Updated 7 September.
Read this article if you want to learn about calculating Stamp Duty in Queensland.
If you just want to know how much you’ll pay, use the online stamp duty calculator.
Important points to note about QLD Stamp Duty
- Investors pay the standard rate of stamp duty
- Eligible Home Buyers will receive a discount off the standard rate of duty.
- First Home Buyers are eligible for an additional concession.
Standard Rate of QLD Stamp Duty (Transfer Duty)
This really is just a tax we pay for nothing much in return. Oh well!
Stamp duty for investors is always charged at the standard rate.
How to calculate QLD stamp duty:
| Your Purchase Price | Standard Rate of QLD Stamp Duty |
| $0 – $5,000 | Nil |
| $5,001 – $75,000 | $1.50 for each $100 or part of $100, over $5,000 |
| $75,001 to $540,000 | $1,050 plus $3.50 for each $100 or part of $100, over $75,000 |
| $540,001 to $1,000,000 | $17,325 plus $4.50 for each $100 or part of $100, over $540,000 |
| More than $1,000,000 | $38,025 plus $5.75 for each $100 or part of $100, over $1,000,000 |
Use the online stamp duty calculator to find out how much you’ll pay.
An additional duty charge of 7% for foreign buyers is applied for transactions after 1 October 2016.
QLD Stamp Duty Discounts
There are various QLD stamp duty exemptions or concessions, we’ll cover all of the most common so that you can see whether or not you may be eligible for a discount or waiver.
Concessions for Home Buyers
Provided you move in to your home within the first year of ownership, you could be eligible for the Home Buyer concession of stamp duty.
The concession applies to the first $350,000 of the purchase price, reducing the rate of duty to 1% for that portion of the purchase price below $350,000.
If you’re purchasing for greater than $350,000 you’ll still be eligible for a concession with the discounted stamp duty rate shown below.
Note that the first $350,000 will be calculated at 1% and the portion above that will be calculated at the standard rate of duty for Queensland.
How to calculate QLD stamp duty for home buyers:
| Your Purchase Price | Concessional Rate of Stamp Duty for Home Buyers |
| $0 – $350,000 | $1 for each $100 or part of $100 (1% of the purchase price) |
| $350,001 to $540,000 | $3,500 + $3.50 for every $100 or part of $100, over $350,000 |
| $540,001 to $1,000,000 | $10,150 + $4.50 for every $100 or part of $100, over $540,000 |
| Over $1,000,000 | $30,850 + $5.75 for every $100 or part of $100, over $1,000,000 |
Concessions for First Home Buyers
There’s extra incentives for First Home Buyer in Queensland, with a concessional rate of duty when you’re purchasing a home for up to $550,000. Vacant land is assessed differently, see below.
For first home purchases greater than $550,000 the First Home Buyer stamp duty concessions are lost. However, the home buyer concessions discussed above will be valid.
First Home Buyer Eligibility Criteria:
- The property must be occupied as your principal place of residence.
- You must never have owned a residential property anywhere in the world.
- You have never claimed the first home vacant land concession.
If you’re unsure about your eligibility, there’s an online eligibility tester issued by the government over here.
Calculating Stamp Duty Concessions for First Home Buyers in QLD:
For First Home Buyers, the rate of duty is calculated at the same rate as the Home Buyer (above), less the Concession amount in the table below.
| Your Purchase Price | Concession |
| $0 – $504,999 | $8,750 |
| $505,000 – $509,999 | $7,875 |
| $510,000 – $514,999 | $7,000 |
| $515,000 – $519,999 | $6,125 |
| $520,000 – $524,999 | $5,250 |
| $525,000 – $529,999 | $4,375 |
| $530,000 – $534,999 | $3,500 |
| $535,000 – $539,999 | $2,625 |
| $540,000 – $544,999 | $1,750 |
| $545,000 – $549,999 | $875 |
| Over $550,000 | Nil |
Don’t confuse the First Home Buyers concessions with the First Home Owners Grant (FHOG) Scheme.
If you’d like more information on the FHOG in Queensland, click here.
First Home Vacant Land
As a First Home Buyer of Vacant Land, you’re also eligible for a discount on the stamp duty, when purchasing residential land of up to $400,000.
If the purchase price is under $250,000 you get a complete exemption of stamp duty as a first home buyer of vacant land.
Purchasing a property that’s greater than $400,000 will void the concession entirely, and the full rate of duty is payable.
However, there’s some eligibility criteria to point out:
- Build your first home on the vacant land.
- A maximum of 1 home to be built on the vacant land.
- You must never have owned a residential land anywhere in the world.
- No building or part of a building is on the land when you buy it.
- You have never claimed the first home vacant land concession before.
- You’ve got 2 years to occupy the home you intend to build.
Calculating Vacant Land Stamp Duty Concessions for First Home Buyers in QLD:
As a First Home Buyer, your rate of duty is calculated at the standard rate of duty less the Concession amount in the table below (you do not calculate the home buyer rate before deducting the concession).
| Your Purchase Price | Concession |
| $0 – $250,000 | 100% waiver of transfer duty |
| $250,001 – $259,999 | $7,175 |
| $260,000 – $269,999 | $6,700 |
| $270,000 – $279,999 | $6,225 |
| $280,000 – $289,999 | $5,750 |
| $290,000 – $299,999 | $5,275 |
| $300,000 – $309,999 | $4,800 |
| $310,000 – $319,999 | $4,325 |
| $320,000 – $329,999 | $3,850 |
| $330,000 – $339,999 | $3,375 |
| $340,000 – $349,999 | $2,900 |
| $350,000 – $359,999 | $2,425 |
| $360,000 – $369,999 | $1,950 |
| $370,000 – $379,999 | $1,475 |
| $380,000 – $389,999 | $1,000 |
| $390,000 – $399,999 | $525 |
| Over $400,000 | No concession |
Foreign Investors
Foreign Investors pay the full rate of stamp duty, plus an additional duty of 7%.
Other Exemptions or Concessions
There’s quite a few other scenario’s where you could be eligible for an exemption or concession of the QLD stamp duty. Such as:
- You’re transferring the ownership to a spouse (a few rules apply, like it must be a gift not a sale
- Family Law court ordered agreement
And a number of other less common scenario’s. If you’re interested in searching some of these other duty exemptions and concessions, you can read more on the government website.
When is Stamp (Transfer) Duty Payable?
Technically, stamp duty is payable within 30 days of the transaction agreement (contract date).
However, extensions are available and must be applied for with the Queensland Treasury (talk to your solicitor about this).
Generally, an extension of time is granted when the agreement is conditional upon a future event condition. Therefore, when purchasing property in Queensland, it’s highly likely that you’d be granted an extension.
Other Government Fees:
There are many possible fees that you could encounter, depending on the nature of your transaction, however in this article we’ll address only the 3 you’re most likely to encounter during a property transaction.
- Transfer Registration
- Mortgage Registration
- Mortgage Discharge Registration
In the Queensland State Budget each year, the Treasurer will announce changes to the fees.
QLD Transfer Registration (when a ‘transfer of ownership’ is occurring)
When you purchase a property, there is a legal document that transfers the ownership of that property in to your name.
And the transfer of ownership has to be registered, and the State Government charges a fee for managing the register.
Calculating Transfer Registration fees in Queensland from the 1st August 2020:
| Your Purchase Price | Transfer Registration Fee |
| $0 – $180,000 | $195 |
| Over $180,000 | $195 + $37 for each $10,000 or part of $10,000 over $180,000 |
QLD Mortgage Registration (when you are borrowing money)
The mortgage gives the bank the right to sell your property if you don’t pay them back.
- Mortgage Registration Fee as at 1st August 2021 is $195.
The mortgage registration ensures that the mortgage can be viewed by a simple title search.
This therefore prevents you from selling your home and not paying back the lender – because the transfer of ownership wouldn’t be able to happen unless the previous mortgage was discharged.
QLD Mortgage Discharge Registration (when you are refinancing or selling)
This is payable when your existing mortgage is being discharged (released).
- Mortgage Discharge Registration Fee as at 1st August 2020 is $195.
This is usually payable when you’re refinancing or selling.
However, if you’re purchasing a property, your new lender may prepare a Mortgage Discharge and charge you this fee. Your solicitor arranging the settlement, will pass on that fee to the seller so that you’re not out of pocket.
Resources
If you’d like more information from the Queensland State Government Resources, you can try one of these links below:
Land Transfer Duty information
https://www.qld.gov.au/housing/buying-owning-home/transfer-duty/
Home buyer concessions
https://www.qld.gov.au/housing/buying-owning-home/concessions-for-homes/
Concessions for home and first homes – occupancy requirements
https://www.treasury.qld.gov.au/resource/da085-1/
Land Title Registration Fees (including Transfer Registration and Mortgage Registration)
https://publications.qld.gov.au/dataset/titles-registry-lodgement-fees