Stamp duty in Australia 2026: state-by-state guide

Why stamp duty matters more than buyers realise

Stamp duty is the largest single transaction cost in Australian property. On a $1M purchase, the bill ranges from ~$28,000 in QLD (with concessions) to ~$55,000+ in some VIC scenarios. It's payable at settlement, can't be financed against the property's loan in most cases, and has to be funded from cash savings or settlement-day equity (same pool as the deposit).

Each state runs its own duty regime under its Duties Act (or equivalent). Rates are progressive: small differences in property price can push a buyer into a higher bracket worth thousands. First-home-buyer concessions vary state-by-state both in scope and dollar threshold. Foreign-purchaser surcharges stack on top and are sometimes higher than the underlying duty. Off-the-plan, principal-place-of-residence, and concession-eligibility tests differ.

This guide is the 2026 reference, every figure cited to the relevant state revenue office. The full computation logic + worked examples are in /tools/stamp-duty; use that to model your specific scenario.

NSW: Duties Act 1997

Statute: Duties Act 1997 (NSW), Chapter 2 Part 3. Administered by Revenue NSW.

Standard duty (purchases above $1.089M, no concession): 4.5% on the value above $1.089M plus a fixed component scaled to the bracket. Computed via the bracketed schedule at Revenue NSW, transfer duty.

First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme (FHBAS): - New + established homes up to $800K: full exemption. - New + established homes $800K-$1M: concessional duty (sliding scale). - Vacant land up to $400K: full exemption. - Vacant land $400K-$500K: concessional.

Foreign-purchaser surcharge: +9% additional duty on the property's dutiable value (in addition to standard duty + standard land tax). NSW has the highest foreign surcharge in the country.

Premium duty (mansion tax): properties above $3.768M pay 7% on the portion above that threshold.

VIC: Duties Act 2000

Statute: Duties Act 2000 (VIC) Part 3 Division 4. Administered by State Revenue Office Victoria (SRO).

Standard duty: 6 brackets up to $960K, with the highest bracket effectively ~5.5%. SRO publishes the calculator at sro.vic.gov.au/calculators/land-transfer.

First-home-buyer concessions: - New + established homes up to $600K: full exemption. - $600K-$750K: tapered partial exemption. - VIC FHB concession is more generous than most states for properties under $600K.

Off-the-plan concession: dutiable value can be calculated on the contract value at the time of contract minus construction costs incurred since contract date. Useful for off-the-plan buyers because reduces dutiable value materially. Eligibility is owner-occupier-only since 2017 reform.

Foreign-purchaser surcharge: +8% additional duty on residential acquisitions.

PPOR concession: residential properties under $550K bought for owner-occupation get a separate $500-$1,500 reduction (s58).

QLD: Duties Act 2001

Statute: Duties Act 2001 (QLD) Chapter 2. Administered by Queensland Revenue Office (QRO).

Standard duty: scaled brackets, peaking at 5.75% on properties above $1M. QRO calculator at qro.qld.gov.au/duties-and-fees/transfer-duty.

First-home-buyer concession: - Homes up to $700K: full concession (no duty). - $700K-$800K: tapered partial concession. - Vacant land up to $350K: full concession.

Home concession (non-FHB owner-occupier): primary place of residence purchases under $700K attract a discounted rate.

Foreign-purchaser surcharge: +8% on residential acquisitions.

WA: Duties Act 2008

Statute: Duties Act 2008 (WA). Administered by RevenueWA.

Standard duty: progressive 1.9-5.15% across brackets. Peak rate kicks in above $725K.

First-home-buyer concession: - Homes up to $530K: full exemption. - $530K-$595K: tapered. - Vacant land up to $400K full / $400K-$450K partial.

Foreign-purchaser surcharge: +7% on residential acquisitions.

SA: Stamp Duties Act 1923

Statute: Stamp Duties Act 1923 (SA). Administered by RevenueSA.

Standard duty: seven brackets to a peak of 5.5% above $500K.

First-home-buyer concession: abolished in SA effective 1 July 2024, replaced with a $15K First Home Owner Grant. Stamp-duty-side, no FHB concession applies in 2026.

Off-the-plan: SA offers a stamp-duty exemption for newly-built apartments under $700K.

Foreign-purchaser surcharge: +7% on residential acquisitions.

TAS: Duties Act 2001

Statute: Duties Act 2001 (TAS). Administered by State Revenue Office Tasmania (SRO TAS).

Standard duty: progressive scale to ~4.5% above $725K.

First-home-buyer concession: 50% discount on duty for purchases up to $600K (effective 2026). Builds on top of $20K First Home Owner Grant.

Foreign-purchaser surcharge: +8% on residential acquisitions.

ACT: Duties Act 1999

Statute: Duties Act 1999 (ACT). Administered by ACT Revenue Office.

Standard duty: progressive scale; ACT runs a flat-fee leasehold model on top of duty for new homes. Lower effective duty than most states for purchases under $1.5M.

First-home-buyer concession: Home Buyer Concession Scheme. No duty payable on purchases under $1M, with income-tested eligibility (under $250K combined household income for couples).

Foreign-purchaser surcharge: +7.5% on residential acquisitions (effective 2026).

NT: Stamp Duty Act 1978

Statute: Stamp Duty Act 1978 (NT). Administered by Territory Revenue Office.

Standard duty: flat-rate 4.95% above $525K.

First-home-buyer concession: $50K-$200K stamp-duty rebate depending on property type + price.

Foreign-purchaser surcharge: none in NT (uniquely; most states impose +7-9%).

Side-by-side cheat sheet

| State | FHB threshold (full exemption) | Foreign surcharge | Standard rate ceiling | |---|---|---|---| | NSW | $800K (sliding to $1M) | +9% | 4.5% above $1.089M (7% above $3.768M) | | VIC | $600K (sliding to $750K) | +8% | ~5.5% | | QLD | $700K (sliding to $800K) | +8% | 5.75% above $1M | | WA | $530K (sliding to $595K) | +7% | 5.15% above $725K | | SA | None (FHOG only) | +7% | 5.5% above $500K | | TAS | $600K (50% discount) | +8% | 4.5% above $725K | | ACT | $1M (income-tested) | +7.5% | Progressive | | NT | $525K (with $50-200K rebate) | None | 4.95% above $525K |

Numbers verified against state revenue office published rates as of 2026-05-01. Verify with the relevant state revenue office calculator before signing any contract. Schedules can update with each state budget.

Three planning principles

1. Time the contract date around budget cycles. Duty rates set in a state budget come into effect 1 July (financial year start). If you're flexible on timing, contract date in late June can lock in a still-favourable rate before announced changes hit; conversely, deferring to early July can capture beneficial new concessions.

2. Consider the foreign-surcharge geography. A foreign buyer pays $90K extra in NSW vs the same purchase in NT. For genuinely-mobile buyers (typically corporate-trust restructures or expat returners), state choice is part of the planning.

3. Don't assume FHB qualification automatically applies. Each state's FHB rules differ on: prior overseas property ownership (most states ignore overseas; some don't), spousal disqualification (one spouse owning before relationship started can trigger disqualification), construction date (NSW requires within 12 months for new builds), residency requirement (must occupy within 12 months in most states).

Read further

• Stamp duty calculator (all 8 states). Model your specific scenario.
• Q&A: Can I claim stamp duty on my tax return?
• Q&A: How do I transfer property between family members?
• Glossary: Foreign purchaser additional duty
• Glossary: Stamp duty

Sources

• Revenue NSW, transfer duty rates: https://www.revenue.nsw.gov.au/taxes-duties-levies-royalties/transfer-duty
• State Revenue Office Victoria, land transfer duty: https://www.sro.vic.gov.au/land-transfer-duty
• Queensland Revenue Office, transfer duty: https://qro.qld.gov.au/duties/transfer-duty/
• RevenueWA, transfer duty: https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-finance/transfer-duty
• RevenueSA, stamp duty: https://www.revenuesa.sa.gov.au/stampduty
• State Revenue Office Tasmania, duty: https://www.sro.tas.gov.au/property-transfer-duties
• ACT Revenue Office, duty: https://www.revenue.act.gov.au/duties/conveyance-duty
• Territory Revenue Office NT, stamp duty: https://nt.gov.au/employ/money-and-taxes/taxes-royalties-and-grants/stamp-duty