Stamp Duty Calculator

Stamp duty, officially transfer duty or land transfer duty, depending on the state, is a tax charged by state and territory governments when property changes hands. It’s paid by the buyer, calculated as a percentage of the property’s value (or the purchase price, whichever is higher), and it’s due shortly after settlement in most jurisdictions.

It’s one of the largest upfront costs in a property purchase, and unlike most of the other costs in this guide, the rules, rates and first-home-buyer concessions differ meaningfully from state to state. That’s what this page focuses on.

1. Enter the property value. Use the purchase price, or your best estimate if you’re still researching.
2. Select your state or territory. Duty rates and thresholds are set independently by each jurisdiction, so this choice drives the whole calculation.
3. Choose your purchase type. Standard purchase, or first home buyer (which may unlock an exemption or concession, see below).
4. Select the property type. Established home, new home, or vacant land, several states apply different thresholds to each.
5. Toggle the foreign buyer surcharge if it applies to your purchase.

The calculator returns an estimated duty amount based on the current rates for your selection.

As a rough rule of thumb, budget somewhere around 3–4% of the purchase price for a standard, non-concessional purchase at a typical price point. Treat this as a starting approximation only, every state uses a sliding scale, so the effective rate climbs as the property value rises. At the top of the market, effective rates reach roughly 5.5–6.5% in several states, and first-home-buyer concessions can bring the effective rate to zero at the lower end. There is no single “Australian” stamp duty rate, always check the figure for your specific state, property value and purchase type. Once you have your duty figure, see how it fits into your overall budget with our Borrowing Power Calculator or Investment Property Cash Flow Calculator.

This is the comparison most calculators don’t bother building, because it takes checking eight separate revenue office websites rather than one. Here’s where each jurisdiction stands as of 23 August 2026. Full exemption means no duty at all up to that value; the concession range is where duty is charged, but at a reduced rate that phases out toward the top of the range.

A few things worth sitting with:

• ACT has gone furthest. From 1 July 2026 it became the first Australian jurisdiction to remove stamp duty for first home buyers entirely, as part of a longer-term shift toward land tax (ACT Revenue Office). If you’re a first home buyer able to buy in the ACT, this is a significant and recent change worth factoring in.
• Tasmania has gone the other way. Its generous established-home exemption lapsed at the end of June 2026 and, as far as we can confirm, has not been replaced. If you were relying on that exemption, budget for full duty until you’ve confirmed otherwise with the SRO.
• South Australia’s relief only covers new supply, new homes, off-the-plan apartments, and vacant land you intend to build on. If you’re buying an established home in SA as a first home buyer, standard duty applies.

Thresholds change with state budgets, sometimes with only weeks’ notice, always confirm the current figure with the relevant revenue office before settling on a number, using the table below.

The main exemption pathway across most states is the first-home-buyer scheme outlined above. Typical eligibility conditions (these vary slightly by state, so check the specific rules for yours) include:

• You must be an individual, not a company or a trust
• You must be at least 18 years old (some states allow exceptions)
• You must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident (some states extend eligibility to New Zealand citizens with a Special Category Visa)
• You must move into the property and live there as your primary residence for a minimum continuous period, commonly six or twelve months, depending on the state
• You (and your spouse or partner, if applicable) must not have previously owned residential property in Australia

Other exemptions exist outside the first-home-buyer schemes too, for example, transfers between spouses of a principal place of residence, or transfers following a relationship breakdown (see below).

Several states charge an additional surcharge on top of standard duty when the buyer is a foreign person (as defined under each state’s legislation, generally covering foreign citizens without permanent residency). As of August 2026:

• NSW: 9% surcharge purchaser duty, on top of standard transfer duty (Revenue NSW)
• VIC: 8% foreign purchaser additional duty (State Revenue Office Victoria)
• QLD: 8% additional foreign acquirer duty, or AFAD (Queensland Revenue Office)

These surcharges apply in addition to the standard rates shown elsewhere on this page, and other states and territories apply their own surcharge regimes, check the relevant revenue office for your state if this applies to you.

Every state calculates and administers duty independently. These are the official sources to confirm current rates, thresholds and eligibility before you buy:

Yes. “Stamp duty” is the common name; “transfer duty” (NSW, QLD) and “land transfer duty” (VIC) are the formal terms used in legislation and by the relevant revenue offices. They refer to the same tax on the same transaction.

Stamp duty also historically applied to a broader range of transactions beyond real estate, insurance policies, mortgages, and vehicle registrations among them, though most states have progressively narrowed or abolished duty on these other categories over the past decade. Property transfers remain the area where stamp duty has the biggest financial impact for most people.

• Location, the state or territory, since each sets its own rates and thresholds
• Property value, duty is calculated on a sliding scale, so higher-value properties pay a higher effective rate
• Buyer category, first home buyer, pensioner, or primary producer concessions can reduce or eliminate duty
• Residency status, foreign buyer surcharges add a significant additional percentage in several states
• Purpose, owner-occupier purchases sometimes attract different treatment to investment purchases, particularly where a concession requires you to live in the property

Generally, transfers between spouses or de facto partners for a shared principal place of residence are exempt in most states, provided the usual conditions are met. Exemptions also commonly apply to transfers required by a relationship breakdown (following a Family Court order or binding financial agreement).

Outside those specific situations, for example, a parent transferring a title to an adult child, or a transfer between siblings, duty is generally payable on the property’s market value, and a formal valuation is usually required. The “it’s a gift, so no duty applies” assumption is one of the most common misconceptions in family property transfers; check with your state’s revenue office or a conveyancer before assuming an exemption applies.

Is stamp duty payable on the purchase price or the market value? Duty is calculated on whichever is higher, the price you agreed to pay, or the property’s assessed market value. This matters most for off-market or related-party transactions, where a valuation may be required.

When is stamp duty due? Timing varies by state, but it’s typically due within 30 to 90 days of the contract date or settlement, most states now require or strongly encourage payment at or before settlement. Check your state’s specific deadline, as penalties can apply for late payment.

Can I add stamp duty to my home loan? Some lenders allow you to capitalise stamp duty into your loan, but most require it to be paid from your own funds (deposit plus other savings) rather than borrowed. Confirm this with your lender early, since it affects how much cash you need on hand at settlement, check your overall borrowing capacity first with our Borrowing Power Calculator.

Do pensioners get a stamp duty concession? Several states offer a pensioner duty concession or exemption, generally with its own separate value thresholds from the first-home-buyer schemes above. Eligibility and thresholds vary by state, check with the relevant revenue office.

If I’m a first home buyer building a new home, which threshold applies, established or new home? The new-home threshold, which is often more generous (and in Queensland, currently uncapped). Off-the-plan apartments and house-and-land packages are usually treated as new homes for this purpose, but confirm the specific classification with your state’s revenue office, since the rules differ.

Does the foreign buyer surcharge apply if only one buyer on the title is a foreign person? Generally, yes, most states apply the surcharge proportionally to the foreign buyer’s share of the property, even where the other buyer is an Australian citizen or permanent resident. Check the specific rules for your state, as treatment of jointly-owned property varies.

• Borrowing Power Calculator, see how much you could borrow before you budget for stamp duty on top
• Investment Property Cash Flow Calculator, model stamp duty and other upfront costs against ongoing rental returns
• Home Loan Interest Rate Comparison Calculator, compare current lender rates
• Capital Gains Tax Calculator, estimate tax payable if you sell in future
• SuburbsFinder’s suburb research tools, check current median prices by suburb before estimating your duty

This calculator and the information on this page provide general estimates only and do not constitute financial, legal or taxation advice. Stamp duty rates, thresholds and concessions change with state and territory budgets and can shift with limited notice. Always confirm the current rate and your eligibility for any concession or exemption directly with the relevant state or territory revenue office, or a licensed conveyancer, before making a decision.