Before you fall in love with a place, there's one number that decides how much cash you really need at the table: stamp duty. At the price you're looking at, does the first home buyer exemption wipe it out completely, and if it doesn't, how much do you actually pay? On a $700,000 home, the answer is anywhere from $0 to roughly $30,000 depending on which state you're in and whether the place is new or established.
The short version, as of June 2026. In New South Wales a first home owner pays $0 up to $800,000. In Victoria it's $0 up to $600,000. In Queensland and South Australia, a new build is $0 with no price cap at all. And from 1 July 2026 the ACT scraps first home owner stamp duty entirely, with no income test and no value cap, a first for any Australian state or territory.
This guide gives you the real dollar figures for every state at $500,000, $700,000 and $900,000, plus one plain-English sentence on who qualifies. For your exact price and postcode, run it through the NestPath stamp duty calculator; it's free and takes about thirty seconds.
At a glance: stamp duty for first home buyers in every state (2026)
This table is the position as of June 2026. Full exemption means $0 duty up to that price; above it, most states give a tapering concession up to a second cap before standard duty kicks in.
| State | Full exemption up to | Concession / taper up to | New vs established |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | $800,000 | $1,000,000 | Both new and established |
| VIC | $600,000 | $750,000 | Both new and established |
| QLD | New: no cap. Established: $700,000 | Established: $799,999 | New build uncapped; established to $700K |
| WA | $500,000 (→ $600,000 from ~28 Jul 2026) | $700,000 (→ $800,000 from ~28 Jul 2026) | Both new and established |
| SA | New: no cap | No concession on established | New builds only |
| ACT | All first home buyers (from 1 July 2026) | No cap, no income test | Both new and established |
| TAS | $750,000 (established, ends 30 June 2026) | Hard cliff, no taper | Established (current scheme) |
| NT | New house & land packages: no cap (to 30 June 2027) | Discount of up to $18,601 on eligible homes | Full exemption on H&L packages; discount on lower-value homes |
If you take one thing from that grid: the two states that exempt a new build at any price are Queensland and South Australia, and the ACT is about to leapfrog everyone by removing duty for first home buyers across the board.
What is stamp duty, and why it hits first home buyers hardest
Stamp duty is a one-off state government tax on a property transfer. Most states officially call it transfer duty. You pay it once, when you buy, and it's worked out as a percentage of the purchase price that climbs as the price goes up. On a mid-range home it commonly lands between $20,000 and $40,000; on a higher-value place it can pass $60,000.
The reason it stings for a first home buyer isn't just the size of it, it's the timing. Stamp duty is cash due at or shortly after settlement (usually within 30 days), and it can't be rolled into your home loan. So it sits on top of your deposit, your conveyancing fees and your moving costs, all in the same fortnight. People who've saved hard for a 20% deposit are often blindsided by needing several thousand more on top.
That's why the exemption matters so much. Get it, and tens of thousands of dollars stay in your account. Miss it by a thousand dollars on the purchase price, and in some states you pay the lot. Before you set a budget, check your borrowing power and track the real cash you'll need on settlement day in the deposit tracker; both account for duty, so the number you plan around is the number you actually need.
Exemption vs concession, what's the difference?
These two words get used interchangeably, but they mean very different things for your bank balance. An exemption means you pay $0 duty. A concession means you pay a reduced amount, usually a sliding scale that shrinks the more you save and grows the closer your price gets to the upper cap.
The part that catches people out is the difference between a taper and a cliff. With a taper (NSW, VIC, WA), going $1,000 over the full-exemption threshold costs you a little more duty, not all of it; the relief phases out gradually. With a cliff (Tasmania's current scheme is the clearest example), one dollar over the line means you lose the entire exemption and pay full duty. So if you're hovering near a cliff, a slightly lower offer can literally save you the whole bill. Your conveyancer can tell you which type your state uses before you sign anything.
Stamp duty for first home buyers, state by state (2026)
Each block below gives the real dollar figures at three common price points, the one-line rule, who qualifies, and how new builds are treated. Figures are rounded to the nearest $1,000 for readability; your conveyancer produces the cent-exact number at contract, and you can sanity-check any price in the stamp duty calculator.
NSW stamp duty exemption, $0 to $800,000, taper to $1M
| Purchase price | Standard duty | FHB you pay | You save |
|---|---|---|---|
| $500,000 | ~$17,990 | $0 | ~$17,990 |
| $700,000 | ~$27,000 | $0 | ~$27,000 |
| $900,000 | ~$36,400 | ~$18,200 (concession) | ~$18,200 |
The rule: $0 duty up to $800,000 on both new and established homes, a phased concession from $800,001 to $1,000,000, and full duty above $1M. Who qualifies: you (and any other buyer on the contract) must not have owned property in Australia before, move in within 12 months of settlement, and live there for 12 continuous months. This has been the position since 1 July 2023, and it's the most generous flat exemption in the country. Check your exact figure in the stamp duty calculator and see what else NSW offers on the NSW grants page.
Victoria stamp duty for first home buyers, $0 to $600,000, taper to $750,000
| Purchase price | Standard duty | FHB you pay | You save |
|---|---|---|---|
| $500,000 | ~$21,970 | $0 | ~$21,970 |
| $700,000 | ~$37,070 | ~$24,700 (concession) | ~$12,300 |
| $900,000 | ~$49,500 | ~$49,500 (no concession) | $0 |
The rule: $0 up to $600,000, a tapering concession from $600,001 to $750,000, full duty above $750,000, on both new and established homes. Who qualifies: first-time buyers using the home as their principal place of residence, moving in within 12 months and living there for at least 12 continuous months. Victoria's thresholds haven't moved in years, so the relief bites earlier here than in NSW; a $700,000 Melbourne purchase still saves roughly $12,300, but a freestanding home over $750,000 (increasingly common in the inner-middle ring) pays full freight. Run your number through the calculator and see the VIC grants page.
Stamp duty for first home buyers in QLD, $0 on new builds (no cap), established exempt to $700,000
| Purchase price | Standard duty | FHB, new build | FHB, established |
|---|---|---|---|
| $500,000 | ~$8,750 | $0 | $0 |
| $700,000 | ~$17,325 | $0 | $0 (full exemption to $700,000) |
| $900,000 | ~$30,850 | $0 | ~$30,850 (no concession above $800K) |
The rule: on a new build there's no value cap at all, so an eligible first home buyer pays $0 regardless of price, after the 1 May 2025 reform removed the cap. On an established home (contracts on or after 9 June 2024), the full exemption runs to $700,000, with a partial concession from $700,001 to $799,999 and standard rates from $800,000. Who qualifies: never owned property before, move in within one year and live there for at least a year. In the $700,001 to $799,999 band you also need to be paying genuine market value. Check your figure in the calculator and the QLD grants page.
Western Australia stamp duty for first home buyers, $0 to $500,000, taper to $700,000 (rising to $600,000/$800,000 from ~28 Jul 2026)
| Purchase price | Standard duty | FHB you pay | You save |
|---|---|---|---|
| $500,000 | ~$17,765 | $0 | ~$17,765 |
| $600,000 | ~$22,515 | ~$13,630 (concession) | ~$8,885 |
| $700,000 | ~$28,265 | ~$27,260 (top of concession band) | ~$1,005 |
| $900,000 | ~$39,000 | ~$39,000 (above concession cap) | $0 |
The rule (now): $0 duty up to $500,000, a concession from $500,000 to $700,000, and standard rates above $700,000. Vacant land is exempt to $350,000 with a concession to $450,000. What's coming: the WA 2026-27 Housing Taxation Package, announced in the 7 May 2026 Budget, lifts the home exemption/concession to $600,000/$800,000 and land to $450,000/$550,000 — but it hasn't commenced yet (expected from around 28 July 2026). Until it does, RevenueWA assesses at the current thresholds, then reassesses and refunds eligible contracts dated on or after 7 May 2026 once the law is in force. Who qualifies: first home buyers using the property as their main home; the relief applies to both new and established homes, and the First Home Owner Grant on new builds currently extends to homes valued up to $750,000 (rising to $800,000 with the package). So today a $500,000 purchase is fully exempt, a $600,000 first home pays roughly $13,630 in concessional duty, $700,000 is near the top of the concession band, and $900,000 sits above the concession ceiling. Check the calculator and the WA grants page.
South Australia stamp duty for first home buyers, $0 on new builds (no cap), no relief on established
| Purchase price | Standard duty | FHB, new build | FHB, established |
|---|---|---|---|
| $500,000 | ~$21,330 | $0 | ~$21,330 |
| $700,000 | ~$33,330 | $0 | ~$33,330 |
| $900,000 | ~$46,830 | $0 | ~$46,830 |
The rule: SA removed the value cap on the new-build exemption for contracts on or after 6 June 2024, a permanent change. A first home buyer building or buying a brand-new home, an off-the-plan apartment, or an eligible house-and-land package pays $0 duty no matter the price. The catch: there's no first home buyer concession on established homes in SA, so an established purchase pays standard rates. That makes the new-versus-established decision worth tens of thousands here; a $900,000 new build saves around $47,000. See the calculator and the SA grants page.
ACT stamp duty for first home buyers, abolished for everyone from 1 July 2026
| Purchase price | Standard duty | FHB pays (from 1 July 2026) | You save |
|---|---|---|---|
| $500,000 | ~$10,000 | $0 | ~$10,000 |
| $700,000 | ~$18,650 | $0 | ~$18,650 |
| $900,000 | ~$28,400 | $0 | ~$28,400 |
The big change: announced in the 2026-27 ACT Budget, from 1 July 2026 the ACT abolishes stamp duty for all first home buyer owner-occupiers, with no income test and no property value cap. It's a first for any Australian jurisdiction. On a $1 million home that's around $30,000 saved; on a $1.5 million home, roughly $70,000. If you settle before 1 July 2026, the older Home Buyer Concession Scheme still applies: $0 duty up to about $1,020,000, but only if your household income sits under the means-test limit. After 1 July 2026 that means test disappears for first home buyers. If your settlement is close to the line, talk to your conveyancer about the timing. See the ACT grants page and the calculator.
Tasmania stamp duty for first home buyers, full exemption on established homes to $750,000 (ends 30 June 2026)
| Purchase price | Standard duty | FHB you pay | You save |
|---|---|---|---|
| $500,000 | ~$18,200 | $0 | ~$18,200 |
| $700,000 | ~$26,950 | $0 | ~$26,950 |
| $900,000 | ~$36,700 | ~$36,700 (cliff above $750K) | $0 |
The rule: a 100% exemption on established homes with a dutiable value of $750,000 or less, for settlements between 18 February 2024 and 30 June 2026 inclusive. It's a hard cliff: $750,000 is fully exempt, $750,001 pays full duty, with no taper in between. Time-sensitive: as of June 2026 no extension has been announced, so treat 30 June 2026 as the deadline unless the State Revenue Office Tasmania says otherwise. One more thing for new builders: the Tasmanian First Home Owner Grant drops from $30,000 to $20,000 from 1 July 2026, the same decision window. Check the TAS grants page and the calculator.
Northern Territory stamp duty for first home buyers, uncapped new-build exemption plus a discount of up to $18,601
| Purchase price | Standard duty | FHB, house & land package | FHB, other eligible home |
|---|---|---|---|
| $500,000 | ~$23,929 | $0 | Discount of up to $18,601 |
| $700,000 | ~$37,051 | $0 | Check NT Territory Revenue Office |
| $900,000 | ~$49,768 | $0 | Check NT Territory Revenue Office |
The rule: the NT works differently to every other jurisdiction. The headline win is the House and Land Package Exemption, which removes duty entirely on eligible new-build packages with contracts signed before 30 June 2027; it isn't means-tested and there's no cap on the property value. Outside that, eligible buyers may claim a stamp duty discount of up to $18,601, but this is a maximum that applies to lower-value homes rather than a flat amount at every price, and the secondary sources differ on the upper value limit (commonly cited as around $650,000). Because the Territory Revenue Office is the authority here, confirm the current discount, eligibility and any value cap directly with the NT grants page or the NT Territory Revenue Office before you rely on a figure. Pair the package exemption with the $50,000 HomeGrown Territory Grant (available until 30 September 2026) and a new build in Darwin is one of the cheapest entry points in the country. Check the calculator too.
New build vs established, which states only exempt new homes?
In two states, the most generous relief is reserved for new builds, and the gap is large enough to change what you buy. Queensland exempts a new build at any price, while an established home is only exempt to $700,000. South Australia goes further: a new build is $0 with no cap, but an established home gets no first home buyer concession at all, so you pay standard rates.
That doesn't automatically mean you should build. New builds carry their own trade-offs: longer timelines, progress payments, the risk of a builder going under, and often an outer-suburban location. But if you're already weighing new against established, the duty saving is a real number to put in the column, not an afterthought. If a new build is on your shortlist, our guide to house and land packages in Australia walks through what to watch for.
How the First Home Owner Grant stacks with the stamp duty exemption
A common mix-up: people assume the grant and the stamp duty exemption are the same thing, or that you have to choose one. You don't. They're two separate schemes, run under different rules, and in most states an eligible buyer gets both.
The stamp duty exemption removes a tax you'd otherwise pay. The First Home Owner Grant is a cash payment, typically toward a new build, that the state pays you or applies at settlement. So a first home buyer building a new home can pay $0 duty and receive a grant of $10,000 to $30,000 depending on the state. Stack them together and that's a serious dent in your upfront costs.
The amounts and eligibility caps differ by state and change often. See the grants overview for the national picture, jump straight to your state on the state grants pages, and read our full breakdown in first home buyer grants 2026.
The First Home Super Saver Scheme, the federal layer worth knowing
Stamp duty rules are set by the states, but there's one federal scheme that pairs neatly with them when you're pulling a deposit together: the First Home Super Saver Scheme. It lets you make voluntary contributions into your super and later withdraw them (plus deemed earnings) to put toward a first home deposit, with the tax advantages of super applying along the way.
It won't reduce your stamp duty, but it can help you reach the deposit you need faster, which matters more in states where you'll still have a duty bill. Read the eligibility and contribution limits straight from the source on the ATO and Moneysmart before relying on it. One quick note to clear up confusion: the federal negative gearing and capital gains tax changes you may have read about are investor-side reforms; they don't touch the state stamp duty you pay as an owner-occupier.
How to claim the concession (and who handles it)
You don't fill in a stamp duty form at the bank. Your conveyancer or solicitor lodges the duty and any first home buyer exemption or concession with the state revenue office as part of settlement. That's why the right one matters: a careless or rushed conveyancer can miss a concession you legitimately qualify for, and that mistake can cost you thousands you'll never see again.
Two practical things. First, tell your conveyancer up front that you're a first home buyer and ask them to confirm in writing which relief they're applying; don't assume it's automatic. Second, line up the money side early: a good mortgage broker will build duty (or the absence of it) into your real budget so you don't stretch for a place that quietly triggers the tax. And if you're buying established, an independent building inspection protects the rest of the cash the exemption just saved you.
How much cash you actually need at settlement
Stamp duty is one line in a bigger settlement-day total, and it's the one people forget. Even with a full exemption, you'll still need your deposit, conveyancing and search fees, lender fees, and, if your deposit is under 20%, Lenders Mortgage Insurance. The trap is budgeting for the deposit alone and coming up short in the final week.
A few free tools make the number real before you commit. Map the cash you'll have on settlement day in the deposit tracker, check whether LMI applies in the LMI calculator, see what the repayments look like in the mortgage repayment calculator, and confirm you tick the boxes with the first home buyer eligibility checker. If you're not sure where you are in the process, the buying journey lays out the whole path from "what can I afford?" to keys in hand.
The bottom line
Stamp duty can add tens of thousands to your upfront costs, or nothing at all if you qualify. The rules vary a lot between states and they change often: WA announced higher thresholds in its 7 May 2026 Budget (commencing from around 28 July 2026, not yet in force), the ACT abolishes duty for first home buyers from 1 July 2026, and Tasmania's exemption is scheduled to end 30 June 2026. So the single most useful habit is to verify the current position for your state before you make an offer, not after.
The dollar figures here are rounded for readability; your conveyancer produces the cent-exact number at contract. To get a quick, accurate estimate for your own price, state and property type, use the free NestPath stamp duty calculator, then confirm the relief with your conveyancer before you sign. For everything else on the path to your first home, deposits, grants, brokers, inspections, start at the homeowner hub.
Frequently asked questions
Do first home buyers pay stamp duty in Australia?
In most states, no, first home buyers pay $0 up to a threshold ($800,000 in NSW, $600,000 in VIC, and no price cap on new builds in QLD and SA). Above the threshold a concession or full duty applies. From 1 July 2026 the ACT removes stamp duty entirely for all first home buyers, with no income test and no value cap.
Which states have no stamp duty for first home buyers?
From 1 July 2026 the ACT charges no stamp duty to any first home buyer, regardless of price or income. Queensland and South Australia charge $0 on new builds with no price cap. NSW, VIC, WA and TAS give a full exemption up to a set property value, then taper (or, in Tasmania's case, cut off at a hard cliff).
Can first home buyers avoid stamp duty completely?
Yes, if your purchase is at or under your state's exemption threshold, for example under $800,000 in NSW, or any new build in QLD or SA. Above the threshold, concessional rates apply up to a second cap before full duty kicks in. Check your exact figure in the stamp duty calculator.
Is stamp duty paid before or after settlement?
It's due at or shortly after settlement, usually within 30 days, and your conveyancer or solicitor handles the payment and any exemption application. Budget for it in cash even if you expect an exemption, because it can't be rolled into your home loan.
How much is stamp duty on a $700,000 house in Victoria for a first home buyer?
A first home buyer pays a concessional amount, roughly $24,700, saving about $12,300, because $700,000 sits inside Victoria's $600,000 to $750,000 taper band. A purchase at or under $600,000 would be fully exempt. Run your exact price through the stamp duty calculator.
Do first home buyers pay stamp duty in Queensland?
Not on a new build, Queensland removed the value cap on the new-home concession from 1 May 2025, so an eligible first home buyer pays $0 regardless of price. On an established home you pay $0 up to $700,000, with a partial concession from $700,001 to $799,999 and standard rates from $800,000.
How can first home buyers legally reduce stamp duty?
Buy at or under your state's exemption threshold; consider a new build in a state that exempts them uncapped (QLD or SA); and check whether you sit just over a cliff or taper, where a slightly lower offer can keep the full exemption. Always confirm the relief with your conveyancer before you sign the contract.
How much is stamp duty on a $1,000,000 house in NSW?
A first home buyer pays close to full duty at $1,000,000, because the NSW concession phases out completely at the $1M mark. Below $800,000 it's $0, and between $800,001 and $1,000,000 a tapering concession applies. Use the stamp duty calculator for the exact figure.
