Stamp duty calculator

Our stamp duty calculator can estimate the amount of tax you’ll have to pay on your property purchase – whether you’re an investor, owner-occupier, or first home buyer.

Personal Details
State/Territory of Property
ACT
Value of the property
$
Total income of all purchasers (required)
$
Property Type
Primary Residence
Are you purchasing?
An established home
Number of children
0
Your estimated results
Summary
Stamp Duty on Property
$ 14,354
Mortgage Registration Fee
$ 166
Land Transfer fee
$ 446
Estimated total of Government Fees
$ 14,966
First Home Owner Grant
$ 0.00
Estimated total of Government Grant
$ 0.00

You may be eligible for the Federal Government Home Guarantee Scheme or stamp duty concessions. For more information, please contact your local State or Territorial Revenue Office.

A number of costs can take property buyers by surprise. This is especially true for first-home buyers who may not be familiar with the entire buying process. These costs may include stamp duty.

Stamp duty is a mandatory tax you'll often pay on a property purchase. How much it equates to depends on numerous factors, including the state or territory you're buying in, whether you've owned property before, what you intend to use the property for, and how much you spend to purchase.

Fortunately, the Your Mortgage Stamp Duty Calculator has all those factors covered so you can see if you'll need to pay stamp duty and, if you do, how much you might be up for.

What is stamp duty?

Stamp duty, also known as transfer duty, is a mandatory tax that state or territory governments levy on home buyers when they purchase property.

It covers the cost of transferring a property's legal title from one owner to another and is a major revenue source for state and territory governments, supplementing the funding they receive from the Federal Government.

How is stamp duty calculated?

The amount of stamp duty charged on a property transaction will depend on where the property is being purchased. Each state and territory calculates the tax differently.

As a rule of thumb, the cheaper the property, the less stamp duty you'll likely need to pay.

The cost of stamp duty is largely determined based on the dutiable value of your property – that's either the price you paid for it or its market value at the time of purchase. However, other factors can play a role, including:

  • Whether you’re buying your first home
    Some states and territories offer concessions or exemptions
  • If you plan to live in the property or rent it out
    Investors usually pay more
  • The type of property you’re purchasing
    Vacant land, new builds, off-the-plan properties, or commercial property can attract different rates
  • Whether you receive a relevant pension or hold concession cards
    Pensioner discounts may apply
  • Your residency or citizenship status
    Many states charge higher duty to foreign buyers
  • Your household income 
    In certain states, income thresholds can affect eligibility for concessions

Who pays stamp duty in Australia, the buyer or the seller?

In Australia, stamp duty is paid by the property buyer. The buyer's conveyancer or solicitor usually arranges payment at or shortly after settlement, using funds provided in advance. Sellers do not pay stamp duty unless they are buying another property.

What factors affect the cost of stamp duty?

Other than where the property is located and its dutiable value, there are a few other factors that determine how much a buyer might be charged for stamp duty.

One factor that can impact the cost of duty payable is the purpose of the property – whether it's being purchased for the buyer to live in or as an investment. As a general rule, owner-occupiers face less stamp duty while property investors are charged more.

Further, certain buyers or transactions may be eligible for a stamp duty exemption or concession.

When is stamp duty discounted or waived?

If ownership of a property is passed to a family member following a death or divorce, the new owner probably won't need to pay stamp duty.

Meanwhile, some states and territories exempt first home buyers from paying stamp duty on properties, though there are often stipulations on property types or values.

Concessional rates of stamp duty may also be available for pensioners, carers, and farmers, subject to the varying laws of each state and territory.

Lower rates are also sometimes available to those building new properties or purchasing off the plan.

How do you pay stamp duty?

Stamp duty is usually paid at the point of settlement or within a few weeks of settlement and is typically done by the buyer's conveyancer or solicitor. New homeowners or their representatives must direct the payment of stamp duty to the relevant state or territory revenue office. You can find out more by visiting its website:

When is stamp duty due in Australia?

Stamp duty is generally due at or shortly after settlement. Most states and territories give buyers a grace period, often 14 to 30 days, to pay the tax. The buyer's conveyancer or solicitor usually handles the payment to the state revenue office.

Stamp Duty Frequently Asked Questions

Home buyers often effectively add the cost of stamp duty to their mortgage by borrowing a higher amount, rather than paying the duty using separate savings. That can ease the immediate cash hit, but it does have knock-on effects.

If you’re purchasing with a home or investment loan, you’ll usually finalise your mortgage well before settlement and have your deposit lined up. Stamp duty, though, is a substantial upfront cost due at or before settlement, so not everyone has spare, unearmarked cash sitting around.

Many mortgage lenders will approve a larger loan to help cover the cost of stamp duty.

Just note this can raise your loan-to-value ratio (LVR) and, if it goes above 80%, you may need to pay lenders mortgage insurance (LMI). And by rolling the tax into what you borrow, you’ll pay interest on that amount over time.

If you’re putting down most of your savings as a cash deposit, paying for stamp duty in cash reduces the amount you can use as a deposit toward a property purchase, effectively increasing your loan size by the value of the duty. So, whether stamp duty comes out of your deposit or is rolled into your mortgage, the outcome is the same: the amount you’ll need to borrow will increase once stamp duty is accounted for.

It’s important to remember that if you’re buying with the help of a conveyancer or solicitor, you generally won’t need to decide how to pay for stamp duty on your own. Typically, your conveyancer will provide you with an itemised list of transaction costs and request the funds in advance. They then handle the task of paying stamp duty and transferring your deposit to your lender, keeping you updated throughout.

However, if you’re leveraging equity instead of cash for your deposit, paying stamp duty upfront in cash can help reduce the size of your mortgage and keep future repayments lower.

Property investors generally can’t deduct stamp duty from their income tax. Instead, stamp duty forms part of the property’s cost base. When the asset is sold, capital gains tax (CGT) will likely be calculated on the sale price minus acquisition and transaction costs, including stamp duty.

A simplified example:
Let’s say you purchased a $500,000 apartment and paid $25,000 in stamp duty. If you later sold the apartment for $600,000, your capital gains tax would be based on a $75,000 profit – not the full $100,000 – because the stamp duty is included in your cost base.

However, there may be an exception to this rule if you’re buying an investment property in the ACT. Because all land in the territory is technically sold as a 99-year Crown lease, stamp duty is sometimes treated differently and may be deductible in the year it’s incurred.

If you’re unsure how stamp duty applies to your situation, it’s worth speaking to a qualified accountant or financial adviser for personalised guidance.

There’s an ongoing debate in Australia about whether stamp duty should be phased out. Critics argue it’s an inefficient and outdated tax that discourages people from moving, downsizing, or upsizing as their needs change. Stamp duty can also make homeownership less accessible to first home buyers.

Some states and territories have already started exploring alternatives. For instance, the ACT is gradually replacing stamp duty with annual land taxes while Victoria is phasing out stamp duty on commercial and industrial properties.

Proponents of reform say these changes could create a more flexible housing market and reduce the financial barrier to homeownership.

However, replacing such a significant revenue stream as stamp duty is a challenging prospect. For now, stamp duty remains the norm across Australia.

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