Stamp Duty for First Home Buyers in Australia: What’s Changing in 2026
Stamp duty is often the biggest upfront cost first home buyers forget to budget for, and in 2026 the rules are shifting fast across the country.
So what does your state actually charge, and what's changing?
Here's a plain English rundown of where things stand right now.
The big news: the ACT is scrapping stamp duty entirely
From 1 July 2026, the ACT became the first jurisdiction in Australia to abolish stamp duty completely for eligible first home buyers. No income cap. No property price cap. If you qualify as a first home buyer in Canberra, you pay zero duty.
It's a genuine first for the country, and it puts pressure on other states to follow. For now though, every other state and territory still charges duty, just with different first home buyer concessions layered on top.
What NSW first home buyers pay
Since Echidna Equity is based in Sydney, this is the one most of our clients ask about directly.
Full exemption (zero duty) on established or new homes purchased for $800,000 or less
A tapering concessional rate applies between $800,001 and $1,000,000
Above $1,000,000, full stamp duty applies with no concession
Vacant land bought with the intention to build gets a full exemption up to $350,000, with a concession up to $450,000
These NSW thresholds haven't moved much in the last couple of years, but with Sydney median prices sitting close to or above that $800,000 mark in a lot of areas, plenty of buyers are landing in the concessional band rather than the full exemption.
How other states compare
Victoria: no duty on homes up to $600,000, a partial concession from $600,001 to $750,000, full rates above that
Western Australia: exempt up to $430,000, with a concession up to $530,000
Tasmania: first home buyer exemption saves up to $28,900 on homes under $750,000, but it's due to expire 30 June 2026 with no extension confirmed yet. If you're buying in Tasmania, settlement timing matters here
Northern Territory: offers a stamp duty offset worth up to $18,601 for eligible home buyers
Queensland: full concession on established or new homes up to $800,000, with a partial concession up to $1,000,000. Buying or building a brand new home goes further still, with a full exemption regardless of price
South Australia: no broad exemption for established homes, but first home buyers building or buying a brand new home pay zero stamp duty no matter the purchase price
ACT: full abolition from 1 July 2026, as above
Every state and territory offers some form of first home buyer relief. The gap is how generous it is, whether it stretches to established homes or just new builds, and where the price caps sit relative to local property values. Queensland and South Australia both reward new builds heavily, which is worth knowing if you're weighing up an established home against building.
Why this matters for your borrowing
Stamp duty isn't part of your deposit. Most lenders want to see it funded on top of your deposit and other purchase costs, not paid out of your borrowed funds. That means a buyer in Sydney paying full duty above the $1,000,000 mark could need tens of thousands of dollars more in cash on hand than a buyer who scrapes in under the exemption threshold.
This is exactly why price caps and exemption thresholds matter as much as the interest rate you're offered. Buying at $810,000 instead of $795,000 in NSW can shift you out of a full exemption and into a partial concession, adding real dollars to your settlement costs.
What to check before you buy
Confirm the exact exemption and concession thresholds for the state you're buying in, not just the headline first home buyer scheme
Ask whether your purchase price sits close to a threshold. Sometimes negotiating a small price reduction saves far more in duty than it costs in negotiating room
If you're buying in Tasmania, check the current exemption expiry date before you sign anything, since 30 June 2026 is fast approaching and hasn't been extended
Factor stamp duty into your total upfront costs separately from your deposit. Our guide on hidden costs when buying a property covers the other expenses that catch buyers out
Check what else you might qualify for. Stamp duty relief is usually just one piece of the puzzle alongside grants and deposit schemes, covered in our complete first home buyer guide
It's also a reminder that getting the numbers right at the start makes a real difference down the track, which is part of why we do this properly. It's also why a share of our profit on every loan we settle goes to the Australian Wildlife Conservancy.
Ready to work out what stamp duty means for your purchase?
Every state runs its own rules, and they change more often than most buyers realise. We can work out exactly what you'll pay, what you might be exempt from, and how it fits into your overall borrowing plan.
Give us a call on 📞 +61 485 981 099 or email 📧 Lorenzo@echidnaequity.com and we'll walk you through it.