Stamp Duty Concessions & First Home Owner Grants (FHOG)

To help first home buyers, state governments offer two main forms of financial assistance:

1. Stamp Duty Concessions: They waive or reduce the tax you have to pay.
2. The First Home Owner Grant (FHOG): A lump-sum cash payment given directly to you.

The Golden Rule: New vs. Established Homes

State governments use these grants to stimulate the construction industry. Therefore:

• The Cash Grant (FHOG) is almost exclusively reserved for people buying or building a brand new home (or a substantially renovated one). If you are buying an existing, older home, you generally will not receive a cash grant.
• Stamp Duty Concessions often apply to both new and established homes, but the price caps are usually much more generous if you buy new.

State-by-State Rules (As at 11 October 2026)

Because property taxes are collected by the states, your benefits depend on where you live. Here is a general overview, using each state's own figures where we could confirm them.

Note: everything in this section is as at 11 October 2026. State governments change thresholds, grant amounts and eligibility often, and some schemes have end dates, so check your state revenue office before you act. The links below go to each state's own page.

• NSW: First home buyers pay no stamp duty (transfer duty) on new or existing homes valued up to $800,000, with a concessional rate between $800,000 and $1,000,000. For vacant land, the full exemption applies up to $350,000, with concessions up to $450,000 (Revenue NSW). There is also a $10,000 First Home Owner Grant for new homes valued up to $600,000 ($750,000 for a house-and-land package with a building contract) (Revenue NSW).
• Victoria: First home buyers pay no duty on homes valued up to $600,000, with a reduced amount of duty between $600,001 and $750,000. The State Revenue Office also runs a First Home Owner Grant for new homes. Check the State Revenue Office for the current thresholds and grant amount.
• Queensland: Eligible first home buyers pay no duty on a new or substantially renovated home, with no value cap, if the contract was signed on or after 1 May 2025 (QRO). The same applies to residential vacant land. For established homes, the first home concession is a sliding deduction of up to $17,350, which falls to nil at $800,000 (QRO concession rates). From 1 August 2026, these concessions are limited to Australian citizens, permanent residents and specified foreign retirees (QRO). The boosted $30,000 First Home Owner Grant, which was due to end on 30 June 2026, has been extended (QRO). Check the QRO grant page for the amount that applies to your contract date.
• ACT (The Trailblazer): From 1 July 2026, the ACT removed stamp duty for eligible first home buyers, with no income test and no price cap. You still need to meet the ownership rule, which means you and your partner have not owned property in the last five years (ACT Government).
• Northern Territory: The HomeGrown Territory Grant gives $50,000 to first home buyers who buy or build a new home, with no price cap, for contracts signed between 1 October 2024 and 30 September 2027. It replaced the $10,000 First Home Owner Grant. Check the Territory Revenue Office for any stamp duty concessions (NT Government).
• Western Australia: A one-off First Home Owner Grant of up to $10,000 applies to new or substantially renovated homes. For transactions from 7 May 2026 the price cap is $800,000 south of the 26th parallel (including Perth) and $1,000,000 north of it (WA Government).
• South Australia: A one-off First Home Owner Grant of up to $15,000 applies to new homes, off-the-plan apartments and substantially renovated homes. For contracts signed on or after 6 June 2024 there is no property value cap, and for contracts on or after 13 February 2025 you cannot have owned residential property before (RevenueSA).
• Tasmania: A $20,000 First Home Owner Grant is available to eligible first home buyers who build or buy a new home in 2026-27 (transactions between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027) (Tasmanian Government, State Revenue Office Tasmania).

Can You Use the Grant as Your Deposit?

Yes and No.

Banks will usually accept the FHOG as part of your total deposit funds, which helps lower your LVR (and your LMI). However, banks also require you to show Genuine Savings (usually 5% of the purchase price saved by you over 3-6 months). You cannot usually buy a house using only the government grant as your deposit.

Interactive: The Government Grant & Duty Calculator

Select your state and property details below to see exactly how much cash you could receive, and how much stamp duty you could save.