Stamp duty is the government tax levied on property purchases in each state and territory and is known as transfer duty in Queensland. It's payable on all transfers of property within the state, but there are discounts available for those buying a home to live in, as opposed to buying an investment property, and a further discount for people buying their first home.
Use our stamp duty calculator to estimate your costs. Note that this is just an estimate and may not reflect your actual costs.
The amount of stamp duty you'll pay in Queensland depends on how much you're paying for the property, and whether you're buying it as an investment or to live in. You may also be eligible for concessions if you are buying a home to live in, as opposed to an investment property, as well as a further discount for people buying their first home.
There is also an additional 7% charge for residential properties acquired by foreign persons, including companies and trusts.
General rates of transfer duty in Queensland, for those 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 |
Transfer duty payable by owner-occupiers:
| 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 |
There are three concessions for Queensland homebuyers:
The home concession is available even if you are not a first home buyer. The above transfer duty rates for owner-occupiers are inclusive of the concession.
You will pay a reduced rate for the first $350,000 of your home's value. You are then charged at the normal duty rate for any amount above that.
Let's say you buy your second home for $400,000. That means you pay duty on $350,000 at a discounted rate of $1 for every $100 or part of $100, and pay the normal amount on the remaining $50,000.
First home buyers in Queensland who purchase a property valued at less than $550,000 are eligible for the first home concession, which could save them up to $15,925.
To qualify, buyers must:
If the property has existing tenants living in it, they must move out when their lease expires, or within six months of settlement, whichever is earlier, for the buyer to be eligible for the concession.
The first home concession applies to buyers who are buying an established property, or land on which to build a home, which they intend to occupy.
Unlike in many other states or territories, if you are buying with a partner and one of you has previously owned a property, but the other has not, that person can still claim their first home concession on their share of the property.
The discount operates on a sliding scale, based on the value of the property, as detailed in the below table:
| Value of property | First home buyer discount |
|---|---|
| Up to $504,999.99 | $8,750 |
| Between $505,000 and $509,999.99 | $7,875 |
| Between $510,000 and $514,999.99 | $7,000 |
| Between $515,000 and $519,999.99 | $6,125 |
| Between $520,000 and $524,999.99 | $5,250 |
| Between $525,000 and $529,999.99 | $4,375 |
| Between $530,000 and $534,999.99 | $3,500 |
| Between $535,000 and $539,999.99 | $2,625 |
| Between $540,000 and $544,999.99 | $1,750 |
| Between $545,000 and $549,999.99 | $875 |
| More than $550,000 | Nil |
Source: Queensland Government
Jade signs an agreement to buy a house in Queensland, which will be her first home. She's agreed to pay $465,000 and plans to move in as soon as possible. She's eligible for both the home concession rate and the additional first home concession. She would ordinarily need to pay $7,525 in stamp duty, but with her discount of $8,750, she won't need to pay any stamp duty on her purchase.
This concession applies for Queenslanders buying vacant land on which to build their first home. The first home vacant land concession applies if you are buying vacant land valued at $399,999 or lower.
The concession is applied on a sliding scale, with no stamp duty charged if the land's value is under $250,000. If the land's value is $400,000 or above there is no concession and you have to pay the full stamp duty amount.
| Value of land | Concession (deduct from transfer duty rate) |
|---|---|
| Not more than $250,000 | 100% of transfer duty |
| More than $250,000 to $259,999.99 | $7,175 |
| $260,000 to $269,999.99 | $6,700 |
| $270,000 to $279,999.99 | $6,225 |
| $280,000 to $289,999.99 | $5,750 |
| $290,000 to $299,999.99 | $5,275 |
| $300,000 to $309,999.99 | $4,800 |
| $310,000 to $319,999.99 | $4,325 |
| $320,000 to $329,999.99 | $3,850 |
| $330,000 to $339,999.99 | $3,375 |
| $340,000 to $349,999.99 | $2,900 |
| $350,000 to $359,999.99 | $2,425 |
| $360,000 to $369,999.99 | $1,950 |
| $370,000 to $379,999.99 | $1,475 |
| $380,000 to $389,999.99 | $1,000 |
| $390,000 to $399,999.99 | $525 |
| $400,000 or more | $Nil |
Source: Queensland Government
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