Stamp Duty Calculator Australia

What stamp duty is and why it is also called transfer duty

Stamp duty is a tax that state and territory governments impose when ownership of property changes hands. The legislation in most jurisdictions now refers to it as transfer duty, Victoria uses the term land transfer duty, and South Australia and the Northern Territory retain the name stamp duty. The expressions describe the same charge. It is paid by the purchaser, not the vendor, and it is administered by the revenue office of the jurisdiction in which the property is located, regardless of where the purchaser lives.

Duty is generally assessed on the dutiable value of the property, which revenue offices define as the greater of the agreed purchase price and the market value. The distinction matters for transfers between related parties, where the price may be below market value or where no money changes hands. For an ordinary purchase on the open market the two figures are the same. Transfer duty is usually the largest single purchase cost after the deposit, which is why it warrants an estimate early in the planning process.

How the stamp duty calculator works

The calculator requires three inputs: the state or territory, the property price and the buyer type. The buyer types are first home buyer, owner-occupier and investor. The main result reflects the buyer type selected, and a comparison beneath it shows the estimated duty for all three buyer types at the same price. Where the first home buyer option is selected, the tool also displays a short note that describes the relief available in that jurisdiction and the saving compared with the owner-occupier rate.

The estimates are based on the residential rate schedules that each revenue office published for the 2026-27 financial year, as verified on 18 September 2026. The tool models established residential property only. It does not apply foreign purchaser surcharges, and it does not model the separate rules that may apply to newly built homes, vacant land, off-the-plan contracts, or purchases through companies and trusts. Revenue offices also round dutiable values in ways that may alter a result by a few dollars. The figures are therefore a guide, and the calculator of the relevant revenue office remains the authoritative source.

How transfer duty is calculated on a progressive scale

Most jurisdictions calculate transfer duty on a progressive scale that resembles income tax brackets. A low rate applies to the first portion of the value, and successively higher rates apply to each portion above the stated thresholds. There are exceptions. The Northern Territory applies a formula to lower values and a flat percentage to the whole value above a set point, and Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory also move to a flat percentage of the full value at higher prices.

An illustrative example shows the effect. Assume a hypothetical scale, which is not the scale of any jurisdiction, of 2% on the first $300,000, 4% on the portion from $300,000 to $700,000, and 5% on the balance. A $400,000 purchase attracts $6,000 plus $4,000, which is $10,000. An $800,000 purchase attracts $6,000 plus $16,000 plus $5,000, which is $27,000. The price has doubled, but the duty is 2.7 times higher. For this reason duty absorbs a larger share of the budget as prices rise, and a modest increase in price may add more duty than a purchaser expects.

Stamp duty in NSW, VIC, QLD and the other states and territories

Stamp duty in NSW is charged on a sliding scale, with an additional premium rate for residential property of very high value. New South Wales adjusts its thresholds each 1 July in line with the consumer price index, so the scale that applies depends on the contract date. Stamp duty in VIC follows the general land transfer duty scale, with a principal place of residence concession that lowers the rate for owner-occupiers at lower price points. Stamp duty in QLD is charged at general transfer duty rates for investors, while owner-occupiers may claim a home concession rate that reduces the duty on the first portion of the value of the home.

Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania each apply a single general scale to residential purchases, so an owner-occupier who is not a first home buyer and an investor pay the same duty at the same price. Western Australia offers a first home owner rate of duty, and it raised the thresholds for that rate for agreements entered into from 7 May 2026. South Australia directs its first home relief to new homes. The Tasmanian duty exemption for first home buyers of established homes ended on 30 June 2026, and standard duty has applied to those purchases since that date.

The Australian Capital Territory publishes separate schedules for owner-occupiers and for other purchasers, and re-indexes them each 1 July. From 1 July 2026 its Home Buyer Concession Scheme has no income test and no price cap, although conditions relating to age, prior property ownership and residence continue to apply. The Northern Territory directs most of its support for buyers through grants rather than a general duty exemption. Each of these points was current at 18 September 2026 and is subject to change, commonly in a state or territory budget.

First home buyer stamp duty exemptions and concessions

Relief for first home buyers usually has two tiers. A full first home buyer stamp duty exemption applies up to a lower value threshold, and a concession then phases out as the value approaches an upper threshold, above which ordinary duty applies. New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia use versions of this structure for established homes, each with its own thresholds and formula. Several jurisdictions apply different thresholds to vacant land, and some provide more generous treatment for newly built homes than for established ones.

An illustrative example shows how a phased concession operates. Assume a hypothetical scheme with a full exemption up to $500,000 and a concession that phases out at $700,000, and assume that ordinary duty on a $600,000 home is $18,000. The price sits halfway through the phase-out range, so half of the ordinary duty is payable, which is $9,000. The saving reduces steadily as the price rises, and at $700,000 the full $18,000 is payable. A small difference in price near a threshold may therefore produce a large difference in duty.

Eligibility conditions are broadly similar across jurisdictions. Purchasers must generally be individuals aged 18 or over, must not have previously owned residential property in Australia, and must satisfy citizenship or residency requirements. They must also move into the home within a set period after settlement, commonly 12 months, and live there continuously for a minimum period, commonly 6 or 12 months. A purchaser who does not meet the residence requirement may be reassessed for the duty that was waived. Guidance written for first home buyers, including grants and the Home Guarantee Scheme, is available elsewhere on BorrowWise.

Owner-occupier and investor stamp duty rates

Whether an owner-occupier pays less duty than an investor depends on the jurisdiction. Queensland, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory provide a lower rate or a separate schedule for purchasers who will live in the property, subject to occupancy conditions. In Queensland, for example, the purchaser must move in within one year of settlement and must not lease the whole property during the following year. In the remaining jurisdictions the comparison in the calculator shows identical figures for owner-occupiers and investors, because a single general scale applies to both.

Foreign purchasers of residential property are generally liable for a surcharge, which is calculated as an additional percentage of the dutiable value and is payable on top of ordinary transfer duty. The calculator does not include these surcharges. Investors may also wish to note that transfer duty on an investment property is generally treated as part of the cost base of the asset for capital gains tax purposes and is not claimed as an immediate deduction, although the leasehold system in the Australian Capital Territory produces a different result. A registered tax agent is able to confirm the correct treatment.

When stamp duty is paid

The time for payment differs between jurisdictions. In New South Wales duty is due within three months of the contract date, but settlement cannot proceed until the duty has been paid, so an earlier settlement brings the payment forward. In Western Australia liability generally arises on the date the agreement is signed, with payment following assessment. In several other jurisdictions duty is settled at or about completion. In practice the conveyancer or solicitor acting for the purchaser lodges the transaction and arranges payment from the settlement funds.

Off-the-plan purchases may be treated differently. New South Wales allows eligible purchasers who intend to occupy an off-the-plan home to defer payment for up to 12 months, and Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania have offered off-the-plan concessions or rebates under conditions of their own. Because the period between contract and completion of an off-the-plan purchase may extend across more than one financial year, purchasers may wish to confirm which schedule and which concessions apply at the contract date.

How stamp duty affects the deposit and lenders mortgage insurance

Transfer duty is ordinarily paid from savings. Lenders generally do not advance funds specifically for duty, because the payment adds nothing to the value of the security. Duty therefore competes directly with the deposit for the same pool of funds. As a hypothetical illustration, a purchaser with $120,000 in savings who buys a $600,000 home and pays $18,000 in duty and $4,000 in other costs retains a deposit of $98,000. The loan required is $502,000, which represents a loan to value ratio of 83.7%.

Because that ratio exceeds 80%, lenders mortgage insurance would ordinarily be payable, even though the savings at the outset exceeded 20% of the price. An eligible first home buyer who pays no duty in the same scenario would retain a deposit of $116,000 and a ratio of 80.7%, which shows how closely duty relief and deposit planning are connected. The BorrowWise deposit calculator may be used to set a savings target that allows for duty, the LMI calculator estimates the insurance premium, and the borrowing power calculator indicates the loan size a lender may consider.