Stamp duty calculator.

Transfer duty is generally charged on the greater of the consideration and market value using the schedule for the state or territory and the relevant transaction date. Owner-occupier rates and concessions can differ from investor rates. This calculator estimates duty only and shows the dated government sources it uses. It does not add title registration, transfer or mortgage registration fees. Related-party, off-market and other complex transfers should be assessed by the revenue office using an evidenced market value where required.

It depends on the jurisdiction, contract date, property type, value and every purchaser's eligibility. Some jurisdictions exempt eligible buyers below a threshold, some taper the benefit, and some do not relieve duty on established homes. Selecting the first home buyer option means you are stating that the applicable ownership and occupancy tests are met; the calculator does not determine eligibility. If a current scheme cannot be modelled safely, it directs you to the official calculator instead of estimating a concession.

Beyond stamp duty itself, you'll usually pay a transfer (registration) fee to register the change of ownership on the title, and a mortgage registration fee if a lender is involved. They're smaller, flat fees set by each state's land registry, but together they add hundreds of dollars to completion costs. Both are included in the total shown here, with a breakdown alongside the result, so the figure reflects the full government cost of the purchase, not just the duty.

Stamp duty is a state tax rather than a federal one, so each state and territory sets its own duty rates, value brackets, concessions and surcharges, and revises them on its own timetable. The same property value can produce duty bills thousands of dollars apart across a border. The 'how your state compares' bars let you see the same property assessed across every jurisdiction, useful if you're weighing an interstate investment or a relocation.

Yes, and usually more than an owner-occupier would pay on the same property. Investment purchases rarely qualify for the home-buyer concessions some states offer on a principal place of residence, so investors typically pay the full transfer duty schedule. On the upside, stamp duty on an investment property isn't lost money for tax purposes: it forms part of your CGT cost base, reducing the capital gain when you eventually sell. Use the investor toggle in this stamp duty calculator to see the difference for your state.

Generally yes. Transferring property to a spouse, child, family trust or SMSF is still a dutiable transaction in most circumstances, and because there's often no contract price, or a token one, the revenue office assesses duty on the property's market value instead. That's why related-party transfers almost always require an independent valuation as evidence of that value. Limited exemptions exist, such as certain spousal transfers of the family home and transfers following a relationship breakdown, so check your state's rules before assuming duty applies.

Yes. Most states charge foreign purchasers an additional duty surcharge on top of standard transfer duty, typically in the range of 7–8% of the property value, which can double the total duty bill or worse. The surcharge generally applies to foreign natural persons, corporations and trusts buying residential property, and some states also levy an annual land tax surcharge on foreign owners. Temporary residents and Australian permanent residents are treated differently in each jurisdiction, so the definitions matter, confirm your status with the relevant revenue office.

Timing is set by each state, but for most purchases duty is payable at or before settlement, your conveyancer usually lodges and pays it as part of the settlement process, since the transfer can't be registered on the title without it. Some states allow a window after settlement, historically up to 30 days or three months depending on the jurisdiction, and off-the-plan purchases can carry deferred payment arrangements. Budget for duty as cash you need at settlement, not something you can catch up on later.

Not as an upfront deduction, stamp duty on a property purchase is a capital cost, not an expense, so you can't claim it against your income in the year you buy. For an investment property it's added to your CGT cost base, which reduces the taxable capital gain when you sell, so keep the records. The main exception is the ACT, where properties are held under leasehold arrangements and duty has historically been treated differently for investors. Loan-related government fees, like mortgage registration, follow their own borrowing-cost rules, ask your accountant.

Not directly, stamp duty is paid to the revenue office at settlement, so lenders can't simply capitalise it onto the loan the way LMI premiums often are. In practice, buyers cover duty from savings, or borrow more against a larger deposit or existing equity, which effectively finances the duty but raises your loan-to-value ratio, and potentially your rate. That's the real trade-off to check: every dollar of your savings that goes to duty is a dollar that can't be deposit, our LVR calculator shows the knock-on effect.