Every Australian state and territory taxes a property purchase with a "transfer duty" — old-school name: stamp duty. The rate scales with the price, but each state has its own schedule, threshold, and set of concessions for first-home buyers.
On the same $850,000 purchase, the duty bill swings from around $0 in the Northern Territory to roughly $45,000 in Victoria. That's a 5% swing in the upfront cost of buying, just from which capital city you're in.
Two big levers can shrink it: the first home buyer exemption (most states wipe duty entirely up to a threshold), and the off-the-plan concessionin NSW & VIC (you pay duty only on the land value at contract date, not the completed dwelling).
How to use this calculator
Enter the property purchase price, select your state, and tick “First home buyer” if you are eligible. The calculator applies the relevant rate schedule from each state's revenue office and checks whether any first-home-buyer exemption or concession applies to your purchase price. If your property falls in a concession phase-out band, the calculator applies the tapered rate automatically.
How much is stamp duty on a $500,000 property in each state?
For a standard (non-first-home-buyer) purchaser, a $500,000 property attracts approximately: $17,990 in NSW, $21,970 in VIC, $8,750 in QLD, $17,765 in WA, $21,330 in SA, and $18,247 in TAS. First home buyers in NSW and QLD pay $0 at $500,000 under current thresholds. Use the calculator above to get the exact figure for your state and buyer type.
State-by-state differences: where does stamp duty hurt most?
Victoria applies the highest rates in absolute terms for most purchase prices, with a top marginal rate of 6.5% applying above $2 million. NSW is more competitive for mid-range buyers, particularly first home buyers, who pay nothing on properties up to $800,000. Queensland offers the lowest duty for non-first-home buyers at mid-range prices thanks to lower marginal rates. The ACT uses an income-tested Home Buyer Concession Scheme rather than a blanket price threshold — eligibility depends on household income, not purchase price alone. Western Australia abolished the first home buyer duty reduction in 2024 in favour of a cash grant, meaning duty applies from dollar one for properties above the exemption threshold.
Common misconceptions about stamp duty
The most common error is assuming the first-home-buyer exemption applies to any property. Every state imposes a price cap — exceed it by even $1 and the full duty (or a reduced concession rate) applies. A second misconception is that stamp duty is negotiable or avoidable: it is a statutory charge due at settlement, and your conveyancer will collect it from you. Finally, some buyers forget that stamp duty is calculated on the greater of the purchase price and the market value — a below-market related-party transaction is assessed at market value.