Stamp duty (transfer duty) is usually the largest cost after the deposit. Each state sets its own rates and first home buyer relief. What you pay in each, with an example price, from our stamp duty calculator. Rates verified against each revenue office between July and October 2026.
What is stamp duty?
A state or territory tax on the transfer of property, worked out on the price. It is due on or around settlement, depending on the state, and is paid in full; it cannot be spread over time.
New South Wales
A $750,000 home costs $27,937 in duty at the general rate. First home buyers pay no duty below $800,000, new or established, and a concessional amount from $800,000 to $1,000,000. NSW indexes its thresholds to CPI every 1 July.
Victoria
A $600,000 home costs $31,070 at the general rate. First home buyers pay no duty up to $600,000 and a reduced amount to $750,000. Owner-occupiers who are not first home buyers can use a lower concessional scale up to $550,000, which our calculator does not yet model: it charges the general rate, about $3,100 more on a $500,000 home.
Queensland
A $500,000 home costs $15,925 at the general rate; owner-occupiers pay less under the home concession rate. First home buyers of an established home pay no duty up to about $700,000, with the relief phasing out at $800,000 (a $750,000 home: $10,925). A first home buyer of a new home pays no duty at any price.
Western Australia
A $500,000 home costs $17,765. For agreements from 7 May 2026, first home buyers pay no duty up to $600,000 and $16.15 per $100 above that up to $800,000 (a $700,000 home: $16,150), statewide.
South Australia
A $500,000 home costs $21,330. First home buyers pay no duty on a new home, or on vacant land to build one, for contracts from 6 June 2024, with no price cap. There is no relief on an established home.
ACT
A $600,000 home costs $15,720 on the general scale, or $12,728 on the owner-occupier scale if you live in it for at least a year. Under the Home Buyer Concession Scheme, first home buyers pay no duty; from 1 July 2026 there is no income test and no price cap.
Tasmania
A $400,000 home costs $13,998. Tasmania's first home buyer exemption for established homes is not available for transactions settling after 30 June 2026, so first home buyers now pay the full amount.
Northern Territory
A $400,000 home costs about $16,514. The NT formula is not yet verified against the Territory Revenue Office, which blocks automated requests; treat NT figures as estimates and confirm with the Territory.
First Home Owner Grant: separate from duty relief
The First Home Owner Grant is a cash payment, from $10,000 to $50,000 (NT) depending on the state, and mostly for new homes. It sits alongside duty relief; you may get both.
Can stamp duty go on the loan?
Lenders lend against the property, so duty normally comes from your own money at settlement, on top of the deposit, along with lender, legal and inspection costs. The stamp duty calculator gives the figure for your state, price and buyer type.