Calculator
Duty is calculated on the actual bracket structure for the state you select, then any first home buyer concession or exemption is applied.
Check these inputs before relying on the result
Important
These results are estimates for general informational purposes only. They are not a loan approval, a formal quote, or an offer of credit, and they are subject to individual lender assessment, verification of your income, expenses and credit history, and current lender policy. This is not personal financial or credit advice and does not take your objectives or circumstances into account.
Interest rates and comparison rates vary by lender, loan purpose, LVR and your individual circumstances, and can change at any time. Any rate used here is the figure you entered, not a rate offer.
Duty rates, thresholds and concession eligibility change regularly and are set by each state revenue office. Foreign purchaser surcharges, off-the-plan concessions, pensioner concessions and land tax are not included. Confirm with your state revenue office or conveyancer before relying on this figure.
Transfer duty (stamp duty) is a state tax on the dutiable value of a property - normally the higher of the purchase price and market value. Each state publishes a bracket scale: a fixed base amount plus a marginal rate on the excess above the bracket threshold.
Because the scales are progressive, duty rises faster than price. In Victoria a $600,000 purchase and a $1,200,000 purchase do not differ by a factor of two in duty terms.
Most states exempt first home buyers below a threshold and then taper the concession on a sliding scale to a higher cut-off - for example a full exemption in Victoria up to $600,000, phasing out by $750,000.
Eligibility usually requires that you have never owned property in Australia, that you move in within 12 months and live there for a minimum period, and that the purchase is within the price cap. Queensland, South Australia and the ACT treat new builds and vacant land more generously than established homes.
Duty is only part of your upfront cash. Budget also for transfer and mortgage registration fees, conveyancing, building and pest inspections, lenders mortgage insurance and council rate adjustments at settlement.
Foreign purchaser surcharges (typically 7-8%), off-the-plan concessions, pensioner concessions and land tax are separate rules and are not covered by this estimate.
Duty is generally payable within 30 days of settlement, and in practice your conveyancer collects and remits it at settlement. It cannot be borrowed on top of a standard loan unless you have equity or a guarantor.
That matters for your deposit plan: duty is cash you need on the day, so it should come out of your available funds before you calculate your maximum purchase price.
An established home in Victoria at $680,000, bought by an eligible first home buyer who will live in it.
Crossing the $750,000 cut-off removes the concession entirely - the extra $80,000 of price costs more than $22,000 in extra duty.
An established apartment in Sydney at $850,000, purchased as an investment by an Australian resident.
Investors receive no concession, so upfront costs of roughly $36,000 need to sit alongside the deposit in your cash plan.
Not directly. Lenders fund a percentage of the property value, not the duty. You can effectively cover it by borrowing at a higher LVR (and paying LMI) or by using equity in another property, but it must be funded at settlement.
Not on an eligible purchase up to $600,000. Between $600,000 and $750,000 a partial concession applies on a sliding scale, and above $750,000 full duty is payable.
Yes. Queensland, South Australia, NSW and WA all treat new homes or land differently, and building contracts are usually only dutiable on the land component - which can save tens of thousands.
No transfer duty applies when you simply move a loan to a new lender. Duty can apply if the ownership on title changes, such as adding or removing a partner.
They are close estimates based on the published state scales, but thresholds change with each state budget and surcharges can apply. Confirm with your conveyancer or state revenue office before committing.
Every lender reads these numbers differently. Book a free 30-minute call and we'll check your figures against real lender policy.
A free, no-obligation 30-minute call is usually enough to know exactly where you stand and what to do next.
