Every Australian state and territory offers some form of relief on stamp duty for first home buyers, but the details — price caps, whether new and established homes are treated differently, and how generous the concession is — vary enormously. Here's where things stood at the start of the 2026–27 financial year.
State-by-State Summary
- NSW: Full exemption up to $800,000, with a sliding-scale concession between $800,000 and $1,000,000.
- VIC: Full exemption up to $600,000, partial concession between $600,000 and $750,000.
- QLD: Full exemption up to $700,000 for established homes, discounted rate up to $800,000. New homes have had no price cap on the waiver since May 2025.
- WA: Full exemption up to $430,000, with a partial concession up to $530,000.
- SA: New homes are fully exempt from stamp duty regardless of price. Established homes get no first home buyer concession — standard duty applies.
- TAS: The exemption for established homes ended on 30 June 2026 and had not been renewed at time of writing. First home buyers currently pay standard duty in Tasmania.
- ACT: Full exemption with no price cap from 1 July 2026 — the first jurisdiction in Australia to abolish stamp duty for first home buyers entirely, also extended to pensioners and some NDIS recipients.
- NT: No stamp duty concession, but the Northern Territory instead offers cash grants for first home buyers (HomeGrown and FreshStart), which can be worth more than a duty exemption elsewhere.
Why This Changes So Often
First home buyer schemes are usually announced in state budgets and can be tightened, expanded or scrapped with little notice — Tasmania's exemption lapsing and the ACT's expanding to no cap, both within months of each other in 2026, show how quickly the landscape shifts. Always confirm current eligibility and caps directly with your state or territory revenue office before relying on a figure here.
Eligibility Basics That Apply Almost Everywhere
- You (and your spouse or partner) must never have owned property in Australia before.
- You generally need to move into the property within 12 months and live there for a minimum period.
- Concessions are for owner-occupiers only — investment purchases don't qualify.
These figures are concessional rates layered on top of the general schedule — see the full general rates for every state with our Stamp Duty Calculator Australia, which also lets you compare home buyer against investment rates directly.
Sources: Revenue NSW — transfer duty; State Revenue Office Victoria — land transfer duty; Queensland Revenue Office — transfer duty; ACT Revenue Office — conveyance duty.