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Guide · Stamp Duty · ACT

ACT conveyance duty — income-tested, not price-based.

The ACT runs the only major income-tested stamp duty concession on the east coast. From 1 July 2025, eligible buyers pay $0 duty up to $1.02M, then a concessional amount above that threshold. Qualification is driven by household income and recent property ownership. Here's how it works.

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

How ACT calculates it

The ACT calls it 'conveyance duty' rather than stamp duty. The dutiable value is the contract price or market value, whichever is higher. The structure is marginal across most of the schedule, with a flat 4.54% rate on the portion above $1.455M — distinct from the marginal-rate-only structure in the other east-coast states. The ACT has also been gradually reducing conveyance duty over a 20-year transition (the 'Taxation Reform' agenda) while increasing general rates. Schedules have shifted modestly downward over time and may continue to do so in future budgets.

ACT conveyance duty — standard schedule

Dutiable valueDuty
$0 – $260,0000.49% on full value
$260,001 – $300,000$1,274 + 2.20% over $260,000
$300,001 – $500,000$2,154 + 3.40% over $300,000
$500,001 – $750,000$8,954 + 4.32% over $500,000
$750,001 – $1,000,000$19,754 + 5.90% over $750,000
$1,000,001 – $1,455,000$34,504 + 6.40% over $1,000,000
Over $1,455,0004.54% of the full dutiable value

Indicative ACT conveyance duty as at 2026-05. Source: ACT Revenue Office. Subject to change at ACT budget.

Worked example — $850K purchase, Canberra

  • Standard duty

    $25,654

    $19,754 + 5.90% × $100,000 ($850K − $750K)

  • With HBCS (income-eligible)

    $0

    At $850K, eligible buyers are under the $1.02M zero-duty threshold

  • HBCS eligibility

    Income-based

    Base threshold $250K for transactions from 1 July 2024, scaled by dependants

  • Land rates (separate)

    Annual

    ACT also charges materially higher annual rates than other states

Home Buyer Concession Scheme (HBCS)

The ACT's HBCS is one of the most useful first-home buyer concessions in Australia for eligible buyers — and one of the most restrictive in qualification. For transactions from 1 July 2025, eligible buyers pay $0 conveyance duty on property valued up to $1,020,000. Between $1,020,000 and $1,455,000, duty is charged only on the amount above $1,020,000 at the published concessional rate. At $1,455,000 or more, a capped concession is applied against the standard calculation. The income threshold adjusts based on number of dependants. For transactions from 1 July 2024, the base threshold is $250,000 of total buyer and domestic-partner income, increasing by $4,600 per dependent child. Property type is broad — existing, new, and residential land can qualify — but the amount of duty saved is now capped by the annual HBCS schedule. Eligibility also requires no buyer or domestic partner to have owned residential property in the previous 5 years, and the buyer must live in the property as principal residence for at least 12 months. For anyone qualifying, this can be a $35,000-plus saving. For anyone over the income threshold, the standard schedule applies in full.

Eligibility note

HBCS rules change. *Confirm with the ACT Revenue Office.*

Income thresholds, dependant scaling, and eligibility rules for the HBCS are reviewed periodically. The figures and structure above are indicative as at 2026-05. Before contract, confirm current eligibility against the ACT Revenue Office's published thresholds.

Other ACT provisions

  • Pensioner duty concession: Pensioner cardholders downsizing get a concession on PPR purchases up to certain thresholds.
  • Off-the-plan unit duty exemption: The ACT runs a specific exemption for owner-occupiers buying an off-the-plan unit-titled apartment or townhouse — $0 conveyance duty under a value cap, with no income test. For contracts exchanged between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026 the cap is $1,020,000 (it was $1,000,000 for the 1 July 2024–30 June 2025 year). At least one buyer must live in the home for 12 months. The cap and dates are reset each year — confirm the current figure with the ACT Revenue Office before contract.
  • Foreign buyer surcharge: The ACT introduced a foreign investor surcharge in 2018 — currently a flat additional duty on residential property purchases by foreign investors.
  • Crown leasehold: ACT property is held on 99-year Crown leases rather than freehold. This doesn't change duty calculation but affects other ownership considerations — your solicitor will walk through it.

When you pay and how

Conveyance duty in the ACT is paid through the ACT Revenue Office, typically via your solicitor or conveyancer. Duty must be paid within 14 days of settlement or 90 days of contract date, whichever is earlier. The ACT's broader tax structure differs from other states — annual general rates are materially higher than in QLD/NSW/VIC, reflecting the duty-down/rates-up transition the government has been running for the past decade. A first-year ACT property cost should be modelled with both stamp duty and the annual rates in mind, not just the headline duty figure.

Questions you might have

The honest answers.

Real numbers · honest answers

ACT duty and HBCS — modelled into your *whole* picture.

We cover the ACT from our Sunshine Coast base. Twenty-minute discovery call to confirm eligibility and structure.

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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.