There's no national Australian stamp duty rate. Buy the same $700,000 established home in Queensland and you'll pay somewhere around $18,000-19,000 in transfer duty; buy the identical property at the identical price in Victoria, and the bill jumps to roughly $37,000-38,000. Same price, same transaction type, more than double the tax — purely from which state line the property sits inside.
Why the States Diverge So Much
Stamp duty (called transfer duty in some states) is set entirely by state and territory governments, not the federal government — each jurisdiction runs its own rate bands, thresholds, and first home buyer concessions, with no requirement to align with any other state. Victoria's rate schedule climbs faster than most, reaching a premium rate at higher price points; Queensland's stays comparatively flat and low across a wide middle band.
Worked Comparison: $700,000 Established Home, Non-First-Home-Buyer
| State | Approx. Stamp Duty | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Queensland | ~$18,000-19,000 | Among the lowest-rate schedules nationally for this price band |
| New South Wales | ~$26,857 | Mid-range; NSW also offers an annual-property-tax alternative for eligible buyers |
| Victoria | ~$37,000-38,000 | One of the highest schedules in the country at this price point |
That's roughly a $19,000-20,000 spread for an identical purchase price, purely based on state jurisdiction — before any first home buyer concession is even factored in.
First Home Buyer Concessions Vary Just as Much
Every state except the Northern Territory offers some form of first home buyer stamp duty relief, but the thresholds differ enormously. Queensland and South Australia currently offer uncapped exemptions on new homes — a first home buyer purchasing a $1.5 million new build in either state can pay $0 stamp duty. For established homes, the exemption thresholds are much narrower: commonly full exemption somewhere between $500,000 and $800,000 depending on the state, with a partial concession extending somewhat higher.
Common Mistakes
Buyers relocating between states frequently budget stamp duty based on their previous state's rules, then are caught off guard by a materially different bill in the new location — this is a genuinely state-specific tax, not a rough national percentage that travels with you.
Buyers also miss that "new build" and "established home" often carry different concession eligibility even within the same state — Queensland and South Australia's most generous exemptions apply specifically to new homes, not identical-value established properties.
A third mistake: not checking foreign buyer surcharges if applicable. These add 7-9% on top of standard duty in six of eight states and territories (only the ACT and Northern Territory don't apply one) — a substantial extra cost for non-citizen, non-permanent-resident buyers that's easy to miss when budgeting off standard rate tables.
Where This Calculator Has Limits
State thresholds, concessions, and rates change with each state budget — sometimes annually, sometimes more often — so figures here are a snapshot, not a permanent reference. It also can't apply every eligibility nuance (income tests, prior ownership tests, residency requirements) that determine whether a specific buyer actually qualifies for a given state's concession.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is stamp duty the same everywhere in Australia?
No — it's set independently by each state and territory, with genuinely different rate schedules, not just different numbers plugged into the same formula.
Which state has the lowest stamp duty?
It depends on the price point and buyer type, but Queensland is generally among the most affordable for standard owner-occupier purchases in the mid-price range; the ACT is often cheapest at higher price points due to its different property tax structure.
Do first home buyer concessions apply to both new and established homes?
Varies by state — some (like Queensland and South Australia) offer their most generous terms to new builds specifically, with narrower relief for established homes.
Can stamp duty be added to my home loan?
Some lenders allow this, but it increases your loan amount and LVR, which can push you into Lenders Mortgage Insurance territory if it wasn't already required — most buyers pay stamp duty from savings at settlement instead.
Does stamp duty apply to vacant land the same way?
Generally yes, though rates and thresholds sometimes differ from established homes — check your specific state's vacant land provisions separately.
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Educational content, not financial or tax advice. Stamp duty rates, thresholds, and concessions are set independently by each state and territory and change regularly — confirm current figures with your state revenue office or a licensed conveyancer before purchase. Written by the MortgagePro Global team; figures referenced against rates published as of mid-2026.