Transfer Duty / Stamp Duty for House & Land Packages and Off-the-Plan in NSW, QLD and VIC
Buying a house and land package or an off-the-plan property affects how transfer duty in NSW, QLD and VIC is calculated. In some cases, you may pay reduced stamp duty rates compared to purchasing an established home.
Two ways a new build is structured
How much duty you pay on a new build largely comes down to how the purchase is put together:
| House-and-land package (split contract) | Off-the-plan (single contract) | |
|---|---|---|
| What you sign | Two contracts — one for the land, one to build the house | One contract for the finished apartment, townhouse or house |
| What duty is charged on | Generally the land value only, if the land settles before building starts | The contract price — but eligible buyers may be able to deduct the construction done after the contract date, reducing the dutiable value |
| Why it can save | The build cost isn't part of the dutiable amount | Duty is assessed on the lower early-stage value rather than the finished value |
Either way, the timing and eligibility rules are set by your state and can change — the state-by-state detail is below, and your conveyancer will confirm how your particular contract is assessed.
NSW Stamp Duty for House & Land Packages and Off-the-Plan Purchases
Stamp duty on a house and land package in NSW is calculated on the land value only if the home has not been built yet. This can significantly reduce stamp duty in NSW compared to buying a completed home.
First-home buyers may qualify for a transfer duty exemption if the vacant land is valued up to $350,000, or a transfer duty concession if valued between $350,000 and $450,000. Additionally, eligible off-the-plan buyers can defer transfer duty payments for up to 12 months or until settlement, whichever is earlier.
To calculate your duty, use the NSW stamp duty calculator and first home buyers assistance calculator.
QLD Transfer Duty for House & Land Packages and Off-the-Plan Purchases
In QLD, transfer duty for a house and land package, whereby the purchase price includes the build of the house, the transfer duty is based on the entire purchase price. If purchasing land first and building later, QLD stamp duty rates apply only to the land component.
For off-the-plan purchases, transfer duty concessions may apply depending on the type of off-the-plan purchase:
- New homes: an off-the-plan home that has never been occupied or sold as a residence is a new home — so for contracts dated from 1 May 2025, eligible first-home buyers pay no transfer duty, with no price cap, under the first home (new home) concession.
- Vacant land: for contracts dated from 1 May 2025, eligible first-home buyers also pay no duty on vacant land bought to build their first home on, with no cap (contracts before that date were capped at land valued under $500,000).
- All owner-occupiers: the general home concession is available regardless of property value, provided a home is built at settlement.
- From 1 August 2026, eligibility for these concessions is restricted to Australian citizens, permanent residents and certain foreign retirees under changes in the 2026–27 Queensland Budget.
To estimate your duty, use the QLD stamp duty calculator.
VIC Stamp Duty for House & Land Packages and Off-the-Plan Purchases
In VIC, stamp duty on a house and land package is generally applied to the land value if construction has not commenced. This means VIC transfer duty can be significantly lower for buyers purchasing early in the development stage.
For off-the-plan properties apartments and units, you must ordinarily be eligible for either the Principal Place of Residence (PPR) concession or the first home buyer duty exemption or concession to be able to enjoy the off-the-plan duty concession. This means first-home buyers may be eligible for stamp duty exemption VIC if the dutiable value of the property is valued up to $600,000, with concessions available for properties up to $750,000. The dutiable value of the property is usually construed as the value of the property when you sign the contract, i.e. the contract price minus the construction or refurbishment costs incurred on or after the contract date.
On top of this, for contracts entered into on or after 21 October 2024 and on or before 20 April 2027, a temporary off-the-plan duty concession applies (originally due to end in October 2025, it has been extended twice — most recently to 20 April 2027). The temporary concession is available to all purchasers — including investors, companies and trusts — with no requirement to qualify for the PPR or first home buyer concessions and no value threshold. It applies to apartments, units and townhouses within a strata subdivision with common property, and allows 100% of the construction or refurbishment costs incurred after the contract date to be deducted from the dutiable value. It does not reduce foreign purchaser additional duty.
To determine how much you'll pay, use the VIC stamp duty calculator.
Do I Pay Less Stamp Duty When Purchasing an Off-the-Plan Property?
Often, yes. In New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria, off-the-plan purchases can result in lower stamp duty if the buyers and the property satisfy the requirements for stamp duty concessions or exemptions. Off-the-plan property are generally cheaper than established property and since the duty is often calculated based on the property value, buyers may pay significantly less than they would for an established home.