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First home buyer stamp duty concessions by state

Last reviewed

At a glance

For a home you’ll live in, bought now:

State Established home New home
NSW No duty up to $800,000, less duty below $1 million Same as established
Victoria No duty up to $600,000, less duty up to $750,000 Same as established
Queensland No duty up to $700,000, less duty below $800,000 No duty at any price
Western Australia No duty up to $600,000, less duty up to $800,000 Same as established
South Australia No relief No duty at any price
Tasmania No relief No relief
ACT No duty at any price No duty at any price
Northern Territory No relief No relief, but see house-and-land packages

Above the limits, first home buyers pay the same duty as other home buyers.

Vacant land to build on has its own limits in some states: no duty up to $350,000 in NSW (less duty below $450,000) and up to $450,000 in WA (less up to $550,000). Victoria uses its usual limits, and Queensland, South Australia and the ACT charge no duty on it at any price.

What you’d pay on a $700,000 home

Stamp duty on a $700,000 home An established home you’ll live in
New South Wales $25,687 less
Other buyers: $25,687 First home buyers: $0
Victoria $12,357 less
Other buyers: $37,070 First home buyers: $24,713
Queensland $17,350 less
Other buyers: $17,350 First home buyers: $0
Western Australia $11,115 less
Other buyers: $27,265 First home buyers: $16,150
South Australia No change
Other buyers: $32,330 First home buyers: $32,330
Tasmania No change
Other buyers: $26,748 First home buyers: $26,748
Australian Capital Territory $17,048 less
Other buyers: $17,048 First home buyers: $0
Northern Territory No change
Other buyers: $34,650 First home buyers: $34,650

First home buyers pay nothing at this price in NSW, Queensland and the ACT

Other buyers here are owner-occupiers, with any home concession they get. The ACT’s scheme is for anyone who hasn’t owned property in the last 5 years.

At this price, a first home buyer saves $25,687 in NSW, $17,350 in Queensland and $17,048 in the ACT, and pays $12,357 less in Victoria. In South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory, an established home costs a first home buyer the same as anyone else.

Who counts as a first home buyer?

Each state has its own rules, but most ask that:

  • you’re 18 or over
  • at least one buyer is an Australian citizen or permanent resident
  • you and your spouse or partner have never owned a home in Australia (Queensland and the ACT count homes overseas too)
  • you move in within about a year and live there for a set time, from 6 to 12 months

The details for each state are below.

State by state

New South Wales

No duty up to $800,000, and less duty above $800,000 and below $1 million, on a new or established home. This is the First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme.

  • At least one buyer must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
  • You and your spouse or partner must never have owned residential property in Australia.
  • One of you must move in within 12 months of settlement and live there for at least 12 months in a row.

First home buyers of a new home may also get the $10,000 First Home Owner Grant (homes up to $600,000).

Victoria

No duty up to $600,000, and less duty from $600,001 to $750,000, on a new or established home or vacant land you’ll build on.

  • At least one buyer must be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or a permanent resident.
  • You and your partner can’t have had a first home grant or duty benefit before, or have lived for 6 months or more in a home you owned. Owning a property you never lived in may not count against you, so check SRO Victoria’s rules if that’s you.
  • You must live there for 12 months in a row, starting within 12 months of settlement.

The $10,000 First Home Owner Grant is also available for new homes up to $750,000.

Queensland

Established homes: no duty up to $700,000, and less duty below $800,000. New homes and vacant land: no duty at any price, for contracts signed from 1 May 2025.

  • You must never have owned a home in Australia or overseas.
  • For contracts signed from 1 August 2026, you must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or specified foreign retiree.
  • You must move in within 1 year of settlement, and can’t rent it out or sell it before you do. For vacant land, you have 2 years to build and move in.
  • Each buyer’s share is assessed separately, so if only one of you qualifies, that share still gets the concession.

First home buyers of a new home under $750,000 may also get the $30,000 First Home Owner Grant.

Western Australia

Since 7 May 2026, there’s no duty up to $600,000 on a new or established home, then $16.15 for every $100 over $600,000, up to $800,000. Vacant land has no duty up to $450,000, then $20.14 for every $100 over that, up to $550,000. The limits are now the same across the whole state. RevenueWA is applying them while the law passes through Parliament.

  • You must meet the First Home Owner Grant rules: at least one buyer must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
  • Every buyer must live in the home for at least 6 months in a row, starting within 12 months.

First home buyers of a new home may also get the $10,000 First Home Owner Grant (homes up to $800,000 south of the 26th parallel, $1 million north of it).

South Australia

No duty on a new home, an off-the-plan apartment or vacant land to build on, at any price, for contracts signed from 6 June 2024. There’s no relief on established homes.

  • At least one buyer must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
  • You and your spouse or partner must never have owned residential property in Australia.
  • Every buyer must live in the home for at least 6 months in a row, starting within 12 months of settlement.

Tasmania

No first home buyer duty relief now. The exemption on established homes up to $750,000 ended for homes settling after 30 June 2026, even if the contract was signed before then.

First home buyers of a new home may get the $20,000 First Home Owner Grant.

Australian Capital Territory

The Home Buyer Concession Scheme means no duty at any price, on homes, units and vacant land, for contracts signed from 1 July 2026. There’s no longer an income limit.

  • It’s for anyone who hasn’t owned property anywhere in the last 5 years, including their partner, not only first home buyers.
  • One of you must move in within 1 year and live there for at least 1 year.

Northern Territory

No first home buyer duty relief. But any buyer of a new detached home bought as a house-and-land package from a builder pays no duty, for contracts signed by 30 June 2027, if one of them lives there for 6 months.

First home buyers of a new home can get the $50,000 HomeGrown Territory Grant, for contracts signed by 30 September 2027.

How do I claim it?

In most states, your conveyancer or solicitor applies for it when they lodge the transfer, using a form or declaration you fill in. In WA, you apply first, through your lender or RevenueWA, then give the approval to your settlement agent.

If it was missed, you can usually still claim a refund for a while after settlement.

Work it out for your home

Our stamp duty calculator works out the duty on any price in every state and territory, with or without first home buyer relief. Our borrowing power calculator takes the stamp duty out of your savings before working out your deposit, so you can see the price you can really afford.

Frequently asked questions

How much stamp duty does a first home buyer pay in NSW?

None on a new or established home up to $800,000, and less duty above that, up to $1 million. On a $700,000 home, that saves $25,687. Vacant land has lower limits: no duty up to $350,000, and less up to $450,000.

Do first home buyers pay stamp duty in Victoria?

Not up to $600,000, and less from $600,001 to $750,000, on a new or established home or vacant land. On a $700,000 home, a first home buyer pays about $24,713 instead of $37,070.

Is there first home buyer stamp duty relief in Queensland?

Yes. On an established home there’s no duty up to about $700,000, and less duty below $800,000. On a new home or vacant land, first home buyers pay no duty at any price, for contracts signed from 1 May 2025.

Which states have no first home buyer stamp duty relief?

Tasmania, where the exemption on established homes ended for homes settling after 30 June 2026, and the Northern Territory. South Australia has relief only on new homes and vacant land. Tasmania and the NT both have grants for new homes instead.

Can I claim the concession after settlement?

Usually yes, for a while. If it was missed, ask your conveyancer or your state’s revenue office about a refund. Keep the declarations you signed, and proof you moved in.

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