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Stamp Duty Calculator

Our stamp duty calculator can help you estimate your costs and find out if you're eligible for an exemption or discount in your state or territory.

Stamp duty is one of the biggest costs you'll pay when buying property in Australia. Stamp duty is a form of tax charged by the state government, and it applies when you buy a property, but not when you sell. Our stamp duty calculator can help you work out how much stamp duty you'll pay when buying a home or investment property.

Luckily, first home buyers in most states and territories can qualify for one-off discounts or concessions, depending on the type of property you buy and the purchase price.

Stamp duty calculator

To use this calculator select your state or territory, enter the value of your property (the full value, not your loan amount), choose the type of purchase (home to live in, investment or land) and select yes or no if you're a first home buyer or not.

Stamp duty exemptions and concessions by state/territory

Your stamp duty cost varies depending on where you live. Governments update these costs every few years, depending on state budgets and tax policy.

Click your state or territory below to find out about stamp duty exemptions.

Your stamp duty is determined by several factors beyond where you live. These are:

  • The cost of the property. The more you pay for your property the higher your stamp duty cost will be.
  • Whether you're a first home buyer. If you've never owned a property before then you may quality for a concession (discount) on your stamp duty or even a full exemption. Pensioners and seniors may also qualify for a discount or exemption.
  • The type of home you buy. The amount of stamp duty that you will be charged may depend on the type of property you purchase, with concessions or exemptions for buying new or off-the-plan properties.

What is stamp duty?

Stamp duty in Australia is a state/territory level tax levied on large transactions such as property purchases, cars or other assets. Historically, stamp duty was levied on the signing of various legal documents, hence the word stamp. Stamp duty is sometimes referred to as transfer duty.

How do I pay my stamp duty?

Open door in a house.

Many buyers pay stamp duty at settlement. Depending on your state or territory, it may be due on settlement day, and in other states you have around 30 days from settlement to organise the payment.

Your lawyer or conveyancer can help you with the logistics of paying stamp duty and will advise you of deadlines. Your conveyancer can also help you organise your paperwork when applying for a concession or exemption.

Can I borrow stamp duty with my loan?

Depending on your borrowing power and the size of your deposit, you may be able to have the amount of stamp duty added to your loan. This is known as having your stamp duty capitalised into the principal of the loan.

This means you are borrowing the money to pay stamp duty, so you'll pay interest on that amount for 30 years.

Keep in mind that this may increase your loan to value (LVR) ratio, which could require you to pay a higher Lenders Mortgage Insurance premium, if your loan is above 80% of the property's overall value.

Stamp duty in unique cases

Do I have to pay stamp duty on vacant land?

All transfers of land come with these costs, which you see by using the stamp duty calculator above. The exception to this is through the various concessions and exemptions available from each state, particularly for first home buyers.

Do I have to pay stamp duty on off-the-plan property?

Yes, stamp duty is still payable on off-the-plan property, but keep in mind there are concessions and exemptions available in different states.

Do I have to pay stamp duty on a loan I am refinancing?

In most cases you will have to pay stamp duty again even if you are refinancing. However, there are situations in which you can avoid paying stamp duty. For example, if the names of the borrowers are the same and the amount of the loan is the same, there might be a chance you could avoid paying stamp duty. In some cases, you might also have to refinance with the same lender to avoid this cost.

If you're borrowing more when refinancing (say, a home loan top up) you may have to pay stamp duty on any amount above the original loan.

Note that in some situations you may have to pay the fees but you can then apply for a refund from the lender. Thus, it pays to make sure you do your research before deciding to refinance because any savings you incur from a lower rate might be completely obliterated if you have to pay stamp duty again. In this case, refinancing may simply not be worth the hassle.

Divorce and stamp duty

Stamp duty isn’t payable if one of you is transferring the title to a home or land to another. However, you can only save on stamp duty if the transfer is done so you can obey a court order. The court must be able to know what assets are owned by each of the parties. This includes all of your assets like land, bank accounts and superannuation. It may be necessary to hire an expert to value an asset.

It’s important to know that parenting is seen as a very important contribution. If the marriage has been a long one, it is often seen as equal to financial contributions. Usually, the court gives the party whose financial future is not as good as the other some extra part of the property owned by the parties.

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Richard Whitten is a money editor at Finder, and has been covering home loans, property and personal finance for 6+ years. He has written for Yahoo Finance, Money Magazine and Homely; and has appeared on various radio shows nationwide. He holds a Certificate IV in mortgage broking and finance (RG 206), a Tier 1 Generic Knowledge certification and a Tier 2 General Advice Deposit Products (RG 146) certification. See full bio

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337 Responses

    Default Gravatar
    DannyMay 7, 2015

    If I buy a block of land for $250000 and then build a house on it for $250000 (this is an investment property, do I have to pay stamp duty on the value of the land only or on the total ($500K)

      Default Gravatar
      JodieMay 12, 2015

      Hi Danny,

      Thanks for your question.

      Please note that rules and regulations regarding stamp duty vary according to the state or territory that holds the property, please contact your local state government agency for further details.

      You may however be liable for land tax if you own vacant land, assessed on a calendar year basis. Generally if your land holdings have a total taxable value of at least $250,000 you must pay land tax.

      Regards
      Jodie

    Default Gravatar
    StevenApril 30, 2015

    Hi being on a disability pension do i have to pay stamp duty on the insurance of my house and contents. Thank You.

      Default Gravatar
      BelindaMay 20, 2015

      Hi Steven,

      Thanks for your enquiry.

      Depending on which state you reside in, your may be exempt from paying stamp duty tax if you are on a disability pension.

      Please contact your local state government agency for more details.

      Thanks,
      Belinda

    Default Gravatar
    sanyApril 29, 2015

    Hi
    My brother is first home buyer he is buying a property of 650k in vic and i will be joint holder with 20 percent value of the property. I am not first home buyer, would my brother still be eligible of first home owner stamp duty reduction, because of the value of the home is over 600k. But his share value is 570k and he will be living in there.

      Default Gravatar
      BelindaMay 20, 2015

      Hi Sany,

      Thanks for your enquiry.

      To be eligible for first home buyer duty concessions, no co-purchaser may have previously owned a residential property within Australia.

      However, it would be best to contact the VIC Revenue Office to discuss your options.

      Thanks,
      Belinda

    Default Gravatar
    LindaApril 28, 2015

    Hi,
    We are buying a property for personal use, but have to sell our current property before we move into the new property. If we pay primary residence stamp duty, are we able to let the property out whilst our current property is being sold – i.e. for about 6 to 8 months?
    Thanks,
    Linda

      Default Gravatar
      BelindaMay 20, 2015

      Hi Linda,

      Thanks for your enquiry.

      Please note that rules and regulations regarding stamp duty vary according to the state or territory that holds the property, please contact your local state government agency for further details.

      Thanks,
      Belinda

    Default Gravatar
    MarkApril 24, 2015

    If I buy an established home in WA and later choose to subdivide the property and create two lots, one lot containing the existing residence, the other lot being vacant land. Am I liable for any Duty on the creation of the new title for the rear vacant land? Or would Duty only be applicable for the future purchaser of the land if I ever choose to sell?

    Using the same scenario, am I correct in my understanding that a CGT event could be triggered if we then sell the vacant land? but I could avoid CGT if I live in the existing residence for a subscribed period?
    Regards
    Mark

      Default Gravatar
      JodieMay 8, 2015

      Hi Mark,

      Thank you for getting in touch.

      The subject of when capital gains tax is payable is complicated, we have emailed you some further advice for your query.

      Regards
      Jodie

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