Transfer duty — commonly known as stamp duty — is one of the biggest upfront costs in any Queensland property purchase. Our free calculator estimates your transfer duty instantly based on your purchase price, buyer type, and property type, and automatically applies the current Queensland concessions including the zero duty concession for first home buyers on new homes and vacant land introduced on 1 May 2025.
Results are indicative only. Your exact duty is determined by the Queensland Revenue Office at settlement. For a complete picture of your upfront buying costs, book a free assessment with Stanford Financial.
Estimate your transfer duty based on purchase price, buyer type, and property type. Includes all current QLD concessions.
Not sure how to structure your purchase to minimise upfront costs? Our brokers can help you understand your full buying costs and which government schemes apply to your situation.
Book a Free AssessmentTransfer duty (the official term for what was historically called stamp duty) is a state government tax charged by the Queensland Revenue Office on the purchase or transfer of property. It applies to residential homes, investment properties, vacant land, and commercial properties. The amount payable is based on the dutiable value of the property – which is the higher of the purchase price or current market value.
Transfer duty is one of the largest single costs in a property purchase after the purchase price itself. On a $700,000 established home purchased by an investor, duty is approximately $17,325. On a $1,000,000 home, duty rises to approximately $38,025. Understanding this cost before you make an offer is essential for accurate financial planning.
Transfer duty is paid at or before settlement. In most cases your conveyancer or solicitor arranges the payment through the QRO Online system as part of the settlement process. You do not pay it directly to the Queensland Revenue Office at contract signing.
Queensland uses a progressive (tiered) rate system. The rate applies to each $100, or part thereof, of the dutiable value in that bracket. Owner-occupiers who will live in the property as their principal place of residence are eligible for the home concession rate, which provides a meaningful saving compared to the standard rate.
| Property Value | Standard Rate | Home Concession Rate | Approx Duty (Standard) |
| $0 – $5,000 | Nil | Nil | $0 |
| $5,001 – $75,000 | $1.50 per $100 | $1.00 per $100 | $1,050 (at $75k) |
| $75,001 – $540,000 | $3.50 per $100 | $3.50 per $100 | $17,325 (at $540k) |
| $540,001 – $1,000,000 | $4.50 per $100 + base | $4.50 per $100 + base | $38,025 (at $1M) |
| Over $1,000,000 | $5.75 per $100 + base | $5.75 per $100 + base | Varies |
The home concession applies a lower rate of $1.00 per $100 (instead of $1.50 per $100) on the first $350,000 of the property value, saving owner-occupiers approximately $7,175 compared to the standard investor rate.
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How QLD stamp duty (transfer duty) is calculated
Queensland uses a progressive rate scale — different portions of the purchase price are taxed at different rates
Queensland has some of the most generous first home buyer stamp duty concessions in Australia. Since 1 May 2025, the concessions available depend on whether you are buying a new or established property.
From 1 May 2025, eligible first home buyers purchasing a brand new home or vacant residential land to build their first home pay zero transfer duty regardless of the purchase price. There is no property value cap on this exemption. A first home buyer purchasing a new home for $1,200,000 pays the same duty as one purchasing for $500,000 — $0.
This exemption applies to: new homes that have never been previously occupied or sold as a place of residence; off-the-plan purchases; house and land packages; and vacant residential land on which you intend to build. The contract must be signed on or after 1 May 2025.
Combined with the $30,000 Queensland First Home Owner Grant (available for new homes under $750,000 until 30 June 2026), a first home buyer purchasing a new home in this range could save over $47,000 in upfront costs compared to an investor purchasing the same property.
For first home buyers purchasing an existing (established) property, the concession works differently. Duty is calculated at the home concession rate, then a $17,350 concession amount is subtracted from the result:
| Purchase Price | Property Type | Duty Payable | Saving vs Investor |
| $500,000 | Established | $0 | $12,850 (vs investor) |
| $600,000 | Established | $0 | $15,525 (vs investor) |
| $700,000 | Established | $0 | $17,325 (vs investor) |
| $750,000 | Established | $2,250 approx | $15,075 (vs investor) |
| $800,000 | Established | $7,375 approx | $9,950 (vs investor) |
| $600,000 | New home | $0 | $15,525 (vs investor) |
| $900,000 | New home | $0 | $26,350 (vs investor) |
| $1,200,000 | New home | $0 | $51,075 (vs investor) |
All figures indicative. Established home figures use home concession rate. New home figures from 1 May 2025 under the First Home (New Home) concession.
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Who pays what: QLD stamp duty by buyer type
Stamp duty varies significantly depending on who you are and what you're buying — April 2026
First home buyer established home concession — how it works
Full concession (zero duty) applies up to $500,000. Partial concession applies $500,001 to $550,000 — the duty gradually phases in. Above $550,000 the full standard rate applies. The concession is available regardless of property price, but it only eliminates or reduces duty up to the $550,000 threshold. This is why a $600k and a $700k established property produce the same duty for a first home buyer — the concession no longer applies above $550k.
Stamp duty is not the only upfront cost — don't forget these
Conveyancing
$1,500–$2,500
Building + pest
$500–$800
Mortgage reg. fee
~$200
Buying a new home as a first home buyer in QLD? Stacking the stamp duty exemption with the First Home Guarantee (no LMI) and the FHOG ($30,000 before 30 June 2026) can reduce your effective cash requirement to as little as $5,000 on a $700,000 purchase. Call 0483 980 002 or book a free assessment to model your full upfront cost.
If you are buying a home to live in but are not a first home buyer, you are still eligible for the home concession rate. This applies the lower $1.00 per $100 rate (instead of $1.50 per $100) on the first $350,000 of the property value, saving approximately $7,175 compared to the investor rate on properties up to $1,000,000.
To qualify for the home concession, you must be an individual purchasing the property as your principal place of residence and move in within one year of settlement. The concession does not apply to companies, trusts, or properties purchased as investment.
Foreign purchasers — including non-residents and temporary visa holders — pay an additional 8% surcharge (AFAD) on top of standard transfer duty on residential land. This applies to the full dutiable value and is calculated separately from the standard duty. On a $700,000 purchase, the foreign purchaser surcharge alone would be $56,000, in addition to the approximately $17,325 in standard duty.
Australian citizens and permanent residents are not subject to the foreign purchaser surcharge, regardless of where they currently reside. If you are unsure of your residency status for duty purposes, seek advice from a solicitor or conveyancer before signing a contract.
A separate temporary off-the-plan concession applies to contracts signed before 21 October 2026 for eligible off-the-plan apartments or townhouses within a strata subdivision. Unlike the first home buyer exemption, this concession is available to all purchasers including investors and has no price threshold. If you are considering an off-the-plan apartment purchase, confirm your eligibility with your conveyancer as this concession is time-limited and subject to specific conditions.
Transfer duty must be lodged within 30 days of the contract becoming unconditional, and payment is due within 14 days of lodgement. In practice, your conveyancer or solicitor manages the lodgement and payment through the QRO Online system, with the duty paid electronically at or before settlement.
Late payment incurs Unpaid Tax Interest (UTI), which accrues daily. For 2025–26, the UTI rate is 12.36% per annum. This is one of the reasons working with an experienced conveyancer is important – missed deadlines can result in significant additional costs. Stanford Legal, part of the Stanford Group, handles Queensland conveyancing for both purchases and sales and works in coordination with Stanford Financial on property transactions.
Did you know Stanford Legal is part of the same group as Stanford Financial? You can manage your home loan and your conveyancing through one coordinated team. Learn more about Stanford Legal
It depends on what you are buying. First home buyers purchasing a new home or vacant land pay zero transfer duty regardless of price (for contracts from 1 May 2025). First home buyers purchasing an established home pay zero duty on properties under $709,999 and reduced duty on properties between $710,000 and $800,000. Above $800,000, the first home concession does not apply. Use the calculator above to see exactly where your purchase lands.
Transfer duty is calculated using a progressive rate system applied to the dutiable value (the higher of purchase price or market value). The rate steps up in brackets from nil under $5,000 to $5.75 per $100 above $1,000,000. Owner-occupiers use slightly lower home concession rates on the first $350,000. First home buyers receive additional concessions on top of the home concession rates. The calculator above applies all current rates and concessions automatically.
They are the same tax. Queensland officially renamed ‘stamp duty’ to ‘transfer duty’ in 2001 under the Duties Act 2001. The Queensland Revenue Office uses the term ‘transfer duty’ exclusively. Both terms appear in common use and refer to the same state government tax on property transfers.
It depends on your buyer type. An investor or buyer with no concession pays approximately $17,325. An owner-occupier (not a first home buyer) using the home concession rate pays approximately $10,150. A first home buyer purchasing an established home under $709,999 pays $0. A first home buyer purchasing a new home of any value from 1 May 2025 also pays $0. Run the calculator above for any specific scenario.
Standard transfer duty rates apply to vacant land unless you qualify for a concession. First home buyers purchasing vacant residential land to build their first home pay zero duty (no price cap, from 1 May 2025). Owner-occupiers purchasing vacant land to build a home to live in are eligible for the home concession rate. Investors pay standard rates with no concession.
Transfer duty must be lodged within 30 days of the contract becoming unconditional and paid within 14 days of lodgement. Your conveyancer manages this process as part of the settlement. Duty is paid before or at settlement, not at contract signing. Late payment attracts daily interest charges.
A temporary off-the-plan concession applies to contracts signed before 21 October 2026 for eligible strata-titled off-the-plan apartments or townhouses. This concession is available to all buyers including investors and has no price cap. Separately, first home buyers purchasing off-the-plan may be eligible for the full first home buyer exemption. Confirm your eligibility with your conveyancer as conditions apply.
Stamp duty is one piece of your upfront buying costs. The full picture includes your deposit, conveyancing fees, building and pest inspection, loan application fees, moving costs, and any Lenders Mortgage Insurance if your deposit is under 20%.
At Stanford Financial, we help buyers understand the complete cost of their purchase before they commit — not after. A free assessment with one of our brokers will show you your borrowing capacity, the deposit you actually need, whether LMI applies, and which government schemes you qualify for alongside the stamp duty concessions.
Ready to plan your full buying costs? Book your free assessment today — call us on 0483 980 002 or contact us online.
