Stamp duty across Australia: a state-by-state comparison

Stamp duty (officially called "transfer duty" or "land transfer duty" depending on the state) is the tax you pay to the state government when you buy property. For most buyers, it's the largest transaction cost outside the deposit itself, often tens of thousands of dollars.

This is one step in our complete guide to buying your first home in Victoria.

It's also entirely state-administered, which means the rules, rates, and concessions are different everywhere. This is a quick overview of what to expect in each state and territory.

Stamp duty rates and thresholds change regularly. Use your state revenue office's official calculator before relying on numbers from any blog post (including this one).

How stamp duty generally works

In every state and territory, stamp duty is calculated on a sliding scale based on the property's purchase price (or its market value, whichever is higher). The rate goes up as the property price goes up.

A typical structure looks like: nothing on the first slice, a small percentage on the next slice, a larger percentage on the next slice, and so on. On a $700,000 home you might be paying 4% to 6% in stamp duty depending on the state, somewhere between $25,000 and $40,000.

Concessions and exemptions sit on top of this base calculation. The most common are:

• First home buyer concession or exemption: usually below a value cap
• Off-the-plan concession: apportioning duty to the land component only
• Pensioner concession: for older or pensioner buyers
• Principal place of residence concession: modest discount for owner-occupiers in some states

Victoria

Victoria calls it land transfer duty. The top rate (on properties over $960,000) is 5.5%, with lower brackets for cheaper properties.

First home buyer concessions in Victoria are generous (covered in more detail in our Victorian stamp duty guide, or use our stamp duty calculator for a quick estimate):

• Full exemption up to $600,000
• Sliding-scale concession from $600,001 to $750,000
• Applies to both new and existing homes

There's also a principal place of residence (PPR) concession for owner-occupiers buying between $130,000 and $550,000, which gives a modest reduction in duty.

Off-the-plan purchases get a separate concession that lets you pay duty on the land value rather than the full purchase price, which can save tens of thousands if you buy early in a development.

New South Wales

NSW uses transfer duty. The standard rate ranges from around 1.25% on the lowest bracket to a top rate of about 7% on properties over $3 million (with an additional premium rate kicking in over a higher threshold).

The First Home Buyer Assistance Scheme provides:

• Full exemption on new and existing homes up to around $800,000
• Concessional rates from $800,000 to around $1 million
• Applies to vacant land below separate thresholds if you're building

NSW briefly let first home buyers choose between stamp duty and an annual property tax (the "First Home Buyer Choice" scheme). This was scrapped and replaced with the conventional exemption above.

Queensland

Queensland calls it transfer duty. The top rate is 5.75% on properties over $1 million.

Queensland has a separate home concession for any owner-occupier buying a principal place of residence, plus a more generous first home concession that provides:

• Full exemption up to around $800,000 (recently increased)
• Concessional rates above that threshold

Queensland also offers a first home vacant land concession if you're buying land to build on.

Western Australia

WA calls it transfer duty and applies it via a sliding scale that tops out at 5.15% for properties over $725,000.

WA's first home owner rate of duty provides:

• Full exemption on properties up to a threshold (around $450,000 historically, with the threshold raised periodically)
• A concessional rate above the threshold up to a higher cap
• Different (higher) thresholds in regional and remote WA

WA's concessions are more modest than Victoria's or NSW's at the top end, but the lower bottom-end thresholds mean genuine first home buyers in cheaper markets often pay nothing.

South Australia

SA calls it stamp duty. The top rate (over $500,000) is 5.5%.

SA's stamp duty regime is less generous to first home buyers on existing homes than the eastern states. Concessions exist primarily for new homes and apartments, including:

• Full exemption on new homes and apartments up to a value cap
• A concession for off-the-plan apartments

If you're a first home buyer in SA looking at an existing home, the stamp duty bill is essentially the same as for any other buyer.

Tasmania

Tasmania calls it duty. The top rate sits around 4.5% on properties over $725,000.

Tasmania has run various first home buyer concessions in recent years, including a first home buyer duty concession on established homes up to a threshold (around $750,000 historically). Concessions on new builds have also been periodically boosted.

Pensioner concessions in Tasmania are also relatively generous, worth checking if you're an older buyer downsizing.

Australian Capital Territory

The ACT is transitioning out of stamp duty under a long-term reform that's replacing it with a broad-based land tax. Year by year, ACT stamp duty for owner-occupiers has been falling.

The Home Buyer Concession Scheme provides:

• Full stamp duty exemption for eligible buyers (subject to household income thresholds)
• Available for new and existing homes
• Applies whether or not you're a first home buyer

This is unusual. Most states tie the biggest concessions to "first home" status. The ACT scheme is income-tested rather than first-home-tested.

Northern Territory

NT calls it stamp duty. The standard rate caps out at around 5.95%.

NT has run several first home buyer concessions over the years, including the First Home Owner Discount (a stamp duty discount specifically for first home buyers) and the Territory Home Owner Discount (for existing residents buying their first home in the NT).

NT concessions change relatively frequently as the Territory adjusts settings to support its property market.

A rough comparison

State	What it's called	Top rate	First home buyer relief
VIC	Land transfer duty	5.5%	Full exemption to $600k, concession to $750k
NSW	Transfer duty	~7% (top)	Full exemption to ~$800k, concession to ~$1M
QLD	Transfer duty	5.75%	Full exemption to ~$800k (recently raised)
WA	Transfer duty	5.15%	Full exemption to ~$450k, concession above
SA	Stamp duty	5.5%	Limited (mostly new homes)
TAS	Duty	4.5%	Varies; check current settings
ACT	Conveyance duty	Phasing out	Income-tested exemption for all buyers
NT	Stamp duty	5.95%	Various concessions, check current settings

Foreign buyer surcharges

If you're not an Australian citizen or permanent resident, most states apply an additional foreign purchaser surcharge on top of standard stamp duty. These surcharges are typically 7% to 9% (for example, New South Wales is 9% from 1 January 2025, while Victoria and Queensland are 8%). Rates change periodically, so confirm the current figure with the relevant state revenue office. The rules around residency status, visa categories, and what counts as a "foreign" purchaser are detailed, so get specific advice if your situation is anything other than straightforward Australian residency.

The cost beyond the calculator

A few things stamp duty calculators don't show you:

• Mortgage registration fee: small, but it adds up
• Title transfer fee: modest, paid at settlement
• Conveyancer or solicitor fees: typically $1,500 to $3,000
• Building and pest inspections: $400 to $800

When you're budgeting "cost on top of deposit," stamp duty is the biggest line item but not the only one.

A common mistake

Buyers often focus on the headline purchase price and forget about stamp duty until late in the process. On a $700,000 purchase, you might owe $25,000 to $40,000 in stamp duty depending on the state, money that needs to be available at settlement, on top of the deposit.

Build the stamp duty cost into your savings target from day one.

In short

Stamp duty is the second biggest cheque you'll write when buying a home, and the rules vary enormously between states. Use your state revenue office's calculator, factor it in early, and don't assume concessions you've heard about from a friend interstate apply where you're buying. If you're a first home buyer, the stamp duty concession is often worth more than the grant, so make sure you're not focused on the smaller number.

Sources

Duty rates, thresholds, concessions, and foreign purchaser surcharges are set by each state and territory revenue authority and change regularly. Confirm the current figure for your location before relying on it:

• VIC: State Revenue Office Victoria: Land transfer duty (and the foreign purchaser additional duty rate)
• NSW: Revenue NSW: Transfer duty
• QLD: Queensland Revenue Office: Transfer duty
• WA: Government of Western Australia: Transfer duty
• SA: RevenueSA: Rate of stamp duty
• TAS: State Revenue Office Tasmania: Property transfer duties
• ACT: ACT Revenue Office: Conveyance duty
• NT: Northern Territory Government: Stamp duty

Sources verified 25 July 2026. Stamp duty rates, thresholds, and surcharges differ by state and change with each budget; always confirm the current figures with the relevant revenue authority above or your conveyancer.