Ask anyone who’s bought a home what surprised them most, and plenty will say stamp duty. You spend months saving a deposit, then there’s another five-figure bill waiting at settlement. The calculator below won’t make it go away, but at least you’ll see it coming. Please ensure you double check any estimates with the relevant state or territory government.
Think of it as the state’s cut when a property changes hands. Buy a house, a unit or a block of land, and your state or territory charges a tax on the sale. In NSW they call it transfer duty. Victoria says land transfer duty. Over in the ACT, it’s conveyance duty. Different names, same bill.
And yes, it’s on you as the buyer. Most people never pay it directly, because their conveyancer sorts it out on settlement day or not long after. What catches people is how much it swings between states. Every state writes its own rules, so a place in Brisbane and a similar one in Melbourne can come with very different duties.
The calculator takes your details and applies your state’s current rates. What you get is an estimate you can plan around. The final amount gets confirmed closer to settlement.
Duty is worked out on a sliding scale. Different parts of the price fall into different brackets, and the higher brackets carry higher rates. States use either the purchase price or the market value of the home, whichever is higher. It’s not just a bit more duty on a more expensive home, though. The gap grows pretty quickly.
| Property price | State | Buyer type | Estimated duty |
|---|---|---|---|
| $600,000 | VIC | Non-first home buyer | $31,070 |
| $600,000 | VIC | Eligible first home buyer | $0 |
| $700,000 | VIC | Eligible first home buyer (concession) | approx. $24,700 |
| $800,000 | NSW | Non-first home buyer | around $30,000* |
| $800,000 | NSW | Eligible first home buyer | $0 |
If it’s your first home, you may not pay full duty. In NSW, eligible buyers pay no transfer duty on new or existing homes up to $800,000, and then a reduced rate kicks in up to a million bucks. In Victoria, your home gets a full exemption up to $600,000, then there’s partial relief up to $750,000.
Generally, one buyer needs to be an Australian citizen or permanent resident. You’ll have to move in and live there for a bit, and the price has to fall under the limit.
| State or territory | What it's called | First home buyer relief | Foreign purchaser surcharge |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | Transfer duty | Yes, full to $800K, partial to $1M | Yes (9%) |
| VIC | Land transfer duty | Yes, full to $600K, partial to $750K | Yes (8%) |
| QLD | Transfer duty | Yes, full with no cap on new homes; full to $700K, partial to $800K on established homes | Yes (8%) |
| WA | Transfer duty | Yes, full to $600K, partial to $800K | Yes (7%) |
| SA | Stamp duty | Yes, new homes only, full exemption with no cap (no discount on established homes) | Yes (7%) |
| TAS | Property transfer duty | Ended for settlements after 30 June 2026; a $20,000 grant is still available on new homes | Yes (8%) |
| ACT | Conveyance duty | Yes, no income test or value cap from 1 July 2026 | No (an annual land tax surcharge applies to foreign owners instead) |
| NT | Stamp duty | Discount up to $18,601 on eligible established homes; check current caps with the Territory Revenue Office | No |
Stamp duty tends to get all the attention, but it’s rarely the only extra cost sitting between you and the keys.
Most buyers underestimate this side of the budget because these fees don’t show up on the listing price, they turn up one by one as settlement gets closer, and together they can add a few thousand dollars on top of what you’ve already set aside for duty and your deposit.
On top of stamp duty, budget for:
Our home loan calculator can give you an estimate on repayments, so you can see how these costs fit alongside your ongoing mortgage.
Have a go at trying out a few different prices in the calculator while you’re still looking around. It helps you see where your budget really sits.
Before you sign on the dotted line, check the latest rates with your state revenue office. If the purchase is off the plan or a bit complicated, a conveyancer or solicitor can walk you through it.
A couple of habits worth building in before you get to the offer stage:
Here are the frequently asked questions about the stamp duty calculator.
Start with the calculator to see what you’ll pay, based on your state and price. If your partner has owned property before, you might not qualify for the first home buyer break at all.
Buying off the plan can lower the amount, because some states leave out construction costs. Check with your conveyancer before you sign.
Some lenders are okay with that, depending on your deposit and loan-to-value ratio. Go over 80% of the property’s value and you may have to pay lenders mortgage insurance. You’ll also pay interest on that duty for the life of the loan, so stumping up the cash usually works out cheaper.
For investors, it’s the straight-up standard rate, since the discounts only count if you live in the place. On a $600,000 house in Victoria, first home buyers pay zero, while investors cough up $31,070. Duty can’t be written off each year, but it can help reduce your capital gains tax when you sell.
Usually within 30 to 90 days after settlement, depending on the state. Your conveyancer will normally sort it out, but pay late and the revenue office can charge interest or penalties.
No way. Each state does its own thing with rates, discounts and foreign buyer surcharges. On a $750,000 house in 2026, duty ranged from about $19,208 in the ACT to $40,070 in Victoria.
In most states, yes. There’s a surcharge on top of the usual duty, currently 9% in NSW and 8% in Victoria. The ACT and NT don’t charge one. Temporary visa holders are usually treated as foreign buyers, too.
Yep, even for just a block of land. Some states offer first home buyer relief if you plan to build. In NSW, land worth up to $350,000 can be exempt, with a reduced rate up to $450,000.
It’s reliable enough for budgeting, but only as good as the details you enter. It won’t pick up every concession or recent rate change, so your conveyancer will confirm the exact amount before settlement.
Ready to take the next step towards homeownership? Use our calculator to explore your borrowing options and get a clearer idea of what you could afford before applying.
