Stamp Duty by State in Australia (2026): What First Home Buyers Pay in Every State

Which state charges the least stamp duty? It depends on whether you're a first home buyer, what you earn, and what you're buying. Here is the full breakdown for 2026.

The annoying part is that there isn't one national rule. Each state and territory runs its own system. Some give first home buyers a clean $0 outcome. Others only help on new homes, lower-priced homes, or income-tested purchases.

If you want your exact figure, use SmartKoala's stamp duty calculator. If you want the fast comparison first, start here.

Victoria

Victoria is simple. If you're an eligible first home buyer and the dutiable value is $600,000 or less, you pay $0 in stamp duty. From $600,001 to $750,000, the concession tapers down until full duty applies.

This is still one of the better systems in Australia, especially for units, apartments, and regional homes. The catch is obvious: in Melbourne, getting under $600,000 is much easier for a unit than a house.

New South Wales

NSW is the standout for higher-priced first home purchases. Eligible first home buyers pay $0 up to $800,000, then get a concession up to $1 million.

That makes NSW more generous than many buyers expect. Yes, Sydney prices are brutal. But the first home buyer duty relief is also materially better than Victoria once you move into the $700,000 to $900,000 range.

Queensland

Queensland changed its first home concession threshold in June 2024. In 2026, the first home concession applies to homes under $800,000 and can save up to $24,525.

Queensland is more generous than a lot of old blog posts suggest. The key quirk is that QRO splits home, vacant land, and other concessions across different pages, so you need to match the concession to what you're actually buying.

Western Australia

WA lifted its first home owner rate of duty thresholds from 21 March 2025. On homes, eligible buyers now pay no duty up to $500,000. Above that, duty phases in, with higher outside-metro thresholds than in the metropolitan and Peel regions.

WA is still attractive because its general duty settings are not as ugly as Victoria or South Australia. But for first home buyers around $600,000, it no longer looks as generous as NSW, VIC or Tasmania.

South Australia

South Australia now offers first home buyer stamp duty relief, but it is not a simple flat statewide rule for every purchase. The current RevenueSA guidance and calculator make it clear that eligibility depends on the transaction details and the type of property you're buying.

So if you're buying in SA, don't rely on an old blanket statement like “no concession” or “full exemption for everyone”. Check the current RevenueSA calculator before you sign anything.

Tasmania

Tasmania is better than many people realise. Eligible first home buyers of established homes up to $750,000 can get a full duty exemption for settlements from 18 February 2024 to 30 June 2026.

That is a genuine deal. On a $600,000 established home, the difference between a general buyer and an eligible first home buyer is well over $20,000.

Australian Capital Territory

The ACT does not really work on a neat “buy under this number, pay zero” model anymore. The Home Buyer Concession Scheme can reduce conveyance duty, but it is driven by income thresholds rather than a simple price cap.

That means some buyers on the same property price get very different outcomes. If you meet the income rules, the ACT can still be very generous. If you do not, the normal conveyance duty schedule applies.

Northern Territory

The Northern Territory still uses its own formula-based duty system. The main TRO duty pages point buyers to the calculator and mention that concessions may apply depending on the transaction, but they do not publish a clean broad first-home duty exemption in the same way NSW or Victoria do.

So the NT is one to treat carefully. There may be separate home owner incentive programs available, but for stamp duty itself you should use the Territory calculator and current guidance, not an old social post.

The savings difference on a $600,000 property

Here is the practical comparison most buyers care about. These are 2026 guide figures based on standard published duty schedules and currently published first home buyer concessions. Where a state uses an income test or property-type restriction, that is called out.

When it makes sense to buy in a different state

If you're buying an investment property, lower stamp duty can absolutely improve the numbers. A $20,000 difference in duty is real money. It changes your deposit, your cash buffer, and your effective entry yield on day one.

But you should not chase a lower duty bill and ignore the rest. Lower duty in one state can be cancelled out by weaker rent, higher insurance, worse vacancy, slower growth, or more painful ongoing land tax. For investors, stamp duty matters. It just isn't the only thing that matters.

Official stamp duty calculators by state

• SmartKoala stamp duty calculator for a quick all-states estimate
• Victoria SRO calculator
• NSW Revenue calculator
• Queensland QRO calculator
• WA transfer duty calculator
• RevenueSA calculator
• Tasmania calculator
• ACT Home Buyer Concession Scheme
• NT conveyance calculator

Frequently asked questions