Stamp Duty for First Home Buyers in Queensland
Written by Written by Victor Kalinowski, Mortgage Broker and Founder of Blackk
Written by Written by Victor Kalinowski, Mortgage Broker and Founder of Blackk
Short answer: no, in almost all cases. If you're buying an existing or new home valued at $700,000 or under, the first home concession wipes the transfer duty bill to $0. Between $700,000 and $800,000 you get a partial concession that shrinks as the price climbs. At $800,000 and above the first home concession is gone, though the standard home concession can still trim what you pay.
Vacant land sits in its own lane. From 1 May 2025, eligible first home buyers of residential vacant land can pay $0 transfer duty, provided you build and move in.
If you want the basics first, here's what stamp duty actually is in Queensland.
| Buyer type | Up to $700k | $700k to $800k | $800k+
|
|---|---|---|---|
| First home buyer (existing/new home) | $0 | Partial concession | Home concession only |
| First home buyer (vacant land, from 1 May 2025) | $0 (eligible land) | Check QRO bands | Not eligible |
| Standard buyer (no concession) | Full duty | Full duty | Full duty |
The saving is the headline. The Queensland Revenue Office (QRO) confirms the maximum first home concession is $17,350, and combined with the home concession, eligible buyers can save up to $24,525 in transfer duty.
Here's how that plays out at common price points using QRO's own rate tables and worked examples.
| Purchase price | Standard duty | First home concession duty | Your saving
|
|---|---|---|---|
| $600,000 | ~$12,850 | $0 | ~$12,850 |
| $650,000 | ~$14,750 | $0 | ~$14,750 |
| $700,000 | ~$17,350 | $0 | $17,350 |
| $730,000 | ~$18,700 | $6,555 | $12,145 |
| $800,000 | ~$21,850 | ~$21,850 (home concession only) | Nil first home saving |
| $850,000 | ~$26,775 | $24,100 (home concession) | ~$2,675 |
Above $800,000 you drop out of the first home concession entirely. The home concession still helps, but the savings shrink fast. For deeper detail on the program itself, see the full QLD first home concession guide.
This is the bit most pages skip. Between $700,000 and $800,000 the first home concession doesn't disappear all at once. It phases down in $1,735 bands per $10,000 of price, until it hits zero at $800,000.
| Purchase price | First home concession deduction | Approx. duty payable
|
|---|---|---|
| $710,000 | $15,615 | ~$2,335 |
| $730,000 | $12,145 | $6,555 |
| $750,000 | $8,675 | ~$10,725 |
| $770,000 | $5,205 | ~$14,895 |
| $790,000 | $1,735 | ~$19,065 |
We had a client agree to $710,000 on an existing home in inner Brisbane. That was $5,000 over what they'd planned. That $5,000 nudge dropped their concession by about $1,735 and pushed them into a bracket where duty applied. Small price movements matter near $700,000. Run your figures through our calculator before you sign anything.
Buying vacant land? You may pay $0
From 1 May 2025, QRO confirms eligible first home buyers of residential vacant land can pay no transfer duty at all. Here's how that compares to the rules that applied between 9 June 2024 and 30 April 2025.
| Land price | Pre-1 May 2025 duty | From 1 May 2025
|
|---|---|---|
| $350,000 | ~$3,500 | $0 |
| $500,000 | $15,925 | $0 |
| $750,000 | $26,775 | $0 |
You'll need to build the home and move in within two years. Builder shortages and cost blowouts can catch clients out. If the build runs long and you don't occupy in time, that $0 turns into a back-dated duty bill. See the vacant land concession in detail.
The stamp duty concession isn't the only saving on the table. Most first home buyers in QLD can layer it with:
- First Home Owner Grant (FHOG): $30,000 for new builds in Queensland.
- First Home Guarantee (FHG): buy with a 5% deposit, no Lender's Mortgage Insurance.
FHG has a limited number of places each year, so waiting too long can be costly. We've had clients rush to lock in a spot, then settle at $710,000 on an existing home, miss the full stamp duty exemption by $10,000, and end up tied into the FHG's lender restrictions on top. We've had clients in the same position who avoided that outcome simply by planning the sequence of applications before making an offer.
Example 1: A buyer picks up a $650,000 existing home in Brisbane. Stamp duty: $0. Pair that with the First Home Guarantee and they're in with a 5% deposit and no LMI.
Example 2: A buyer purchases $400,000 land in Logan and builds a $380,000 home. Vacant land duty: $0 from 1 May 2025. FHOG: $30,000 on the new build. Two big wins stacked, provided they occupy within two years.
For the wider picture, see every first home buyer scheme in QLD and how the First Home Guarantee works.
To claim the first home concession in Queensland, you'll generally need to tick all of these:
- You've never owned residential property anywhere in the world.
- You're 18 or over.
- You're an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
- You move in within 1 year of settlement and live there for 1 continuous year.
- The home is valued under $800,000 (or you're buying eligible vacant land).
- You're buying in your own name, not through a company or trust.
One trap worth flagging: the "new home" definition. We had a client buy a "new" townhouse that the developer had used as a display home for six months. It didn't meet QRO's unoccupied test. The concession was denied and they had to find an extra $18,000. Always confirm in writing.
For the full breakdown, see QLD stamp duty exemption eligibility.
You don't lodge anything yourself. Your solicitor or conveyancer completes the QRO claim form before settlement and submits it as part of the transfer documents. The concession applies at settlement, so the saving shows up as a lower duty bill, not a refund later.
A couple of things to watch after settlement. You need to move in within 12 months, live there continuously for 12 months, and you can't rent it out during that window. If your circumstances change, tell your solicitor straight away. QRO can reassess and claw back the savings.
Plug your figures into the QLD transfer duty calculator, then check your borrowing power alongside it. If the numbers don't add up, or you're hovering near $700,000, book a free 20-minute call with Victor. We'll run through the stamp duty, FHOG, and First Home Guarantee together before you sign anything.
FAQs
Usually no, if the property is $700,000 or under. QRO confirms that for contracts signed on or after 9 June 2024, the first home concession matches the home concession rate at $700,000, meaning $0 duty. Between $700,000 and $800,000 you get a partial concession. Above $800,000 you don't qualify as a first home buyer, though the standard home concession can still reduce the bill.
$0, provided you meet the first home concession criteria.The QRO rate table deducts $17,350 from homes priced at $700,000 or under, which is enough to cancel out the duty entirely.
The first home concession drops to zero at $800,000. You'd pay the standard home concession rate, roughly $21,850 on an $800,000 purchase. This is why the $700,000 to $800,000 sliding scale matters so much. A $1 difference at the top can cost thousands.
No. There's been chatter about future reforms, but there's no confirmed abolition. The current rules are the 9 June 2024 threshold changes ($700,000 full / $800,000 partial) and the 1 May 2025 vacant land update. Anything beyond that is speculation. Plan around what's in force today.
Sometimes, depending on your loan-to-value ratio and the lender. Most lenders cap your LVR at 95%, so if you're already borrowing near that limit there's no room to add duty. If you qualify for the full concession and pay $0, the question is moot.
QRO can reassess the concession and you'll owe the difference. You're required to live in the home as your principal place of residence for 12 continuous months, starting within a year of settlement. If life changes (job relocation, family circumstances), tell your solicitor and contact QRO. They assess case by case.
No. The first home concession is strictly for owner-occupiers. If you're buying to rent out, you'll pay full transfer duty. That's also why renting the place out within the first 12 months triggers a reassessment.
The first home concession reduces or removes transfer duty (stamp duty) on the purchase. The First Home Owner Grant is a $30,000 cash payment for buying or building a new home. They're separate schemes with different eligibility rules, and most first home buyers building a new home can claim both. See how the First Home Owner Grant works alongside the concession.
A free 20-minute call with Victor across Brisbane, Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. We'll work out what you'll pay, what you can save, and whether the schemes line up before you commit.
References
Victor Kalinowski
Mortgage Broker and Founder of Blackk
I’m Victor Kalinowski and a Brisbane Mortgage Broker at Blackk Mortgage Brokers. I’ve helped thousands of people get loans for their homes and investment properties.
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