In short. A first home buyer pays no transfer duty on an established Queensland home valued at $700,000 or under5, and a reduced amount on one valued under $800,0006. A brand-new first home attracts no duty at any price7, and so does vacant land for a first home under a separate concession8. Other owner-occupiers use the home concession rates.
How much is transfer duty in Queensland?
Say you are buying an established house at Chermside for $760,000. An investor pays $27,225 at general rates. An owner-occupier who is not a first home buyer pays $20,050 under the home concession. A first home buyer pays $13,110, and if the house were brand new, nothing at all.
Chart data
| Item | Duty payable |
|---|---|
| Investor, general rates | $27,225 |
| Owner-occupier, home concession | $20,050 |
| First home buyer, established | $13,110 |
| First home buyer, brand new | $0 |
| Price | General rates | Home concession | First home, established |
|---|---|---|---|
| $500,000 | $15,925 | $8,750 | $0 |
| $650,000 | $22,275 | $15,100 | $0 |
| $700,000 | $24,525 | $17,350 | $0 |
| $795,000 | $28,800 | $21,625 | $19,890 |
| $900,000 | $33,525 | $26,350 | $26,350 |
What are the two rate tables?
| Dutiable value | Duty |
|---|---|
| Up to $5,000 | Nil |
| Over $5,000 to $75,000 | $1.50 for each $100, or part of $100, over $5,000 |
| Over $75,000 to $540,000 | $1,050 plus $3.50 for each $100, or part of $100, over $75,000 |
| Over $540,000 to $1,000,000 | $17,325 plus $4.50 for each $100, or part of $100, over $540,000 |
| Over $1,000,000 | $38,025 plus $5.75 for each $100, or part of $100, over $1,000,000 |
| Dutiable value | Duty |
|---|---|
| Up to $350,000 | $1.00 for each $100, or part of $100 |
| Over $350,000 to $540,000 | $3,500 plus $3.50 for each $100, or part of $100, over $350,000 |
| Over $540,000 to $1,000,000 | $10,150 plus $4.50 for each $100, or part of $100, over $540,000 |
| Over $1,000,000 | $30,850 plus $5.75 for each $100, or part of $100, over $1,000,000 |
The home concession is for anyone buying a residence they will live in, not only first home buyers, and QRO puts its value at up to $7,1753. Both tables charge each rate for every $100 or part of $100, so the amount over the bracket floor is rounded up to the next hundred before the rate is applied.
How does the first home concession work?
It is a deduction, not a separate rate. Work the duty out at the home concession rates, then subtract the amount set for your price band4. At $700,000 or under the deduction covers the whole assessment5, which is why the answer is zero.
| Dutiable value | Amount deducted |
|---|---|
| Under $710,000 | $17,350 |
| $710,000 to just under $720,000 | $15,615 |
| $720,000 to just under $730,000 | $13,880 |
| $730,000 to just under $740,000 | $12,145 |
| $740,000 to just under $750,000 | $10,410 |
| $750,000 to just under $760,000 | $8,675 |
| $760,000 to just under $770,000 | $6,940 |
| $770,000 to just under $780,000 | $5,205 |
| $780,000 to just under $790,000 | $3,470 |
| $790,000 to just under $800,000 | $1,735 |
| $800,000 or more | Nil |
From $710,000 the deduction falls by $1,735 for every $10,000 of price, until it reaches nothing at $800,0006. Each step up a band costs you $1,735 of concession on top of the extra duty on the higher price.
What if the home is brand new?
A separate concession applies, and it is far more generous. For contracts dated 1 May 2025 or later, a first home buyer of a new or substantially renovated home can have the duty reduced to nil, with no value cap on the home and its residential land7. A first home buyer choosing between an established house at $850,000 and a new one at the same price is weighing a duty bill against no duty at all.
What about vacant land to build on?
The home concession does not help here: it applies when you acquire a residence3, so land bought by someone who is not a first home buyer is charged at general rates. On a $450,000 block that is $14,175.
First home buyers have their own option, the first home vacant land concession. For agreements from 1 May 2025 it means no duty on residential vacant land, again with no value cap, as long as you build your first home on it and move in within 2 years of settlement8. It is a different concession from the new home one, and you can claim only one concession for your home.
What do you have to do to keep it?
For an established first home, move in within 1 year of settlement, and do not sell, transfer, lease or give exclusive possession of the whole property in that first year9. QRO can reassess the duty if the conditions are not met, and its pages say buyers must notify it when that happens.
From 1 August 2026 the home, first home, new home and vacant land concessions also require the buyer to be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or specified foreign retiree10.
What do foreign buyers pay?
Additional foreign acquirer duty of 8% applies to residential land acquired by foreign persons, on top of the ordinary assessment11. If any buyer on the contract may be a foreign person, get advice before signing.