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.
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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?
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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Ask a question
Hi guys
Me and my dad are living in a PPR and he wants to sign the property into my name . We have both lived in the same property since 1991.
I’m just wondering will stamp duty be involved? Or could I avoid it seeing it’s a PPR not an investment.
Thank you
Hi Simon,
Thank you for getting in touch with finder.
Your ‘main residence’ (your home) is generally exempt from capital gains tax (CGT). However, stamp duty is imposed by state and territory governments. It can vary depending on the state or territory, and may be called stamp duty, transfer duty or general duty so you better seek professional advice to your local state revenue office regarding this.
I hope this helps.
Have a great day!
Cheers,
Jeni
I want to transfer the title of our property into the name of my long term partner. Will there be a stamp duty charge? Is capital gains tax payable?
Hi Adam,
Thanks for your question.
There are cases that you need not pay stamp duty if you will be adding a partner to the property. You would need to fill out an exemption form that can be obtained from your state office of revenue.
As for the CGT, generally, even if you are gifting property, CGT is applicable. Although if you are transferring or gifting a property that is your main place of residence to your family or someone else, you may be exempted from paying CGT. You may have to check your local revenue office to confirm if you qualify. As a general guide, you may want to read our article about avoiding charges when transferring property within the family.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
May
Do I have to pay stamp duty for a house that I share with my brother, if my brother owes 35% and I owe 65% of the house and he is transferring his part to me?
Hi Maro,
Thanks for your question.
Typically, while stamp duty is often associated to sale of a property, it may also apply when there is a transfer of ownership from one person to another even if there is no monetary consideration involved.
As to how much you would pay, it depends on the type of property as well as your status. Stamp duty rates vary across the country and would change every now and then. Usually, these are based on a sliding scale, with percentages increasing according to the value of the property. I’d encourage you to speak with a professional such as tax accountant to ensure whether or not you have to pay stamp duty and exactly how much you will need to pay. Checking with your local government is also best.
Cheers,
Joanne
Three brothers bought a house in 1985, so our names are in the property title. Over the years, two of the brothers moved out and left the remaining brother lives in that property and take over the financial aspect of the property. Now we (other 2 brothers) would like to transfer the full ownership to the real owner and no money involved. Would we have to pay for stamp duty?
Many thanks in advance
Hi Hien,
Thank you for contacting finder. We are a comparison website and general information service, we’re more than happy to offer general advice.
Stamp duty tax is not a pre-set amount, but rather determined by the state or province you are purchasing in, the cost of the property and its type. There are certain circumstances that may allow an individual to be exempt or to receive discounts from this tax. As stamp tax can be a major cost, it’s important to do your research to see if you can receive any exemptions or concessions. You may scroll up to check your state’s exemption rules.
I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Danielle
Hi there,
I found out recently that the investment property in QLD that my husband and I own is set up as tenants in common with a 60/40 split. 60 to my husband, 40 to me. It is still under mortgage. We wish to set the property up as joint tenants (for the sake of our will) and have been informed that we first have to transfer the 10% to me before we can change to joint tenants and that transfer will incur CGT. Is this correct. Is there a way around this? Can he gift it to me?
Thanks
Hi Susan,
Thanks for your question.
Transferring a share of a property you own in Queensland to your spouse is a dutiable transaction unless all the following apply:
Hence, unless the property will become your principal residence, the transfer of investment properties will incur transfer duty. You may refer to Queensland home or property owner exemptions for more information. You can also seek legal advice on this matter.
Cheers,
Liezl