Short answer: stamp duty is a state tax you pay when you buy property, and the cost can range from zero to tens of thousands of dollars depending on where you buy, the price, and whether you are a first home buyer.
In Queensland it is called transfer duty. For a typical home buyer in Brisbane, duty on an established home can easily sit between around $10,000 – $30,000, unless you qualify for concessions. From 1 May 2025, many first home buyers who purchase a brand new home or vacant land to build on pay no stamp duty at all, provided they meet the criteria.
This guide walks through:
- What stamp duty actually is in plain language
- How it is calculated
- What changed for Queensland first home buyers in 2025
- What affects how much you will pay
- How to estimate your own costs using calculators
Quick snapshot: how stamp duty works in Queensland
Here is the big picture.
- Stamp duty is a state tax on property transfers
In Queensland it is formally called transfer duty and is charged by the Queensland Revenue Office. - The more expensive the property, the higher the duty rate on the top slice
Queensland uses a tiered system. The rate steps up at different price brackets and can reach more than 5 per cent on the top portion of the price for high value properties. - Your buyer type matters
First home buyers, owner occupiers and investors often pay different amounts because of concessions. - Big 2025 change for first home buyers
From 1 May 2025, eligible first home buyers who buy a brand new home or vacant residential land to build on can access a full transfer duty concession, which means no stamp duty, with no price cap on the property. - Established first homes still get strong concessions
For established homes, eligible first home buyers in Queensland can pay no duty up to $700,000, and a sliding concession up to $800,000. - Duty must be paid within a short timeframe
In most cases your conveyancer or solicitor arranges payment, and there are penalties if it is not paid on time.
Once you know the price range and whether you are a first home buyer, owner occupier or investor, you can get a pretty accurate estimate of the stamp duty bill.
For a full breakdown of the latest concessions and schemes, read our guide to first home buyer grants and concessions in Queensland in 2025.
Use calculators to see what stamp duty means for you
Stamp duty is easiest to understand when you put real numbers against your own plans. Mortgage Box has a calculator suite you can use before you start making offers.
You can:
- Use the stamp duty calculator to estimate how much duty you might pay in your state or territory, and how concessions could change that.
- Try the borrowing power calculator to see how much you might be able to borrow based on your income and expenses, which helps you set a realistic price range.
- Use the loan repayment calculator to see what your monthly repayments could look like at different loan sizes and rates.
Running these three side by side helps you see whether the total upfront costs, including stamp duty, fit comfortably with your budget.
What is stamp duty in simple terms?
Stamp duty or transfer duty is a one off tax you pay when ownership of a property changes hands.
In practice that means:
- You sign a contract to buy a property
- Your conveyancer or solicitor works out how much duty is payable
- The duty is paid to the state revenue office, usually around settlement
In Queensland, transfer duty applies to:
- Houses, units and townhouses
- Vacant land
- Some leases and other property interests
You usually cannot register the property in your name until duty has been paid or arrangements are in place, so it needs to be part of your upfront budget, just like your deposit and legal costs.
How is stamp duty calculated?
Although every state sets its own rules, the core idea is the same:
Duty is calculated on the dutiable value of the property, using a tiered rate table, then adjusted for any concessions or surcharges.
For Queensland residential property the broad steps look like this.
- Work out the dutiable value
This is usually the higher of the contract price or market value. - Apply the general transfer duty rates
Queensland has brackets. For example, in 2025 general rates for residential property roughly work like this:
- Up to $5,000: no duty
- $5,001 to $75,000: a small rate per $100 on the amount over $5,000
- $75,001 to $540,000: a higher rate, plus a base amount
- $540,001 to $1,000,000: a higher rate again on the top slice
- Over $1,000,000: the top marginal rate on the amount above $1,000,000
- Up to $5,000: no duty
- Check if a home concession applies
If you are buying a home to live in, you may be eligible for a home concession, which uses a separate set of slightly lower home rates on the first $350,000 of the price. - Check if a first home concession applies
- For established first homes, a special first home concession can reduce or remove duty up to certain price caps.
- For new first homes and vacant land from 1 May 2025, eligible buyers can receive a full concession and pay no duty at all.
- For established first homes, a special first home concession can reduce or remove duty up to certain price caps.
- Apply any surcharges
For example, foreign buyers may have to pay additional foreign acquirer duty on top of normal transfer duty.
Because of all these moving parts, most buyers use an online estimator or the Queensland Government’s official transfer duty estimator rather than trying to calculate it line by line.
Example: how much stamp duty on a $700,000 home in Queensland?
To give you a feel for how this works, here are two simple examples for a $700,000 established home in Queensland.
These figures are based on 2025 rate tables and do not replace personalised legal advice.
Scenario 1: owner occupier, not a first home buyer
Assume you are buying the property to live in and you qualify for the standard home concession, but you are not a first home buyer.
Using the 2025 home concession rates:
- Duty on a $700,000 home comes out at roughly $17,000 to $18,000
- The home concession reduces the duty compared with the general investor rates
Scenario 2: investor buying the same property
Now assume you are buying the same $700,000 property as an investment, so general transfer duty rates apply.
Using the 2025 general rate table:
- Duty on a $700,000 investment property is around $24,500
That is a difference of more than $6,000 between living in the property and renting it out, purely due to concessions.
Scenario 3: first home buyer purchasing a new build for $700,000
If you are an eligible first home buyer purchasing a brand new home to live in, with a contract dated on or after 1 May 2025, the First Home New Home concession can reduce duty to zero, even at this price point.
These examples show why it is so important to confirm which category you sit in before you finalise your budget.
What changed for Queensland first home buyers in 2025?
Queensland introduced some of the most generous first home buyer stamp duty concessions in the country in 2025.
Key changes include:
- No stamp duty on new first homes
From 1 May 2025, eligible first home buyers who buy a brand new home or vacant residential land to build a first home pay no transfer duty, regardless of the purchase price. - Stronger concessions for established first homes
For established homes:
- No duty payable if the property is $700,000 or less
- A sliding concession for homes priced between $700,000 and $800,000
- Above $800,000, the general home concession may still apply, but not the first home concession.
- No duty payable if the property is $700,000 or less
- More flexible living arrangements
Updated “rent a room” rules mean some buyers can rent out a room after they move in without losing their home concession, as long as specific conditions are met.
You still need to meet eligibility requirements, like being a genuine first home buyer, moving into the property within the required timeframe and using it as your main home.
Because these rules are detailed and can change, it is always worth checking your eligibility using the official government tools or speaking with your conveyancer or broker.
What affects how much stamp duty you will pay?
Across Australia, stamp duty depends on a mix of factors. For a Queensland buyer, the main ones are:
- Purchase price
Higher property prices move you into higher brackets. - State or territory
Each state sets its own rates and concessions, so the same price can generate very different duty in different locations. - Property type
House, unit or vacant land, and whether it is residential or commercial. - How you will use the property
Principal home, holiday house or investment. Home buyers often get more generous concessions than investors. - Buyer type
First home buyer or not, and whether you are an Australian citizen or permanent resident, or a foreign buyer. - Contract date
Many concessions only apply from certain dates. For example, the full new home concession for first home buyers in Queensland only applies to contracts dated on or after 1 May 2025.
Because of this, two buyers paying the same price for similar properties can have very different duty outcomes.
How to budget for stamp duty alongside your deposit
Stamp duty needs to sit inside your broader purchase plan, alongside your deposit and other upfront costs.
A simple approach:
- Set your price range
Use the borrowing power calculator to see a rough loan amount that fits your income and expenses. - Estimate stamp duty for that range
Run a couple of scenarios through the Mortgage Box stamp duty calculator, including different states if you are considering more than one market. - Factor in other upfront costs
Add a line for conveyancing fees, building and pest inspections, government transfer fees and a moving budget. - Check you still have a buffer after settlement
Once your deposit and stamp duty are paid, you want emergency savings left over, not just zero in the bank.
If the numbers feel tight, you can look at different purchase prices, different locations or timing your purchase to take advantage of concessions.
How Mortgage Box can help
Mortgage Box is a Brisbane based mortgage broker that helps buyers all over Queensland and across Australia understand the real numbers behind their home purchase, not just the interest rate.
When it comes to stamp duty, the team can help you:
- Work out how much you might pay in your state or territory
- Check which concessions or exemptions might apply to your situation
- Build stamp duty and other upfront costs into your overall budget
- Use the Mortgage Box calculators to test different scenarios before you start making offers
- Coordinate with your conveyancer so duty is paid on time and from the right funds
If you are unsure how much stamp duty you will pay, or how it affects your borrowing power and deposit, having someone walk you through the numbers in plain language can make the process far less stressful. Contact us at Mortgage Box.
