First Home Buyer Stamp Duty Guide

Do First Home Buyers Pay Stamp Duty?

Stamp duty (also known as transfer duty) is one of the largest upfront costs when buying a home in Australia. The good news for first home buyers is that most jurisdictions offer some form of stamp duty relief — but the rules vary significantly, and Tasmania and the NT do not currently offer an FHB duty concession.

Some states, like NSW and Victoria, provide full exemptions below a property-value threshold and a sliding-scale concession up to a higher ceiling. Others, like South Australia, only offer relief on new homes. Tasmania's temporary established-home exemption ended on 30 June 2026. The Northern Territory has no stamp duty concession for first home buyers, relying instead on a generous $50,000 HomeGrown Territory grant.

Understanding which concessions apply to you — and how close your purchase price is to the relevant threshold — can save you tens of thousands of dollars. This guide breaks down the first home buyer stamp duty rules for all eight states and territories, along with the First Home Owner Grant (FHOG), eligibility requirements, and common mistakes that cause buyers to miss out.

First Home Buyer Stamp Duty by State

The table below summarises the type of stamp duty relief available to first home buyers in each Australian state and territory, along with the key thresholds and property types covered. Note that these thresholds can change with state budgets — the figures shown are current as at the 2026-27 financial year.

NSW First Home Buyer Stamp Duty

New South Wales offers first home buyer stamp duty relief through the First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme (FHBAS). This is the most commonly used FHB concession in Australia, given the size of the Sydney property market.

Under the FHBAS, you receive a full stamp duty exemption if the property value is $800,000 or less. For properties valued between $800,001 and $1,000,000, a sliding-scale concession applies. The concession formula is: duty payable = full duty x (property value - $800,000) / $200,000. This means the closer you are to $800,000, the less duty you pay, tapering to full duty at $1,000,000.

For vacant land, the exemption threshold is $350,000 and the concession ceiling is $450,000. This covers land you intend to build your first home on.

In addition to stamp duty relief, NSW offers the First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) of $10,000 for new homes valued up to $600,000 (or $750,000 for a house-and-land package). The FHOG and the FHBAS are separate programs — you can claim both if you meet the eligibility criteria for each.

VIC First Home Buyer Stamp Duty

Victoria provides stamp duty relief for first home buyers through its Principal Place of Residence (PPR) concession rates and a dedicated first home buyer exemption. First home buyers purchasing a property valued at $600,000 or less receive a full stamp duty exemption — this applies to both existing and new homes, provided you intend to live in the property as your principal place of residence.

For properties valued between $600,001 and $750,000, a sliding-scale concession applies. The discount reduces proportionally as the property value increases toward $750,000, at which point the standard PPR duty rates apply.

Victoria also offers a $10,000 FHOG for new homes valued up to $750,000. As in other states, the FHOG is only available for new homes — you cannot claim it for an established property. First home buyers in Victoria should also be aware of the separate PPR duty rates, which are lower than general rates and apply to all owner-occupiers, not just first home buyers.

QLD First Home Buyer Stamp Duty

Queensland offers a stepped concession for first home buyers purchasing established homes. Full relief applies through $700,000, with stepped concessions between $700,000 and $800,000. Above $800,000, the first-home concession no longer applies.

For new homes, from 1 May 2025, Queensland introduces a full stamp duty exemption with no value cap. This is a significant change — previously, the concession for new homes had the same thresholds as established homes. First home buyers purchasing a newly built home or building a new home will pay zero stamp duty regardless of the purchase price.

The home concession rate schedule (lower duty rates for owner-occupiers) is available to all buyers who intend to live in the property, not just first home buyers.

Queensland's FHOG remains $30,000 for eligible new-home contracts from 1 July 2026, with a $750,000 value cap.

WA First Home Buyer Stamp Duty

Western Australia offers the First Home Owner Rate of Duty (FHOR), which provides a full stamp duty exemption for properties valued at $600,000 or less for homes. Vacant land has a separate full exemption threshold of $450,000.

For homes between $600,000 and $800,000, duty is $16.15 for every $100 or part above $600,000. The former metro/regional distinction has been removed. For vacant land between $450,000 and $550,000, the rate is $20.14 per $100 or part above $450,000.

WA also provides a $10,000 FHOG for new homes. The FHOR and FHOG are independent — first home buyers who meet both sets of eligibility criteria can claim both benefits.

SA First Home Buyer Stamp Duty

South Australia's first home buyer stamp duty relief is unique in that it only applies to new homes. From 13 February 2025, first home buyers purchasing a new home receive full stamp duty relief with no value cap. This means a first home buyer purchasing a newly built home for $1,000,000 or more pays zero stamp duty.

However, there is no stamp duty concession for first home buyers purchasing an established (existing) home in South Australia. If you are buying an existing property, you pay the standard transfer duty rates regardless of whether it is your first home. This is one of the most significant limitations of any state's FHB program.

SA offers a $15,000 FHOG for new homes with no value cap. Be aware that the foreign buyer surcharge still applies even where first home buyer relief is granted — if you are a foreign purchaser, the surcharge is payable on top of any FHB concession.

TAS First Home Buyer Stamp Duty

Tasmania's temporary duty exemption for first home buyers purchasing an established home valued at $750,000 or less ended on 30 June 2026. Standard transfer duty applies to 2026-27 transactions.

The separate 50% off-the-plan apartment or unit duty concession also closed to new agreements after 30 June 2026.

Tasmania provides a $20,000 FHOG for eligible new-home transactions commencing from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027.

NT and ACT First Home Buyers

Northern Territory: The NT does not offer a stamp duty concession specifically for first home buyers. However, it compensates with the HomeGrown Territory grant — a $50,000 cash grant for eligible first home buyers purchasing or building a new home in the Territory. The $50,000 grant is available for eligible contracts through 30 September 2027, and recipients must meet the Territory's 12-month residence requirement.

Australian Capital Territory: The ACT offers the Home Buyer Concession Scheme (HBCS). From 1 July 2026, the income test and property-value cap are removed, so eligible buyers pay no conveyance duty on a home or vacant land. The prior-ownership and residence rules still apply. The ACT abolished the FHOG in 2019 and does not offer a cash grant for first home buyers.

First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) Summary

The First Home Owner Grant is a federal initiative administered by each state and territory, which means the grant amount, property cap, and eligibility rules differ across jurisdictions. The table below summarises the current FHOG available in each state.

Eligibility Requirements

While the exact criteria vary between states, the following requirements are common to most first home buyer stamp duty concessions and the FHOG across Australia:

• Australian citizen or permanent resident. Most states require citizenship or permanent residency. Some accept New Zealand citizens on a Special Category Visa (subclass 444).
• Never previously owned property. Neither you nor your spouse/partner can have previously owned residential property anywhere in Australia. Some states extend this to property owned overseas.
• Must live in the property as your principal place of residence. You are generally required to move in within 12 months of settlement and live there continuously for 6 to 12 months (varies by state).
• Aged 18 or over. You must be at least 18 years of age at the date of the contract of sale.

State-specific extras: From 1 July 2026, the ACT HBCS no longer has an income or property-value test. South Australia only provides stamp duty relief for new homes — buying an established home does not qualify. Western Australia now uses the same $600,000 exemption and $800,000 concession ceiling statewide.

Common Reasons First Home Buyers Miss Out

Even when a generous concession exists, many first home buyers fail to take advantage of it. Here are the most common reasons buyers miss out on stamp duty relief: