Both, on a $750,000 home
| State | Stamp duty | Transfer fee | Paid to |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | $27,937 | $183 | NSW LRS |
| VIC | $40,070 | $1,870 | Land Use Victoria |
| QLD | $26,775 | $2,902 | Titles Queensland |
| WA | $29,741 | $375 | Landgate |
| SA | $35,080 | $7,703 | Land Services SA |
| TAS | $28,935 | $257 | Land Titles Office |
| ACT | $22,200 | $496 | Access Canberra |
| NT | $37,125 | $181 | Land Titles Office |
General rates for an established home, contract dated today; mortgage registration fees are extra.
Stamp duty
Stamp duty (transfer duty, land transfer duty, conveyance duty) is a state tax on the transfer of property, charged as a percentage of the price on a sliding scale. It is assessed by the state revenue office, it is by far the bigger amount, and it is where concessions for first home buyers and owner-occupiers apply. Foreign purchasers pay an extra surcharge.
The transfer fee
The transfer registration fee is what the land titles office (NSW Land Registry Services, Land Use Victoria, Titles Queensland, Landgate and so on) charges to record the change of ownership on the title. In most states it is a fixed amount of a few hundred dollars; in Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and WA it rises with the price. It is a charge for a service, not a tax, and no concession removes it.
The mortgage registration fee
If you have a home loan, the lender's mortgage is registered on the title too, for a fixed fee in every state ($129 to $248). When you later pay off the loan, a discharge of mortgage fee applies.
Who handles them
Your conveyancer or solicitor prepares the transfer, lodges it electronically at settlement, and pays the duty and fees from your funds. Their invoice usually lists duty and registration fees as "disbursements" separate from their professional fee. Check the figures against the calculator before settlement.
How duty is worked out
Duty is charged on the dutiable value: usually the price, or the market value if that is higher (for example a transfer between family members). Each state publishes a sliding scale of brackets. Within a bracket, you pay a fixed amount for the value up to the bracket's lower limit, plus a percentage of the amount above it. Several states charge "per $100 or part of $100", which rounds the excess up to the next $100. The calculator shows the bracket it used and the arithmetic, so you can check it against the revenue office's own figures.
Concessions then reduce the duty: full exemptions up to a price limit, phase-outs that taper the saving to nil, lower rates for owner-occupiers, or a fixed reduction. Each has conditions, usually about living in the property and not having owned one before; the calculator asks them as yes/no questions.
Other settlement costs
- Conveyancing: the conveyancer's or solicitor's professional fee, typically $1,000 to $2,500.
- Searches and certificates: title, council and water searches, often passed on as disbursements.
- Building and pest inspections before you sign.
- Lenders mortgage insurance if you borrow more than about 80% of the value.
- Rates and levy adjustments for the part of the period after settlement.
Only stamp duty and the registration fees are government charges set by law; the rest vary by provider.
Before you sign
Run your exact price, property type and buyer details through the calculator, then confirm the figure with the revenue office's own calculator or your conveyancer. Rules change at state budgets and on 1 July, and the date of your contract decides which rules apply. Each state page lists when its figures were last checked and anything that could not be confirmed.
Can you claim them?
For a home you live in, neither duty nor the fees are tax deductible. For an investment property, stamp duty and the transfer fee form part of the property's cost base for capital gains tax, reducing the gain when you sell; the mortgage registration fee is a borrowing cost that can usually be deducted over five years. See the investment property cost base guide.