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Guide · Stamp Duty

Stamp duty — the unavoidable line item.

Stamp duty is the single largest government charge on a property purchase — often $20,000–$60,000 on a typical east-coast home. It varies wildly by state. Here's what each one charges, when you can avoid it, and what to budget.

Reviewed · Adam King — 30 years in finance, Sunshine Coast

What stamp duty is

Stamp duty (called 'transfer duty' in most state legislation, 'land transfer duty' in Victoria) is a state government tax on the transfer of property ownership. The buyer pays it. It's levied on the dutiable value of the property — usually the contract price, sometimes the market valuation if it's higher. It's paid at settlement, alongside the deposit balance and other adjustments. It can't be borrowed against the property itself — most buyers fund it from savings, though some structures (guarantor loans, family-equity arrangements) effectively let you borrow it in another way.

As at 2026-05

Rate schedules change. These are current — *check before settlement*.

State governments update stamp duty schedules in their annual budgets (typically June for QLD/NSW/VIC). The figures below were verified against state revenue office publications as at 2026-05. For a settlement more than a few months out, run the calculator at the time of contract.

East coast at a glance — owner-occupied, no concessions

Purchase priceQLDNSWVICACT
$600,000$20,025$22,207$31,070$13,274
$750,000$26,775$28,957$40,070$19,754
$850,000$31,275$33,457$46,070$25,654
$1,000,000$38,025$40,207$55,000$34,504
$1,500,000$66,775$67,067$82,500$68,100

Indicative duty for a non-first-home owner-occupier on the standard schedule. Concessions, exemptions and investor premiums change these figures materially.

Concessions worth knowing

Every state runs concessions for first-home buyers — and most run additional categories (pensioners, off-the-plan, regional). The headline figures:

  • QLD: first-home established homes are exempt to $700K with a tapered concession to $800K; eligible new homes and vacant residential land are duty-free from 1 May 2025 with no price cap.
  • NSW: First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme — exemption to $800K; partial concession to $1M.
  • VIC: First-home exemption to $600K; partial concession to $750K. PPR concession also runs across all owner-occupied to $550K.
  • ACT: Home Buyer Concession Scheme is income-tested (not price-based). If you qualify, duty is reduced significantly.

Investor surcharges

NSW and Victoria both levy an additional 'foreign purchaser' surcharge — 9% in NSW, 8% in VIC — on top of standard duty for foreign buyers. Most domestic investors aren't affected, but anyone buying through a trust or company structure should confirm with their solicitor before signing. No east-coast state currently levies a domestic-investor stamp duty premium on standard owner-occupier purchases, though land tax (an annual holding tax, separate from stamp duty) is materially higher for investment properties in all four states.

State-by-state detail

How and when you pay

  • QLD, NSW, VIC: Paid at or before settlement, through your solicitor or conveyancer to the state revenue office.
  • ACT: Conveyance duty works differently here — it's charged under the ACT's own schedule and, for some buyers (for example certain income-tested or investment scenarios), the tax treatment can differ from the other states. Speak to your accountant for your specific position.
  • All states: Duty must be settled before the title can be transferred. Late payment incurs interest and penalties.
  • Off-the-plan: Some states (notably VIC) allow duty to be calculated on the land + work-completed-to-date value at contract, rather than the finished price.

Questions you might have

The honest answers.

Real numbers · honest answers

Stamp duty handled — *as part of the file*.

Pre-approval, deposit, stamp duty, concessions — all modelled together. One conversation, one structure, one move.

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General information only — not personal credit advice. Rates and figures shown are indicative and subject to confirmation against current lender pricing and policy.