Stamp Responsibility Information for Each State in Australia

Stamp responsibility, in any other case referred to as switch or conveyance responsibility, is a tax imposed by state and territory governments at any time when an individual purchases a property.

It could possibly apply to owner-occupiers and buyers, in addition to first house patrons. Although, many jurisdictions waive or low cost stamp responsibility for first house patrons.

In some locations, it could actually even be enforced even when a brand new proprietor does not pay a cent for a property, reminiscent of when a property is presented.

Whereas it is easy to neglect about stamp responsibility once you’re searching to purchase a property, the tax should not be missed. It could possibly add tens of 1000’s of {dollars} to a sale transaction and significantly minimise a purchaser’s borrowing energy.

Property patrons are required to pay stamp responsibility on to their state or territory’s income workplace, and the method is mostly greatest dealt with with the help of a solicitor or conveyancer.

Now, let’s get all the way down to tin tacks.

How a lot is stamp responsibility?

The quantity of stamp responsibility a purchaser should pay will rely upon the state or territory by which they’re shopping for in, in addition to the kind of property being bought and its worth.

Typically, the extra a purchaser pays for his or her house or funding property, the extra stamp responsibility they will face.

Each state and territory has a distinct means of calculating stamp responsibility, and a few jurisdictions supply extra beneficiant exemptions and reductions than others.

Stamp responsibility usually runs into the tens of 1000’s of {dollars} (although, there are just a few methods of getting out of paying it), so you will must issue it into your private home shopping for calculations.

Your Mortgage’s stamp responsibility calculator can information you on how a lot you is likely to be liable to pay when shopping for a house in your state or territory.

Are you able to keep away from stamp responsibility?

Some stamp responsibility exemptions and concessions can be found, with many depending on the place you are buying, whether or not you are shopping for your first house, and in case you’re planning to occupy the property.

In most locations, if property is being transferred between members of the family on account of a loss of life or divorce, the brand new proprietor is not going to must pay stamp responsibility. Some states additionally waive or low cost stamp responsibility for first house patrons, and others supply concessional charges for pensioners, downsizers, carers, and farmers.

In the event you do not qualify a stamp responsibility exemption or concession the place you reside, you would possibly think about buying in one other state that expenses much less stamp responsibility or supplies extra beneficiant concessions. In any other case, shopping for a less expensive property is actually the one strategy to cut back your stamp responsibility invoice.

Why can we pay stamp responsibility?

State and territory governments say the collected funds are put in direction of upscaling and enhancing companies like healthcare, regulation enforcement, planning and infrastructure, to call just a few. That stated, again within the 12 months 2000, the introduction of the GST was meant to cowl the price of such companies. Go determine.

In the event you’re seeking to purchase property, it may pay to debate your stamp responsibility choices with a solicitor or conveyancer prior to buying. This might assist you be financially ready and provide the alternative to ahead plan, particularly if that you must accumulate additional funds to pay for the tax.

That can assist you put together and perceive when stamp responsibility must be paid, here’s a snapshot of how your state or territory calculates and applies stamp responsibility.

How stamp responsibility works in New South Wales (NSW)

Normal stamp responsibility charges for many NSW properties are as follows:

• In the event you spend $99,001 to $372,000: $1,597 plus $3.50 for each $100 over $99,000

• In the event you spend $372,001 to $1,240,000: $11,152 plus $4.50 for each $100 over $372,000

• In the event you spend over $1,240,000: $50,212 plus $5.50 for each $100 over $1,240,000

• In the event you spend over $3,721,000 (Premium charge): $186,667 plus $7.00 for each $100 over $3,721,000

In the event you’re an eligible first house purchaser, you might be able to obtain a full exemption if the property you buy is valued at lower than $800,000 or lowered switch responsibility in case you purchase a house for lower than $1 million.

Vacant land valued as much as $350,000 can be exempt from stamp responsibility for first house patrons, and so they would possibly be capable of pay a concessional charge when shopping for a block valued between $350,000 and $450,000. There is no such thing as a exemption or concession for land valued over $450,000.

NSW stamp responsibility must be paid to the state’s income workplace no later than three months after settlement day on a property buy. Relating to off-the-plan purchases, so long as you intend to reside within the property, there’s an opportunity chances are you’ll be eligible to postpone paying tax for as much as 15 months, or on the handover of the property if that is sooner.

How stamp responsibility works in Victoria

Stamp responsibility charges for property buyers and owner-occupiers buying for greater than $550,000 in Victoria are:

• In the event you spend $130,000 to $960,000: $2,870 plus 6% of the dutiable worth over $130,000

• In the event you spend $960,000 to $2,000,000: 5.5% of the dutiable worth

• In the event you spend over $2,000,000: $110,000 plus 6.5% of the dutiable worth over $2 million

Proprietor-occupiers spending lower than $550,000 on their property buy could also be eligible for principal place of residence concessional charges:

• In the event you spend $130,000 to $440,000: $2,870 plus 5% of the dutiable worth over $130,000

• In the event you spend $440,000 to $550,000: $18,370 plus 6% of the dutiable worth over $440,000

In the event you’re an eligible first house proprietor in Victoria, you will not be required to pay stamp responsibility so long as your property’s worth is $600,000 or much less. If it is priced between $600,001 and $750,000, you will be eligible for a concessional charge. Such charges may additionally be accessible for pensioners, farmers, and people buying a property off-the-plan.

Stamp responsibility in Victoria must be paid by the purchaser 30 days after the property is transferred.

From October 2024 till October 2026, all patrons of off-the-plan strata residential properties can be eligible for a brief concession that might see them lowering the dutiable worth of their property by the worth of development to be accomplished.

Proprietor-occupiers and first house patrons may additionally be eligible for such a reduction when buying a land and constructing package deal or a refurbished low.

How stamp responsibility works in Queensland

Normal charges for Queensland properties bought for $75,000 or extra are as follows:

• In the event you spend $75,000 to $540,000: $1,050 plus $3.50 for each $100, or half thereof, over $75,000

• In the event you spend $540,000 to $1,000,000: $17,325 plus $4.50 for each $100, or half thereof, over $540,000

• In the event you spend greater than $1,000,000: $38,025 plus $5.75 for each $100, or half thereof, over $1 million

Decrease stamp responsibility charges apply to properties you intend to reside in, fairly than hire out.

From 1 Might 2025, first house patrons who enter right into a contract to buy a new-build house to dwell in (or vacant land to construct a house to dwell in) pays no stamp responsibility whatever the worth of the property.

For established properties, a primary house purchaser exemption applies if the property you are buying is valued at lower than $700,000 and there is a partial concession for properties valued as much as $800,000. Seniors or pensioners are usually not prolonged common concessions in Queensland.

In Queensland, stamp responsibility is payable to the state’s income workplace no later than 30 days after settlement of the property.

How stamp responsibility works in South Australia (SA)

Normal charges for properties bought in SA, valued at $250,000 and up, are as follows:

• In the event you spend $250,000 to $300,000: $8,955 plus $4.75 for each $100, or half thereof, over $250,000

• In the event you spend $300,000 to $500,000: $11,330 plus $5 for each $100, or half thereof, over $300,000

• In the event you spend greater than $500,000: $21,330 plus $5.50 for each $100, or half thereof, over $500,000

South Australia solely supplies stamp responsibility aid for eligible first house patrons buying new properties or blocks of land, not these shopping for already established properties. Nevertheless, first house patrons claiming stamp responsibility exemptions aren’t restricted by property worth caps.

Stamp responsibility in SA is normally required to be paid on or earlier than settlement day.

How stamp responsibility works in Tasmania

Stamp responsibility on property purchases price $200,000 and over are as follows:

• In the event you spend $200,000 to $375,000: $5,935 plus $4 for each $100, or half thereof, over $200,000

• In the event you spend $375,000 to $725,000: $12,935 plus $4.25 for each $100, or half thereof, over $375,000

• In the event you spend over $725,000: $27,810 plus $4.50 for each $100, or half thereof, over $725,000

Stamp responsibility exemptions and concession charges for each first house patrons and pensioners downsizing their properties had been scrapped in Tasmania from 1 July 2026.

They had been accessible as much as 30 June 2026. 

Stamp responsibility in Tasmania must be paid by the purchaser within the three months after a property is transferred, which is normally included within the paperwork signed on settlement day.

How stamp responsibility works in Western Australia (WA)

Common stamp responsibility charges for WA property, beginning with properties valued at over $150,000 are as follows.

• In the event you spend $150,000 to $360,000: $3,135 plus $3.80 for each $100, or half thereof, above $150,000

• In the event you spend $360,001 to $725,000: $11,115 plus $4.75 for each $100, or half thereof, above $360,000

• In the event you spend $725,001 or over: $28,453 plus $5.15 for each $100, or half thereof, above $725,000

A concessional stamp responsibility charge is on the market for these shopping for a whole WA property price lower than $200,000.

For first house patrons, there isn’t any stamp responsibility on properties valued as much as $600,000 and vacant land as much as $450,000 and concessions can be found for properties valued as much as $750,000 and vacant land valued between $450,001 to $550,000.

Exemptions additionally apply for first house patrons buying strata items and townhouses as much as $800,000 with scaled concessions for purchases as much as $900,000.

In WA, a purchaser has two months after settlement day to use for a Duties Evaluation Discover by the state’s income workplace. As soon as the workplace points the discover, which states the stamp responsibility charge relevant, a purchaser has one month to lodge the fee.

An entire run-down of charges is offered by the state’s income workplace.

How stamp responsibility works within the Northern Territory (NT)

Out of all of the states and territories, Northern Territory has made calculating stamp responsibility most complex. It has a fancy formulation for properties valued as much as $525,000. Are you prepared for it? It is:

stamp responsibility payable = (0.06571441 x V²) + 15V

The place ‘V’ refers to 1 one-thousandth (1/1000) of the property’s worth.

On a $500,000 property, this primarily means you would be on the hook for $23,928.60 in stamp responsibility.

In the event you’re not into algebra, it is likely to be greatest to enter the property worth into the stamp responsibility calculator offered by the NT Authorities.

Charges for property purchases of greater than $525,000 are a lot easier to work out and are as follows:

• In the event you spend $525,001 to $3,000,000: 4.95% of the property worth

• In the event you spend $3,000,000 to $5,000,000: 5.75% of the property worth

• In the event you spend greater than $5,000,000: 5.95% of the property worth

In the event you purchase a home and land package deal within the Northern Territory in a single transaction, chances are you’ll be eligible for a stamp responsibility exemption whatever the property worth beneath the Home and Land Package deal Exemption (HLPE). Situations apply.

The NT Authorities doesn’t at present supply first house proprietor exemptions or concessions for stamp responsibility (though it did for a brief interval between February 2019 to June 2021).

If buying within the NT, stamp responsibility is payable 60 days after the switch of the property is legally finalised, which might happen on settlement day.

How stamp responsibility works within the Australian Capital Territory (ACT)

The ACT is the one Australian state or territory dedicated to phasing out stamp responsibility. It goals to interchange the income raised by switch tax with ongoing land tax over the 20 years from 2012. 

The ACT calls stamp responsibility ‘conveyance responsibility’. A few of the present customary charges for eligible proprietor occupier property transactions are as follows:

• In the event you spend $300,001 to $500,000: $1,608 plus $3.40 per $100 over $300,000

• In the event you spend $500,001 to $750,000: $8,408 plus $4.32 per $100 over $500,000

• In the event you spend $750,001 to $1,000,000: $19,208 plus $5.90 per $100 over $750,000

• In the event you spend $1,000,001 to $1,454,999: $33,958 plus $6.40 per $100 over $1 million

• In the event you spend $1,455,000 and over: A flat charge of $4.54 per $100 utilized to the whole worth

ACT has launched new stamp responsibility preparations, together with:

• First house patrons pay no stamp responsibility from 1 July 2026, no matter house worth or revenue degree

• Pensioners, eligible NDIS members, and people who have not owned a house for 5 years may even be eligible for stamp responsibility exemptions from 1 July 2026

• No stamp responsibility payable on unit-titled properties valued at $1.02 million or much less bought by proprietor occupiers

Conveyance responsibility kinds have to be submitted to Canberra Entry no later than 14 days after property settlement. As soon as the client receives a Discover of Evaluation again, they then have 14 days to pay the set stamp responsibility prices.

Stamp responsibility reductions & grants for first house patrons

It is vital to notice that the eligibility necessities for first house proprietor stamp responsibility exemptions or concessions might differ from these for first house proprietor grants in some states and territories.

Do not assume that being ineligible for one means you are ineligible for the opposite. Fastidiously evaluate the eligibility necessities for each.

In some jurisdictions, you may solely be eligible for both a stamp responsibility low cost or a grant, however in others, you might be able to declare each.

Be certain that to do your homework on this or search skilled recommendation.

How do I calculate my stamp responsibility?

A fast strategy to estimate how a lot stamp responsibility may value you is to make use of a stamp responsibility calculator. Simply enter your anticipated buy value, your state or territory, and whether or not you are a primary house purchaser, owner-occupier, or investor to get a projection of stamp responsibility prices.

The place is the most affordable stamp responsibility in Australia?

The price of stamp responsibility varies relying on which state or territory you purchase in. Every authorities units its personal charges and thresholds, which implies properties of the identical worth can entice very totally different stamp responsibility prices throughout the nation.

As a rule of thumb, Queensland usually has a few of the lowest stamp responsibility payments for patrons, whereas Victoria usually ranks among the many most costly. Nevertheless, concessions and exemptions – notably for first house patrons – can change the image significantly.

In the event you’re evaluating stamp responsibility throughout states and territories, it’s price utilizing a calculator that components in native guidelines, property worth, and purchaser kind, so you may see precisely how a lot you’d pay in every location.

Discovering a aggressive house mortgage

The prices related to shopping for a house can appear insurmountable. That is why it is vital to hunt out a aggressive house mortgage at a time when each cent counts. The desk under options proprietor occupier loans with a few of the lowest rates of interest available on the market.

Particulars appropriate as of June 2026.

Picture by Ylanite Koppen by way of Pexels.

Article first printed by Nina Cuturic. Final up to date by Denise Raward.