Stamp duty in NSW (officially transfer duty) is charged on a sliding scale that starts at A$1.25 per A$100 and reaches A$5.50 per A$100 above A$1,290,000 for the 2026/27 year, with premium property duty of A$7.00 per A$100 above A$3,870,000. On the general rates, a A$600,000 purchase attracts A$21,187, a A$900,000 purchase A$34,687 and a A$1.5 million purchase A$63,787. Eligible first home buyers pay nothing on a home up to A$800,000 and a reduced amount below A$1 million.
Transfer duty is usually the largest government cost of buying property in New South Wales, and it has to be paid in cash on top of your deposit. This guide sets out the rate table Revenue NSW publishes for 2026/27, shows the arithmetic behind three worked examples so you can check any stamp duty calculator NSW buyers use, and explains the first home buyer scheme, the foreign purchaser surcharge, off-the-plan deferral, timing and the other charges that land on settlement day.
What Transfer Duty NSW Is
New South Wales stamp duty is the everyday name for transfer duty, a state tax on the transfer of property. Revenue NSW says you generally must pay it when you buy a property or someone transfers ownership to you in NSW. It applies to homes, units, vacant land, investment properties and commercial property, and the buyer pays it, not the seller.
Duty is worked out on the dutiable value, which is the higher of the price you pay and the market value. That matters for family transfers: Revenue NSW’s own example shows a property transferred within a family for A$300,000 but with a market value of A$450,000, and duty is charged on the A$450,000, giving A$14,437.
The rates are adjusted every year. Revenue NSW states that the rate year that applies is set by the contract date (or the transfer date where there is no contract), so a contract exchanged on 30 June 2026 uses the 2025/26 table and a contract exchanged on or after 1 July 2026 uses the 2026/27 table, even if both settle in the same week.
NSW Stamp Duty Rates For 2026/27
The table below is copied from Revenue NSW’s How to calculate transfer duty page (last updated 6 October 2026), which lists the rates for the 2026/2027 financial year. These are the general rates every buyer starts from before any concession or surcharge.
| Dutiable value |
Transfer duty payable |
| A$0 to A$18,000 |
A$1.25 for every A$100 (minimum A$20) |
| A$18,001 to A$38,000 |
A$225 plus A$1.50 for every A$100 over A$18,000 |
| A$38,001 to A$103,000 |
A$525 plus A$1.75 for every A$100 over A$38,000 |
| A$103,001 to A$387,000 |
A$1,662 plus A$3.50 for every A$100 over A$103,000 |
| A$387,001 to A$1,290,000 |
A$11,602 plus A$4.50 for every A$100 over A$387,000 |
| Over A$1,290,000 |
A$52,237 plus A$5.50 for every A$100 over A$1,290,000 |
| Premium property duty: over A$3,870,000 (residential) |
A$194,137 plus A$7.00 for every A$100 over A$3,870,000 |
For contracts dated in the 2025/26 year, the past thresholds and rates page shows the earlier table, which used thresholds of A$17,000, A$37,000, A$99,000, A$372,000 and A$1,240,000 with the same rates per A$100, and a premium threshold of A$3,721,000. If you exchanged before 1 July 2026, use that table instead.
Worked Examples: A$600,000, A$900,000 And A$1.5 Million
Every stamp duty calculator NSW buyers use does the same thing: find the bracket, take the fixed amount, then add the rate on the part of the value above the bracket’s lower limit. A rate of A$4.50 per A$100 is the same as 4.5%. The figures below were calculated from the 2026/27 table above and assume an ordinary purchase with no concession or surcharge.
| Price (dutiable value) |
Bracket |
Arithmetic |
Transfer duty |
| A$600,000 |
A$387,001 to A$1,290,000 |
A$11,602 + (A$600,000 minus A$387,000 = A$213,000) x 4.5% = A$11,602 + A$9,585 |
A$21,187 |
| A$900,000 |
A$387,001 to A$1,290,000 |
A$11,602 + (A$900,000 minus A$387,000 = A$513,000) x 4.5% = A$11,602 + A$23,085 |
A$34,687 |
| A$1,500,000 |
Over A$1,290,000 |
A$52,237 + (A$1,500,000 minus A$1,290,000 = A$210,000) x 5.5% = A$52,237 + A$11,550 |
A$63,787 |
As a cross-check, the same method reproduces Revenue NSW’s published examples: A$55,537 on a A$1,350,000 auction purchase and A$203,237 on a A$4,000,000 purchase that falls into premium property duty.
If you are still choosing where to buy, the price bands above line up with very different parts of the city, and our guide to the best suburbs to live in Sydney is a useful way to see what each budget buys before you add duty on top.
First Home Buyer Stamp Duty NSW
The First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme is the main relief for first home buyer stamp duty NSW purchases. Unlike the general rate table, its thresholds are not changed every year: the current figures have applied to contracts exchanged on or after 1 July 2023 and still apply in 2026.
| Property type |
Full exemption |
Concessional rate |
| New or existing home |
Up to A$800,000 |
Above A$800,000 and below A$1,000,000 |
| Vacant land to build a home |
Up to A$350,000 |
Above A$350,000 and below A$450,000 |
Who Qualifies
Revenue NSW lists the main conditions as follows: you must be an individual aged 18 or over (not a company or trust), you and your spouse or partner must never have owned or co-owned residential property in Australia, neither of you can have received the exemption or concession before, and at least one buyer must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident. For contracts from 1 July 2023 you must move in within 12 months of settlement and live there as your principal place of residence for at least 12 continuous months. Permanent Australian Defence Force members can be exempt from the residence rule if all buyers are on the NSW electoral roll.
How The Concession Works Between A$800,000 And A$1 Million
Revenue NSW does not publish a formula on the scheme page and points buyers to its First Home Buyers Assistance calculator. Published calculator tables show the concession phasing in evenly: duty is nil at A$800,000 and climbs in a straight line to the full general amount at A$1 million. For example, money.com.au’s NSW stamp duty calculator shows A$19,706 payable on a A$900,000 first home under the 2025/26 rates, exactly half the full duty at A$1 million for that year. Applying the same pattern to the 2026/27 table (full duty at A$1 million is A$39,187) gives an estimate of about A$19,594 on a A$900,000 first home, against A$34,687 on the general rates. Treat that as an estimate and confirm it on the Revenue NSW calculator before you exchange.
Two practical points. First, the concession stops completely at A$1 million, so a first home at A$1,000,000 pays full duty. Second, if you buy with someone who is not eligible, the scheme can still apply under a shared equity arrangement as long as eligible buyers take at least half the property, but the ineligible buyer pays duty on their share. A separate First Home Owner (New Homes) Grant exists for newly built homes; check its current conditions on the Revenue NSW grant page.
Premium Property Duty
Residential property with a dutiable value above A$3,870,000 for 2026/27 pays premium property duty: A$194,137 plus A$7.00 for every A$100 above the threshold. The threshold was A$3,721,000 for 2025/26. Revenue NSW’s example is a A$4,000,000 home bought before auction: A$194,137 plus 7% of A$130,000 (A$9,100) gives A$203,237. Only the part of the value above the threshold is charged at 7%, so crossing the line by a small amount does not create a large jump.
Surcharge Purchaser Duty For Foreign Buyers
Foreign individuals, foreign companies and foreign trusts buying residential-related property pay surcharge purchaser duty on top of ordinary transfer duty. Revenue NSW’s 2024-25 budget summary confirms the rate rose from 8% to 9% for transactions on or after 1 January 2025, and the past rates page records 8% as applying from 1 July 2017 to 31 December 2024. Unlike the general table, the surcharge rate is not indexed.
On a A$900,000 apartment, a foreign buyer would pay the ordinary A$34,687 plus a 9% surcharge of A$81,000, a total of A$115,687. Being eligible for the first home buyer scheme does not remove the surcharge. Whether a temporary visa holder counts as foreign depends on the detailed rules, and Revenue NSW provides a decision tool and calculator for this.
Transfer Duty Vs The Property Tax Option
From 16 January 2023 to 30 June 2023, eligible first home buyers could choose First Home Buyer Choice, paying an annual property tax instead of upfront duty. Revenue NSW’s First Home Buyer Choice page confirms the scheme closed to new applications on 1 July 2023. It now sits under previous schemes and is not an option for anyone buying in 2026.
Buyers who opted in before it closed keep paying property tax and cannot change their mind once they own the land. For a 2026 purchase the only route is transfer duty, reduced by the First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme where you qualify.
Off-The-Plan Deferral
Normally duty is due within three months of signing the contract. If you buy off the plan to live in, you may be able to defer payment for up to 12 months more. Duty then becomes payable at the earliest of 15 months after signing, settlement (completion), or assignment of the contract to someone else.
The deferral is not automatic. Every buyer must be an Australian citizen, permanent visa holder, subclass 309 or 820 partner visa holder, or a New Zealand citizen on a subclass 444 visa, and must have been in Australia for at least 200 days in the 12 months before exchange. Trusts and companies cannot use it, and the property must be bought as your principal place of residence, with at least one buyer moving in within 12 months of settlement and staying for 12 continuous months (for contracts from 1 July 2023). Your solicitor or conveyancer applies with a signed contract, a purchaser declaration for each buyer and certified identity documents.
When Duty Is Due And How It Is Paid
Revenue NSW states that transfer duty is generally due within three months of signing the contract for sale, or on or before settlement if settlement happens sooner. When settlement falls inside that three-month window, as it does in most ordinary purchases, duty is paid at or before settlement.
In practice your solicitor or conveyancer prepares the transaction, lodges it with Revenue NSW and receives a Duties Notice of Assessment showing the amount and due date. You transfer the duty amount to your representative or include it in your settlement funds before the day, and it is paid as part of settlement so the transfer can be registered. What your representative charges for this work is covered in our breakdown of conveyancing fees in NSW.
Other Government Charges At Settlement
Transfer duty is not the only government cost. NSW Land Registry Services charges lodgment fees to register the documents. Its 2026/27 fee schedule applies from 1 July 2026.
| Charge |
Who pays |
2026/27 fee (excl GST) |
As shown incl GST |
| Register the transfer |
Buyer |
A$166.60 |
A$182.73 |
| Register a mortgage |
Buyer (borrower) |
A$166.60 |
A$182.73 |
| Discharge of mortgage |
Owner repaying the loan (usually the seller) |
A$166.60 |
A$182.73 |
| Surcharge purchaser duty |
Foreign buyers only |
9% of dutiable value |
Not applicable |
Each lodgment fee includes a A$5.35 levy for the Torrens Assurance Fund. Dealings lodged before 1 July 2026 but finalised later are charged at the 2025/26 rates. On top of these, budget for lenders mortgage insurance if your lender requires it, building and pest inspections, council and water adjustments, and the cost of the move itself; prices for removalists in Sydney vary widely with distance and volume.
How NSW Compares With Victoria
The figures below use NSW’s 2026/27 general rates and Victoria’s general rates as published by the State Revenue Office Victoria and reported in the same form by Your Property Guide and Compare the Market. Victorian duty is A$2,870 plus 6% above A$130,000 up to A$960,000, and 5.5% of the whole value from A$960,001 to A$2 million.
| Measure |
New South Wales |
Victoria |
| General duty on A$600,000 |
A$21,187 |
A$31,070 |
| General duty on A$900,000 |
A$34,687 |
A$49,070 |
| General duty on A$1,500,000 |
A$63,787 |
A$82,500 |
| First home buyer full exemption |
Homes up to A$800,000 |
Homes up to A$600,000 |
| First home buyer concession range |
Below A$1,000,000 |
Up to A$750,000 |
| Foreign buyer surcharge |
9% |
8% |
| Thresholds indexed each year |
Yes |
No: general brackets unchanged since 1 July 2021 |
At every price point in the table, NSW general duty is lower than Victoria’s, and NSW first home buyers get a higher exemption threshold.
What Drives The Cost
- Dutiable value. Duty is charged on the higher of price and market value, so a discounted sale between relatives does not reduce it.
- Contract date. The rate year follows the exchange date. Thresholds rise each 1 July, so the same price can attract slightly less duty after the change.
- First home buyer status. Eligibility can take duty to zero up to A$800,000, and both partners’ ownership histories count.
- Residency and visa status. Foreign buyers add 9%, and off-the-plan deferral is limited to citizens and specified visa holders.
- Property type and price band. Vacant land has lower first home buyer thresholds, and residential property above A$3,870,000 moves into premium property duty.
- Buying structure. Companies and trusts cannot use the first home buyer scheme or off-the-plan deferral.
For help finding the professionals involved in a purchase, from conveyancers to building inspectors, our NSW services hub collects the relevant guides and lists in one place.
Step By Step Checklist
| Step |
What to do |
When |
| 1 |
Estimate general duty on your target price with the 2026/27 table or the Revenue NSW calculator |
Before you set a budget |
| 2 |
Check first home buyer eligibility for you and your partner |
Before you make offers |
| 3 |
Confirm whether any buyer is a foreign person for surcharge purposes |
Before you make offers |
| 4 |
Ask your conveyancer to confirm duty and whether off-the-plan deferral applies |
At contract review |
| 5 |
Set aside duty plus registration fees in cleared funds |
Before exchange |
| 6 |
Note the due date: three months from contract or settlement, whichever is first |
On exchange |
| 7 |
Check the settlement statement figures against your estimate |
A few days before settlement |
| 8 |
Move in on time and report any change if you claimed a concession |
Within 12 months of settlement |
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Is Stamp Duty In NSW On A A$800,000 House?
On the 2026/27 general rates, duty on A$800,000 is A$11,602 plus 4.5% of A$413,000 (the amount above A$387,000), which is A$11,602 plus A$18,585, giving A$30,187. An eligible first home buyer pays nothing at that price, because the First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme gives a full exemption on homes up to A$800,000. Foreign buyers would add a 9% surcharge of A$72,000. Registration fees for the transfer and mortgage are extra.
Is There A Stamp Duty Calculator NSW Buyers Can Trust?
Revenue NSW runs free online calculators for transfer duty, surcharge purchaser duty and the First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme, and those are the reference point. Bank and comparison site calculators are fine for budgeting, but check that they use the 2026/27 thresholds if your contract is dated on or after 1 July 2026. You can also check any result by hand with the worked method in this guide.
Do First Home Buyers Pay Stamp Duty In NSW?
Not on a home valued up to A$800,000 or vacant land up to A$350,000, provided they meet the scheme’s conditions. Between A$800,000 and A$1 million for homes, and A$350,000 to A$450,000 for vacant land, a concessional amount applies. At A$1 million or more for a home, the full general rate applies. Buyers must move in within 12 months of settlement and stay for 12 continuous months.
Is Transfer Duty NSW The Same As Stamp Duty?
Yes. Transfer duty is the official name Revenue NSW uses, and stamp duty is the common name. Both refer to the same state tax on buying or receiving property in New South Wales. You will see “transfer duty” on your Duties Notice of Assessment and “stamp duty” in most bank and media coverage.
Can I Still Choose Property Tax Instead Of Stamp Duty?
No. First Home Buyer Choice let eligible buyers choose an annual property tax for contracts from 16 January 2023 to 30 June 2023, but it closed to new applications on 1 July 2023. Buyers who opted in before then continue paying property tax. For any 2026 purchase, new south wales stamp duty applies, reduced by the First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme if you qualify.
When Do You Pay Stamp Duty In NSW?
Duty is due within three months of signing the contract, or at settlement if that comes first. Most buyers settle within that window, so the money is paid through settlement by their solicitor or conveyancer. Eligible owner-occupiers buying off the plan can defer for up to 12 months extra, with duty then due at the earliest of 15 months after signing, settlement or assignment.
Do Foreign Buyers Pay More Stamp Duty In NSW?
Yes. Foreign individuals, companies and trusts buying residential-related property pay surcharge purchaser duty of 9% of the dutiable value on top of ordinary transfer duty, for transactions on or after 1 January 2025. It was 8% before that date. On a A$600,000 apartment that adds A$54,000 to the ordinary A$21,187. Revenue NSW has a decision tool to check whether you count as foreign.
The Short Version
- For 2026/27 contracts, NSW duty runs from A$1.25 per A$100 to A$5.50 per A$100 above A$1,290,000, with 7% above A$3,870,000.
- General duty is A$21,187 on A$600,000, A$34,687 on A$900,000 and A$63,787 on A$1.5 million.
- First home buyers pay nothing on homes up to A$800,000 and a reduced amount below A$1 million.
- Foreign buyers add 9%, and the property tax option closed on 1 July 2023.
- Duty is due within three months of contract or at settlement, plus A$166.60 per registration lodgment.
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice; confirm current figures with Revenue NSW or your conveyancer before you exchange.
