Stamp duty on $500,000
What a $500,000 home or unit costs in transfer duty in each state and territory, for the buyers most likely to be paying that price.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Methodology
At $500,000 the answer depends less on the state than on whether the buyer is a first home buyer in a state that still exempts established homes. In New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and the ACT an eligible first home buyer pays no duty at this price, new or established. In South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory the same buyer pays the full scale on an established home: $21,330, $18,248 and $23,929. For an owner-occupier who has bought before, duty runs from $8,408 in the ACT and $8,750 in Queensland, both of which have a lower rate for people who live in the home, up to $23,929 in the Territory. Five hundred thousand dollars is also exactly where South Australia's top band begins, and it was Western Australia's first home exemption limit until 6 May 2026.
This price in one state, four buyer profiles
Investor
$25,070
| Home buyer, not first | $21,970 |
| First home buyer, established | $0 |
| First home buyer, new home | $0 |
| Foreign investor | $65,070 |
Four buyers, eight jurisdictions, one price
Each row below is computed by the engine behind the site's calculators, at the 2026-27 rates. "Owner-occupier" means someone who will live in the home but has owned property before.
| State or territory | Owner-occupier | Investor | First home, established | First home, new |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | $16,687 | $16,687 | $0 | $0 |
| Victoria | $21,970 | $25,070 | $0 | $0 |
| Queensland | $8,750 | $15,925 | $0 | $0 |
| Western Australia | $17,765 | $17,765 | $0 | $0 |
| South Australia | $21,330 | $21,330 | $21,330 | $0 |
| Tasmania | $18,248 | $18,248 | $18,248 | $18,248 |
| ACT | $8,408 | $11,400 | $0 | $0 |
| Northern Territory | $23,929 | $23,929 | $23,929 | $23,929 |
Only three jurisdictions charge an owner-occupier less than an investor at this price. Victoria applies its principal place of residence rate up to $550,000, which saves $3,100 here. Queensland's home concession saves $7,175. The ACT's owner-occupier table saves $2,992. Everywhere else a repeat buyer living in the home pays exactly what an investor pays.
Why $500,000 is a border price
Several thresholds sit at or just around this figure. South Australia's conveyance scale moves into its top band, $5.50 per $100, at precisely $500,000, so every dollar over this price costs a South Australian buyer more than every dollar under it. The Northern Territory formula runs until $525,000, which puts $500,000 near the end of the curve: its effective rate here is 4.79 %, close to the flat 4.95 % that follows. Victoria's PPR rate stops at $550,000, $50,000 above this price.
Western Australia is the state where this number used to matter most. Its first home exemption ended at $500,000 until 6 May 2026 and now reaches $600,000, so a West Australian buying their first home at $500,000 was duty free before the change and still is.
The three places where a first home still costs duty
South Australia gives its first home relief only on new homes, off-the-plan apartments and land, so $500,000 for an established house costs $21,330. Tasmania's exemption for established homes ended for settlements after 30 June 2026, leaving $18,248. The Northern Territory has no first home duty concession on established homes at all: $23,929.
On a new home the picture flips in two of the three. South Australia waives the duty entirely, and Tasmania's grant of $20,000 more than covers its duty. In the Territory the $50,000 HomeGrown grant is roughly twice the duty, and a house and land package bought from a builder carries no duty at all.
Grants on a $500,000 new home
A new home at this price is under every grant cap. A first home buyer would receive $10,000 in NSW, $10,000 in Victoria, $30,000 in Queensland, $10,000 in WA and up to $15,000 in South Australia. The ACT pays no grant. Eligibility rules differ; the grant guide sets them side by side.
Moving up the price ladder
At $600,000 two exemption limits are reached at once, Victoria's and Western Australia's; the $600,000 page shows what that does to the table. All nine prices are compared on the duty by price index.