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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Queensland stamp duty calculator
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NSW stamp duty calculator & guide
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Hi, My mother and I purchased our house approx 14 year ago and have been paying the load off together however only her name is on the title/deed, we now want to re-mortgage to consolidate some smaller loans and were told by our current lender that as I am not on the title/deed, it was denied even though the current mortgage has been in our both names the entire time. Would we still have to pay to have my name added?
Thanks.
Hi Michelle,
Thanks for reaching out.
I believe that the process and paperwork for adding someone’s name to a property title would be similar to that of adding a long-term partner or spouse, you can learn more about adding your name to the house title. Please also note that the process and cost involved may vary from state to state so you should check with your state Office of State Revenue (OSR) or your local department of Land and Property. We also have a guide about changing property ownership which you might find useful.
You can also learn about how to minimize fees and charges when transferring property ownership within the family.
You should also consider speaking to a conveyancer or solicitor. They can help you with issues related to ownership and property law.
I hope you find this useful.
Regards,
Belinda
What is the interest charged if i want to pay the stamp duty with the home loan. I bought the property at 638000 at nsw and am a first home buyer.
Hi Neelam,
Thanks for reaching out.
I’ve sent you an email to follow up with this enquiry.
Thanks,
Belinda
I own a property in my name. I have been married for 32 years and want to add my spouse’s name to the title (as joint tenant). I want to do this without being liable to stamp duty. Is the only way to do this to have a court ordered “property settlement”?
Hi Roberto,
Thanks for your enquiry.
You can read about how to minimise costs when transferring property ownership within the family and the process of adding your spouse’s name to the deed.
In most cases, you will be eligible from paying stamp duty when adding a partner’s name to the property title, including married couples. To realise this exemption, you will need to contact your State Office of Revenue to obtain an exemption form.
You should also consider speaking to a conveyancer or solicitor. They can help you with issues related to ownership and property law.
I hope this helps.
Thanks,
Belinda
Do pensioners in NSW receive any reduction in Stamp Duty when buying a new home, apart from the $5,000?
Hi Lola,
Thanks for your question.
I’ve sent you an email with some information regarding this enquiry.
Thanks,
Belinda
Hi there, I have my first home financed from Keystart for $425,000 in Jan 2015 and now looking to refinance, so do I have to pay the stamp duty again as the amount is less $ 415,000 then what I got financed from Keystart Loans?
Hi Jag,
Thank you for your question.
We are not qualified property tax specialists so we cannot accurately tell you if you will be obligated to pay additional stamp duty if you refinance. However, there seem to be some instances that you may be able to avoid this if refinancing, so it would be best to speak to the lender you are looking to refinance with or a mortgage broker that can help you understand your financial position and they can leverage their panel of networks to find a lender that’s more inclined to review your application.
Please ensure to read through the relevant product disclosure statement and terms and conditions of the loan to ensure that you got everything covered before you apply.
Regards
Jodie