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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More guides on Finder
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Stamp duty in the Northern Territory
Everything you need to know about stamp duty in the NT and how it’s calculated.
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Stamp duty in South Australia
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Stamp duty in Tasmania
Everything you need to know about stamp duty in Tasmania and how it’s calculated.
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Queensland stamp duty calculator
Everything you need to know about stamp duty in Queensland and how it’s calculated.
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Stamp duty in the ACT
Everything you need to know about stamp duty in the ACT and how it’s calculated.
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Stamp duty in WA
Everything you need to know about how much stamp duty you'll pay when you buy a home in Western Australia.
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Stamp duty Victoria
Your complete guide to stamp duty in Victoria, including new discounts that could save homebuyers up to $27,500.
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NSW stamp duty calculator & guide
Stamp duty is just one of the many costs associated with property ownership. Learn everything you need to know about transfer duty in NSW.
Ask a question
I would like to transfer my own property to a trust, do I have to pay stamp duty? Can stamp duty be exempt?
Hi Dollies,
thanks for the question.
Stamp duty rules vary by state to state, but generally speaking stamp duty is payable when property that is owned by an individual is moved into a trust.
For more information about what will apply to you, please contact the relevant land department for your state.
I hope this helps,
Marc.
I am on the old age pension and intend to buy a block of land and build a home on it in NSW as my primary residence. What do I have to pay stamp duty on. If I was to buy an established home do I have to pay the full amount of stamp duty
Hi Lynne,
Thank you for contacting Finder.
If you purchase the land as a house and land package, in which the contract to build the property is part of the same contract as the purchase of the land, you will pay stamp duty on the whole house and land value. If you purchase the land and wait until this is paid off to start your build you will only pay stamp duty on the land value, you can read more on buying land and building.
Regards
Jodie
Hi there,
My husbands parents are in their 80’s and we have discussed this scenario with them:
-transferring their home into our names ( granny flat ruling)
-building a granny flat adjacent to their house for them to live in and we move into the house.
– we would finance the build by increasing our mortgage but then we would rent our house when we move into theirs.
I would become their carer although at the moment they do get assistance ( cleaning , groceries , gardening)
We would like some information on what fees etc we would be facing ? This home has been their principle place of residence for the last 16 years and theoretically they will still be at that address. We would like to do this as soon as possible with them as we feel they really can’t live on their own much longer.
Thanks
Mary
Hi Mary,
Thanks for reaching out.
To transfer property ownership, your husband’s parents will generally need to pay stamp duty, legal fees and valuation charges. However, keep in mind that some transfers may be exempt from stamp duty depending on the state in which the property is located.
We have an article about transferring properties to family members. In this article, you will learn how to minimise fees when transferring property within the family which you may find helpful.
To add your names to the property title, you’ll need to complete and submit a transfer of title form, which you can access from your local Office of State Revenue (OSR) website. You can learn more about the process by reading our guide about adding names to house titles.
If you need personal advice about the costs of this strategy, then I suggest speaking with a licensed conveyancer.
I would also take caution with applying for a mortgage increase as this can significantly increase your interest repayments. I recommend speaking to a mortgage broker or accountant before taking action to ensure that you can afford the new repayments (and that your rental income will be sufficient to service the repayments).
All the best,
Belinda
My husband and I are separating after 36 yrs of marriage. We jointly own a family home and a holiday home. We want to transfer the family home to my name and the holiday home to my husband. How do we do this and do we have to pay stamp duty?
Hi Ann,
Thanks for reaching out and I’m sorry to hear about your situation.
To transfer the ownership of each property, you will need to remove the relevant name from each property title. The process and costs involved with this transfer depends on the state in which the property is located, but generally you’ll need to complete and lodge a transfer of title form (stamped by the Office of State Revenue). The form can be obtained from your state government website. For example, in NSW, you can access the transfer form from the Land and Property Information (LPI) website.
You can use our handy guide onhow to remove someone’s name from a property title and you might also be interested to view our article about changing property ownership.
Generally, you need to pay stamp duty when you change the ownership of a property. It is normally calculated at 3-5.5% of the value of the land. However, in some cases stamp duty may be waived so it’s best to check with your state government department.
Use our stamp duty calculator on this page to estimate how much you might be liable for.
Thanks,
Belinda
Hi, My mother and I purchased our house approx 14 year ago and have been paying the load off together however only her name is on the title/deed, we now want to re-mortgage to consolidate some smaller loans and were told by our current lender that as I am not on the title/deed, it was denied even though the current mortgage has been in our both names the entire time. Would we still have to pay to have my name added?
Thanks.
Hi Michelle,
Thanks for reaching out.
I believe that the process and paperwork for adding someone’s name to a property title would be similar to that of adding a long-term partner or spouse, you can learn more about adding your name to the house title. Please also note that the process and cost involved may vary from state to state so you should check with your state Office of State Revenue (OSR) or your local department of Land and Property. We also have a guide about changing property ownership which you might find useful.
You can also learn about how to minimize fees and charges when transferring property ownership within the family.
You should also consider speaking to a conveyancer or solicitor. They can help you with issues related to ownership and property law.
I hope you find this useful.
Regards,
Belinda