Transferring or gifting property to a family member can be as simple as submitting a property transfer form, but there are costs involved – even when the property is given as a gift.
Generally, you can not avoid all of the costs involved so it's unlikely you'll be able to gift a house to a family member or relative for free.
The 2 big fees you may be liable to pay are stamp duty on the market value of your property, and potentially capital gains tax (CGT) if it was an investment property.
What is a property title and why does it cost money to transfer it?
A property title is a legal document that holds all the information about a property. It includes details on who owns the land or has a mortgage on it.
When the owner changes, either through gifting or through selling it, the title needs to be legally updated.
Do you have to pay stamp duty on a gifted property?
You have to pay stamp duty on the market value of your property. Even if no money changes hands, the transfer will be considered to have been done based on the property's market value. The government uses this "true" valuation to determine the stamp duty and CGT costs regardless of the discounted selling price.
When transferring a property to a family member, the Australian Tax Office (ATO) says you need to make an effort to get an actual value to estimate from.
"You should obtain a valuation from a professional valuer, or work out the market value yourself using reasonably objective and supportable data," they say. "This can include the price paid for very similar property that was sold at the same time in the same location."
For some examples:
On a property worth $500,000 transferred in QLD, the stamp duty is around $20,000.
On a property worth $600,000 transferred in WA, the stamp duty is around $32,500.
On a property worth $700,000 transferred in VIC, the stamp duty is around $39,000.
On a property worth $800,000 transferred in NSW, the stamp duty is around $31,000.
If the person receiving the gift of the property has not owned a property before, they may be entitled to a discount or waiver on stamp duty.
What if you're gifting part of a property to someone?
Stamp duty is only payable based on how much of the property is being transferred to another person.
One of our readers reached out and asked, "When selling a1/2 of your property to your child, do they pay stamp duty on the full value of the property, or only on the version they are buying?"
The answer is, you only need to pay stamp duty on the part of the property that is changing ownership. In this scenario, if the parents are gifting half of the property to their child, then that recipient would pay stamp duty based on half of the property's value.
Does anything change depending on the state or territory you live in?
Yes. The law around transferring property titles is Australia-wide, but the rules on stamp duty are different in each state and territory.
There are 2 ways you can transfer a property to a family member: gifting and selling.
Gift
You can give ownership of your property to a family member as a gift. No money changes hands in this scenario, but this requires filling out the necessary paperwork with your state revenue office and title office. Your conveyancer may advise you to organise a deed of gift as well. If the property was an investment and not the seller's primary residence, there will likely be CGT costs as well (more on that below).
Sale
You can sell your property to a family member. You will be liable for stamp duty and it will be calculated based on the property's market value, and not the sale price. For instance, Also, if the property is not the seller's main residence (say, if it was an investment property) then capital gains tax will probably apply as well.
What costs will you pay when transferring property to family?
Below are a few examples of fees and charges that may apply when you are transferring or gifting property within your family:
Costs paid by the original owner
Valuation costs. You might need to have the property value determined by a certified valuer before transferring or gifting your property. This is so you know how much to report that you have gained or lost when filing your income taxes. Independent valuations cost between $300 and $900 depending on where the property is.
Legal fees. You should have a conveyancer or solicitor oversee the property transfer and have them draw up contracts or transfer documents with title details, the value and determined price of the property, as well as personal details for both parties. These legal documents can be used in case the validity of the property transfer is ever questioned.
Capital gains tax (CGT). The CGT cost will depend on the amount of capital gain or capital loss resulting from the CGT event. In the event of a capital gain, your total gain amount will be the difference between your capital proceeds and the cost base of your asset. The actual CGT amount you pay depends on your income, as it's added to your income tax for the applicable year. Read more about CGT when selling in our in-depth guide.
Costs paid by the new owner
Stamp duty. Also referred to as stamp duty land tax, this tax is calculated on the value of the property or land that is being transferred or gifted and is represented as a percentage. Some purchases may be exempt from stamp duty, so check with your state or territory office of revenue. Stamp duty is calculated based on the state or territory you're in.
Legal fees. You should have a conveyancer check over everything before signing, and the fees for this can range from a few hundred dollars up to $1,000.
Vanessa and Adnan own a home in NSW. They sell it to their son Al for $500,000, knowing that its true value is actually $900,000. Al pays them $500,000 and Vanessa and Adnan get a professional property valuer to look at the property. The valuer puts the property's market value at $900,000.
Al's costs therefore are:
Sale price: $500,000
Stamp duty (calculated on $900,000 for first home buyers): $20,200
Vanessa and Adnan have used the house as their primary residence for more than 10 years. Therefore they won't have to pay CGT.
* This is a fictional, but realistic, example.
Can you avoid fees and charges when transferring property?
Not entirely. When you gift your property you are still charged stamp duty, even if you sell the property for a small amount to a family member or friend. As the ATO states, the property is calculated at market value if you:
Receive no money for your property
Receive less than the market value for your property; or,
Do not deal at arm's length with the buyer during the sale event
Dealing at arm's length refers to both parties in the sale acting independently and having no "influence or control over each in connection with the transaction".
You might be able to avoid hefty fees when transferring or gifting properties in some select situations and scenarios where CGT and other charges will not apply. Below are some examples of these situations:
If you acquired the asset before 20 September 1985: This date is when CGT came into effect, so any property or assets that were acquired before this date may be exempt from CGT.
If the property being transferred is your home (main residence): If you have been living at the property and have indicated it as your main place of residence (i.e. the address is on your current driver’s licence and you receive mail there) then you may be exempt from CGT when gifting or selling a property to another.
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
Richard's expertise
Richard has written 553 Finder guides across topics including:
From supply and demand through to location, facilities and planned infrastructure projects, there are plenty of factors that can influence property value.
When you gift your property, generally, CGT still applies. The Australian Government refers to this process as a ‘CGT event’. As the ATO states, the property is calculated at market value if you:
– Receive no money for your property
– Receive less than the market value for your property; or,
– Do not deal at arm’s length with the buyer during the sale event
You can learn more how much CGT you will be paying for your transfer by reaching out to a Property Tax Specialists. Just provide your information on the above form.
Cheers,
Anndy
MarkAugust 30, 2016
Me and my younger sister are on a disability pension and still living at home with our parents who are also on a pension. My parents want to transfer the house over in our names so that my older brother and older sister cannot contest the property in the will.
If I calculated this correctly, it will cost around $12,000 in stamp duty, if say the house was worth around $600,000. We can’t afford that! We will never sell the house, but will remain living in it long past our parents have moved on.
Why is it such an absolute rip off to place a bit of ink on a piece of paper that says: the house now belongs to me and my sister?
Finder
MayAugust 30, 2016Finder
Hi Mark,
Thank you for contacting finder.com.au we are a financial comparison website and general information service we are not mortgage specialists so can only offer general advice.
Stamp duty is usually paid by the new owner when a property is being gifted or transferred to them, depending on where your property is located, some transfer may be exempt from stamp duty. It’s best to check with your state office of revenue if exemption might be available to you.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
May
AlisonAugust 26, 2016
If my mother was to gift me the title of her house that she purchased in 2014 and currently lives in (and will continue to live in), will she be required to pay CGT given its her primary residence?
I understand I would have to pay stamp duty on market value.
Cheers
Finder
MaySeptember 1, 2016Finder
Hi Alison,
Thank you for contacting Finder.
CGT is actually applicable even when the property is being gifted. However, there are circumstances that CGT may not be applied if the property is your main place of residence and not for any profit-making purposes. So most likely, your mother may be exempt from paying CGT. Please read our CGT and selling property guide for more details.
Regards,
May
CarolynAugust 19, 2016
i have lived in a family trust property for the last 20 years, paying rent – the property is going to be transferred into my name – what fees will i have to pay?
Finder
MayAugust 19, 2016Finder
Hi Carolyn,
Thanks for your question.
As a new owner of the property, most likely, you will have to pay for stamp duty, which is based on the value of the property. you can also read our stamp duty guide for you to find more information how this stamp duty being calculated.
You may also like to check with your state office of revenue if stamp duty exemption might be applied to you.
I hope this has helped.
Cheers,
May
TracyAugust 8, 2016
Hi,my husband and i will be knocking down our main residence of 22 years which is mortgage free and our daughter and son in law will be paying for the majority of a duplex to be built on the land.
We will be putting their names on the title deeds to allow them to apply for a mortgage then will be separating into 2 titles at the end of construction.
Is there a way to minimise stamp duty?
Finder
MayAugust 9, 2016Finder
Hi Tracy,
Thank you for contacting Finder.
Generally, your stamp duty depends on the value of your property. The Office of State Revenue where your property is located will be also able to determine the stamp duty charges. You can learn more about that on our stamp duty guide. It’d be best to check with your state revenue office to find out how much tax will be applied to you.
Cheers,
May
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Valuation costs. You might need to have the property value determined by a certified valuer before transferring or gifting your property. This is so you know how much to report that you have gained or lost when filing your income taxes. Independent valuations cost between $300 and $900 depending on where the property is.
HI Lyn,
Thanks for your question.
When you gift your property, generally, CGT still applies. The Australian Government refers to this process as a ‘CGT event’. As the ATO states, the property is calculated at market value if you:
– Receive no money for your property
– Receive less than the market value for your property; or,
– Do not deal at arm’s length with the buyer during the sale event
You can learn more how much CGT you will be paying for your transfer by reaching out to a Property Tax Specialists. Just provide your information on the above form.
Cheers,
Anndy
Me and my younger sister are on a disability pension and still living at home with our parents who are also on a pension. My parents want to transfer the house over in our names so that my older brother and older sister cannot contest the property in the will.
If I calculated this correctly, it will cost around $12,000 in stamp duty, if say the house was worth around $600,000. We can’t afford that! We will never sell the house, but will remain living in it long past our parents have moved on.
Why is it such an absolute rip off to place a bit of ink on a piece of paper that says: the house now belongs to me and my sister?
Hi Mark,
Thank you for contacting finder.com.au we are a financial comparison website and general information service we are not mortgage specialists so can only offer general advice.
Stamp duty is usually paid by the new owner when a property is being gifted or transferred to them, depending on where your property is located, some transfer may be exempt from stamp duty. It’s best to check with your state office of revenue if exemption might be available to you.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
May
If my mother was to gift me the title of her house that she purchased in 2014 and currently lives in (and will continue to live in), will she be required to pay CGT given its her primary residence?
I understand I would have to pay stamp duty on market value.
Cheers
Hi Alison,
Thank you for contacting Finder.
CGT is actually applicable even when the property is being gifted. However, there are circumstances that CGT may not be applied if the property is your main place of residence and not for any profit-making purposes. So most likely, your mother may be exempt from paying CGT. Please read our CGT and selling property guide for more details.
Regards,
May
i have lived in a family trust property for the last 20 years, paying rent – the property is going to be transferred into my name – what fees will i have to pay?
Hi Carolyn,
Thanks for your question.
As a new owner of the property, most likely, you will have to pay for stamp duty, which is based on the value of the property. you can also read our stamp duty guide for you to find more information how this stamp duty being calculated.
You may also like to check with your state office of revenue if stamp duty exemption might be applied to you.
I hope this has helped.
Cheers,
May
Hi,my husband and i will be knocking down our main residence of 22 years which is mortgage free and our daughter and son in law will be paying for the majority of a duplex to be built on the land.
We will be putting their names on the title deeds to allow them to apply for a mortgage then will be separating into 2 titles at the end of construction.
Is there a way to minimise stamp duty?
Hi Tracy,
Thank you for contacting Finder.
Generally, your stamp duty depends on the value of your property. The Office of State Revenue where your property is located will be also able to determine the stamp duty charges. You can learn more about that on our stamp duty guide. It’d be best to check with your state revenue office to find out how much tax will be applied to you.
Cheers,
May