

Tasmania stamp duty concessions

First home buyers in Tasmania can get a 100% exemption on stamp duty when they buy an established home valued at $750,000 or less. They must live in the home for at least 6 months within the first year of settlement.

Read the complete guide to stamp duty in Tasmania

The general rates of stamp duty in Western Australia are below.

Dutiable value range	Duty payable
Up to $120,000	$1.90 per $100 or part thereof
$120,000 to $150,000	$2,280 plus $2.85 per $100 or part thereof above $120,000
$150,001 to $360,000	$3,135 plus $3.80 per $100 or part thereof above $150,000
$360,001 to $725,000	$11,115 plus $4.75 per $100 or part thereof above $360,000
$725,001 and above	$28,453 plus $5.15 per $100 or part thereof above $725,000

WA stamp duty concessions

Anyone buying property to live in for less than $200,000 can get a concessional rate of stamp duty. First home buyers can get an exemption or concession when buying an established home valued up to $750,000 or land to build a home on valued up to $450,000.

Read the full guide to WA stamp duty here

Property value	Stamp duty payable
$300,000	$10,414.25
$400,000	$16,514.30
$500,000	$23,928.60
$600,000	$29,700.00
$700,000	$34,650.00

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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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

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339 Responses

VeneAugust 29, 2016

Hi we bought a house for 392000 in Melbourne VIC. We are first home buyers and we have concession card, how much stamp duty will we have to pay?

THANKS

Finder

MayAugust 30, 2016Finder

Hi Vene,

Thank you for contacting finder.com.au we are a financial comparison website and general information service we are not mortgage or property experts.

Basically, in Victoria, if you are eligible for FHOG and the home you purchased is valued less than $600,000, you may be eligible for a duty reduction of up to 50%. This concession applies to new and established homes. You’d be best to check with your state office of revenue for a more accurate computation of your stamp duty.

Cheers,
May

DolliesJune 1, 2016

I would like to transfer my own property to a trust, do I have to pay stamp duty? Can stamp duty be exempt?

Finder

MarcJune 2, 2016Finder

Hi Dollies,
thanks for the question.

Stamp duty rules vary by state to state, but generally speaking stamp duty is payable when property that is owned by an individual is moved into a trust.

For more information about what will apply to you, please contact the relevant land department for your state.

I hope this helps,
Marc.

LynneMay 21, 2016

I am on the old age pension and intend to buy a block of land and build a home on it in NSW as my primary residence. What do I have to pay stamp duty on. If I was to buy an established home do I have to pay the full amount of stamp duty

JodieMay 23, 2016

Hi Lynne,

Thank you for contacting Finder.

If you purchase the land as a house and land package, in which the contract to build the property is part of the same contract as the purchase of the land, you will pay stamp duty on the whole house and land value. If you purchase the land and wait until this is paid off to start your build you will only pay stamp duty on the land value, you can read more on buying land and building.

Regards
Jodie

MaryApril 22, 2016

Hi there,
My husbands parents are in their 80’s and we have discussed this scenario with them:
-transferring their home into our names ( granny flat ruling)
-building a granny flat adjacent to their house for them to live in and we move into the house.
– we would finance the build by increasing our mortgage but then we would rent our house when we move into theirs.
I would become their carer although at the moment they do get assistance ( cleaning , groceries , gardening)
We would like some information on what fees etc we would be facing ? This home has been their principle place of residence for the last 16 years and theoretically they will still be at that address. We would like to do this as soon as possible with them as we feel they really can’t live on their own much longer.
Thanks
Mary

BelindaApril 26, 2016

Hi Mary,

Thanks for reaching out.

To transfer property ownership, your husband’s parents will generally need to pay stamp duty, legal fees and valuation charges. However, keep in mind that some transfers may be exempt from stamp duty depending on the state in which the property is located.

We have an article about transferring properties to family members. In this article, you will learn how to minimise fees when transferring property within the family which you may find helpful.

To add your names to the property title, you’ll need to complete and submit a transfer of title form, which you can access from your local Office of State Revenue (OSR) website. You can learn more about the process by reading our guide about adding names to house titles.

If you need personal advice about the costs of this strategy, then I suggest speaking with a licensed conveyancer.

I would also take caution with applying for a mortgage increase as this can significantly increase your interest repayments. I recommend speaking to a mortgage broker or accountant before taking action to ensure that you can afford the new repayments (and that your rental income will be sufficient to service the repayments).

All the best,
Belinda

AnnMarch 1, 2016

My husband and I are separating after 36 yrs of marriage. We jointly own a family home and a holiday home. We want to transfer the family home to my name and the holiday home to my husband. How do we do this and do we have to pay stamp duty?

BelindaMarch 2, 2016

Hi Ann,

Thanks for reaching out and I’m sorry to hear about your situation.

To transfer the ownership of each property, you will need to remove the relevant name from each property title. The process and costs involved with this transfer depends on the state in which the property is located, but generally you’ll need to complete and lodge a transfer of title form (stamped by the Office of State Revenue). The form can be obtained from your state government website. For example, in NSW, you can access the transfer form from the Land and Property Information (LPI) website.

You can use our handy guide onhow to remove someone’s name from a property title and you might also be interested to view our article about changing property ownership.

Generally, you need to pay stamp duty when you change the ownership of a property. It is normally calculated at 3-5.5% of the value of the land. However, in some cases stamp duty may be waived so it’s best to check with your state government department.

Use our stamp duty calculator on this page to estimate how much you might be liable for.

Thanks,
Belinda

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.