Home / First home buyers / Government schemes / Stamp duty concessions
Depending on your state, first home buyers may be eligible for a full exemption from transfer duty or a substantial concession. It's often the single largest saving available.
Stamp duty – also called transfer duty or conveyance duty – is usually the biggest single upfront cost of buying a home after the deposit. For first home buyers, it's also where the most significant relief is available.
Every state and territory administers its own duty and its own concessions. The differences are substantial.
| State | First home buyer position |
|---|---|
| ACT | From 1 July 2026, the property price cap and income threshold were removed from the Home Buyer Concession Scheme. Eligible buyers receive a full duty exemption regardless of property value. Buyers must not have owned property in the previous five years. |
| WA | From 7 May 2026, no duty on eligible homes up to $600,000, with concessional rates to $800,000. Vacant land: full exemption to $450,000, concessions to $550,000. |
| VIC | No duty for eligible first home buyers up to $600,000, with a concession applying between $600,001 and $750,000. |
| NSW | The First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme provides exemptions and concessions subject to property value limits. Confirm current thresholds with Revenue NSW before publishing. |
| SA, QLD, TAS, NT | To complete – confirm current thresholds with each state revenue office before publishing. |
Last reviewed: 12 September 2026. Stamp duty rules differ in every state and change with each state budget, typically between March and June. Always confirm current thresholds with the relevant state revenue office before relying on them – or ask me and I'll check for your purchase.
For many first home buyers, a stamp duty exemption is worth considerably more than the first home owner grant – and unlike the grant, it usually applies to established homes as well as new ones.
It also directly reduces the cash you need at settlement, which can be the difference between buying this year and next.
Duty is generally payable at settlement and can't be added to your loan. If you're eligible for an exemption, the funds you need to complete drop accordingly, which affects how much deposit you need and sometimes which schemes you can use.
Getting this right early changes your whole budget, so it's one of the first things I check.
When you buy vacant land and build, duty generally applies to the land value only, not the completed home. That can make building meaningfully cheaper in duty terms, and several states have separate vacant land thresholds.
Not directly – it's payable at settlement in cash. Some buyers borrow slightly more against the property to cover it, which depends on your loan-to-value ratio and the lender.
Generally no. First home buyer concessions are almost always limited to owner-occupiers, usually with a requirement to live in the property for a minimum period.
