NSW Stamp Duty 2026: Full Calculator Guide With Worked Examples
Every NSW transfer duty band, FHB exemption rule, off-the-plan concession and foreign surcharge — current to 2025-26 financial year. With four worked examples from $700k to $2M and real Sydney postcode data.
Stamp duty (officially "transfer duty") is the second-largest cost in any NSW property purchase after the deposit itself. On a $1.2M Sydney house it is just under $50,000. On a $700k first-home-buyer purchase it can be zero. The difference is entirely down to which Revenue NSW band, exemption, or surcharge applies — and which one applies depends on price, occupancy, citizenship, and whether you're buying off-the-plan.
This guide is current to the 2025–26 NSW financial year. It covers the general rate scale, the First Home Buyer Assistance Scheme (FHBAS), off-the-plan concessions, the foreign purchaser surcharge, and worked examples at four common Sydney price points. Every example is cross-referenced to a real PropPulse postcode profile so you can see what actual median-priced property in that band looks like.
The general rate scale (NSW 2025–26)
Transfer duty in NSW is calculated on the higher of the contract price or the property's market value. The bands are:
| Dutiable value | Duty payable |
|---|---|
| $0 – $17,000 | $1.25 per $100 (min $20) |
| $17,001 – $36,000 | $212 + $1.50 per $100 over $17,000 |
| $36,001 – $97,000 | $497 + $1.75 per $100 over $36,000 |
| $97,001 – $364,000 | $1,564 + $3.50 per $100 over $97,000 |
| $364,001 – $1,212,000 | $10,909 + $4.50 per $100 over $364,000 |
| $1,212,001 – $3,636,000 | $49,069 + $5.50 per $100 over $1,212,000 |
| $3,636,001+ | $182,389 + $7.00 per $100 over $3,636,000 (premium rate) |
These thresholds adjust annually by CPI under the indexation rules introduced in 2024. The current values above are what Revenue NSW is using for contracts exchanged on or after 1 July 2025.
First Home Buyer Assistance Scheme (FHBAS)
First home buyers in NSW are exempt from transfer duty entirely on purchases up to $800,000, and pay reduced duty on a sliding scale for purchases between $800,001 and $1,000,000. Above $1M, the full general rate applies — no concession.
Eligibility checks (all required):
- You and your spouse have never owned property in Australia (residential or otherwise)
- You are 18 or older
- You move in within 12 months of settlement and live there for at least 12 continuous months
- Australian citizen or permanent resident (at least one purchaser)
Note: from 1 July 2023 the previous "new homes only" restriction was scrapped. The FHBAS now applies to existing dwellings as well, which is the rule that materially changed Sydney FHB economics. This is why your $799,990 Parramatta unit pays $0 duty in 2026 but would have paid ~$31,000 in 2022.
Worked examples — four Sydney price points
$700,000 — outer-west FHB purchase
Median apartment territory in postcodes like 2150 Parramatta, 2148 Blacktown, and many parts of the Hills District.
$900,000 — FHB sliding scale
Common price for a 2-bed apartment in inner-west postcodes like 2204 Marrickville or 2042 Newtown.
The sliding scale formula on FHBAS between $800k–$1M is: duty payable = general duty × (price − $800,000) ÷ $200,000. So at $900k the FHB pays roughly half the general rate.
$1,200,000 — investor or non-FHB owner-occupier
Median house territory in middle-ring suburbs: 2114 West Ryde, 2131 Ashfield, outer-Hills District.
$2,000,000 — premium harbourside
Hits the $1,212,001+ band. Median house in postcodes like 2026 Bondi, 2010 Surry Hills houses, eastern suburbs.
Foreign and absentee surcharges
Foreign purchaser surcharge: 9%of dutiable value, on top of the general rate. Increased from 8% to 9% effective 1 January 2025. Applies to anyone who isn't an Australian citizen or permanent resident, including New Zealand citizens on a 444 visa (despite their other tax-residency benefits).
Foreign surcharge land tax: 5% per year on top of regular land tax. Combined with the upfront 9% surcharge, foreign ownership of NSW property has become substantially more expensive than it was even 18 months ago.
Off-the-plan concession
For owner-occupiers buying off-the-plan, NSW allows duty to be deferred for up to 12 months from contract date or until completion, whichever comes first. This isn't a discount — the full duty is still owed — but it materially helps cash flow during the build period when most buyers are still saving for settlement.
Investors do not get the deferral. Off-the-plan investor purchases pay duty within three months of contract date as normal.
The hidden costs people forget
- Mortgage registration fee ~$155 (NSW Land Registry)
- Transfer registration fee ~$155
- Title search ~$15
- Conveyancing $1,500–$3,000 (solicitor fees)
- Building & pest inspection $400–$700
- LMI if your deposit is under 20% — can add $10,000–$30,000 on a $1M purchase, which dwarfs every other cost on this list
How NSW compares to other states
Victoria is roughly comparable at the high end but more punitive in the middle bracket because of the absence of the 1.212M kink. Queensland is materially cheaper across the board — a $1.2M Brisbane purchase attracts ~$36k duty vs ~$49k in NSW. Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT all sit between NSW and QLD.
For a complete state-by-state comparison including FHB grants and concessions, see our full FHB grants and concessions guide.
Calculate it for your specific postcode
Every PropPulse postcode report includes an estimated stamp duty figure based on the median-priced property in that postcode, plus a personalised calculation if you enter your own price. The affordability tool walks through the full upfront-cost stack: deposit, duty, conveyancing, LMI threshold, and how much income you need to service it.
Free signup unlocks one full report. Try it on the postcode you're actually considering buying in — start free here.