Deposit and Buying Costs
Bring duty, fees, deposit, LMI and cash remaining into one settlement budget.
MORTGAGE KNOWLEDGE CENTRE · TRANSFER DUTY
A Smarter Stamp Duty & First-Home Buyer Calculator
See how much duty could stand between you and the keys. Explore state rules, first-home concessions and what those savings mean for your actual buying budget.
Calculate your transfer duty
Start with the state, purchase value and whether this is your first home. Open Advanced for specific circumstances.
Calculate to see duty, potential concessions and additional settlement cash.
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What is stamp duty and why isn't it included in the deposit?
Transfer duty (often called stamp duty) is a purchase tax, not part of the home loan principal or the deposit paid to the seller. The amount can vary by location, contract date, property value, occupancy and first-home buyer status. A buyer can have enough for a 10% deposit and still be short on settlement day because duty, legal costs, registration charges and inspections also require cash.
How do first-home buyer exemptions and concessions actually work?
Some states offer a full exemption below a threshold and a partial concession as the property value increases. Others differentiate vacant land, newly built homes, established dwellings and property location. A concession can depend on eligibility conditions beyond the price alone. This calculator makes supported rules visible and asks for an official estimate where the rules need more specific information.
NSW example: $800,000 versus $850,000
For an eligible NSW first-home buyer purchasing a home at or below $800,000, the transfer-duty exemption can reduce duty to zero. At $850,000, the NSW 2026–27 reduced-rate example shows about $9,797 of duty. Crossing $800,000 does not immediately make the full general duty payable. This is why an accurate sliding concession matters in a property search.
What changes in Victoria?
Eligible first-home buyers in Victoria can receive a full exemption on homes up to $600,000, then a concession up to $750,000. The partial concession is eligibility-sensitive, so this calculator uses an official value for that interval rather than inventing a straight-line reduction. Owner-occupied and investment purchases can also face different general duty treatments at lower values.
What changes in WA and Queensland?
WA introduced a first-home exemption up to $600,000 for homes and a reduced rate up to $800,000 for qualifying transactions from 7 May 2026. Queensland has first-home and new-home concessions with different thresholds, and ordinary home purchases can use a separate home concession rate. These are not interchangeable with NSW or Victorian rules.
Why does contract timing change the answer?
Duty calculations generally use the rate and eligibility rules that apply to the relevant transaction or contract date. NSW duty thresholds are indexed by financial year. Other states can change the rules through policy announcements and legislation, including transitional provisions. The built-in schedules are intended for current 2026 scenarios; historical or future contracts should use the official calculator for the applicable date.
What if the bank values the property above the purchase price?
For transfer-duty purposes, jurisdictions generally consider the greater of price and unencumbered market value where applicable. This isn't always the same as the lender's security valuation used for LVR. The advanced input allows a higher market value when it is relevant to your duty calculation.
Worked cash-to-settle example
A NSW purchaser might have $50,000 set aside for duty and associated costs. With a purchase valued at $850,000, general transfer duty is $32,437. If registration fees are $1,800 and other transaction costs $4,000, those costs total $38,237, leaving $11,763 of the earmarked cash. This excludes the deposit itself. The companion Deposit & Buying Costs Calculator combines these costs with your deposit, LMI, loan and retained cash buffer.
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Common stamp duty and first-home questions
Do first-home buyers always pay no stamp duty?
No. The treatment varies by jurisdiction, eligible price band, property type and personal eligibility. At certain prices, only a partial concession is available.
What if I buy above the exemption threshold?
Check whether a concession band applies. A threshold for full exemption is not necessarily the upper threshold for any concession. The NSW example above demonstrates the distinction.
Is transfer duty the same as registration and mortgage fees?
No. Registration charges, conveyancing, inspections, lender fees and duty are different cost categories. Advanced settings let you include additional cash costs.
Can I finance my stamp duty?
Your lender may assess a loan that covers the purchase and certain additional costs if serviceability and equity permit, but duty is still a settlement cash-flow item. Check total funding and LVR in the buying-cost calculator.
Does vacant land use the same concessions?
Not always. NSW and WA have distinct first-home land bands. Newly built home transactions can also be assessed differently in some jurisdictions.
Can I use a stamp duty exemption and first-home grant together?
Potentially, if you meet the independent criteria for both. They are distinct benefits. The calculator estimates transfer duty; it does not automatically claim grants or calculate their timing.
Keep exploring your purchase decision
Borrowing Power
Understand lender serviceability calculations and how existing debts affect your options.
Mortgage Repayments
Plan what the new loan will cost over time and test rate-change scenarios.
Why borrowing assessments differ
Explore the credit decision behind the approved loan amount.
After duty: calculate the full settlement cash needed, assess borrowing capacity and explore refinancing costs if you already own a home.
Official sources and calculation boundaries
The model uses Revenue NSW 2026–27 rates, NSW first-home reduced rates, Victorian general rates, Queensland duty schedules, WA rates and South Australian rates. For transactions requiring eligibility or complex rules, enter the duty from the relevant government calculator. The tool does not add foreign surcharges, all special concessions, or historical contract-rate schedules automatically.
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