Australian Stamp Duty Calculator

Transfer duty (commonly called stamp duty) on Australian residential property — calculated state by state. Pick from all 8 jurisdictions (NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA, TAS, ACT, NT), enter the purchase price, and toggle the first-home-buyer concession if you qualify. See the duty payable, your effective tax rate, and a transparent breakdown of how the figure was reached.

How Australian stamp duty bands work

Each state runs its own rate schedule. Most use a tiered (progressive) system: a fixed base amount per band plus a percentage of the price falling inside that band. For example, in NSW a property at $400,000 pays $1,500 + 3.50% × ($400,000 − $93,000) = $12,245.

Two states have unusual cliff bands instead of progression: VIC charges a flat 5.5% on the entire dutiable value for properties between $960,001 and $2,000,000, and ACT charges a flat 4.54% above $1,455,000. The calculator handles both correctly.

NT uses a polynomial formula for prices up to $525,000 (the official Northern Territory transfer duty formula), then switches to flat percentages above that.

First-home buyer concessions (2025/26)

NSW

Full exemption ≤ $800k; sliding concession $800k–$1M (linear scale).

VIC

Full exemption ≤ $600k; sliding concession $600k–$750k.

QLD

Full exemption ≤ $700k (raised from $500k in June 2024); sliding concession $700k–$800k.

WA

Reformed 21 March 2025: full exemption ≤ $500k; concession $500k–$700k (Metropolitan/Peel) or $500k–$750k (other regions) using a fixed $13.63 per $100 rate on the portion above $500k — not a linear ramp.

SA

Reformed 6 June 2024: no property value cap, but only applies to new homes, off-the-plan apartments, and vacant land. Established home buyers still pay full standard duty.

TAS

Full exemption on established homes ≤ $750k. Time-limited — current rule applies to contracts signed 18 Feb 2024 to 30 June 2026. Verify if extended after that date.

ACT

Income-tested Home Buyer Concession Scheme — eligibility depends on household income, not just property price. Verify with ACT Revenue Office.

NT

First Home Owner Discount (FHODC) varies. Verify with NT Revenue.

Worked examples (2025/26 rates)

• $900,000 home in NSW (standard buyer) → $11,152 + 4.5% × ($900,000 − $372,000) = $34,912 (3.88% effective).
• $900,000 home in NSW (FHB) → Concession applies on the $800k–$1M ramp at 50% of full duty = $17,456. Saves $17,456.
• $1,200,000 apartment in VIC (standard) → Falls in the $960k–$2M flat band: 5.5% × $1,200,000 = $66,000 (5.5% effective).
• $650,000 home in QLD (FHB) → Under the $700k threshold, full exemption: $0. Saves about $15,100 in standard home-concession duty.
• $650,000 home in TAS (FHB) → Established-home full exemption applies (≤$750k): $0.

Foreign buyer surcharges

Non-citizens and non-permanent-residents purchasing residential property pay an additional surcharge on top of standard duty. Six of the eight Australian jurisdictions levy this; ACT and NT do not. Toggle 'Foreign buyer' in the calculator to add it.

NSW — Surcharge Purchaser Duty

9% (raised from 8% on 1 Jan 2025)

VIC — Foreign Purchaser Additional Duty

8% (since 1 Jul 2019)

QLD — Additional Foreign Acquirer Duty (AFAD)

8% on residential land acquisitions

WA — Foreign Buyers Duty

7% (since 1 Jan 2019)

SA — Foreign Ownership Surcharge (FOS)

7% (since 1 Jan 2018) — note SA FHB relief does NOT apply to foreign buyers

TAS — Foreign Investor Duty Surcharge (FIDS)

8% residential / 1.5% primary production land

ACT

No purchase surcharge (but Land Tax 0.75%/yr foreign ownership surcharge)

NT

No surcharge — NT and ACT are the only two AU jurisdictions without one

On a $1M property in NSW, a foreign buyer pays standard duty (~$39k) plus a $90,000 surcharge — total $129k vs $39k for an Australian buyer.

What's NOT modelled

The following are intentionally omitted because they vary too much to model usefully:

• Off-the-plan apartment concessions (VIC, NSW)
• Pensioner / seniors concessions (most states)
• Vacant land treatment (different from established home in some states; we model land FHB separately for NSW/WA/QLD)
• Investor-specific rate schedules for some states (e.g. QLD general rate, which is higher than the home concession rate the calculator defaults to; VIC non-PPR rates above $550k apply to investors)
• Commercial property (uses different rate tables)

If any of these apply, use your state revenue office's official calculator for the exact figure.

Frequently asked questions

Who actually pays stamp duty — buyer or seller?

In Australia, the buyer pays. It's a one-off cost at settlement.

Can I avoid stamp duty?

Generally no, but first-home buyers, pensioners, and people qualifying for off-the-plan or new-build concessions can reduce or eliminate it. Some states have replaced stamp duty with annual land tax for FHBs as an opt-in (NSW had this option briefly in 2023; check current rules).

Is stamp duty tax-deductible?

Not on your principal place of residence. For investment property, stamp duty forms part of the cost base for capital gains tax purposes — it reduces CGT when you sell rather than being deducted upfront.

Are off-the-plan apartments cheaper for stamp duty?

Often yes in VIC and NSW, where duty is calculated on the dutiable value at contract date (which can be just the land + construction-so-far). Significant savings on early-stage off-the-plan purchases. Not modelled here.