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Legitimate ways to reduce stamp duty

Can you legally reduce your stamp duty?

Reviewed by a licensed conveyancer

Reviewed by

Cordell Smith

Last updated

July 24, 2026

Ways to reduce stamp duty are the legitimate methods of lowering transfer duty — first-home and off-the-plan concessions, buying before you build, and getting the timing right — though they depend on your state and eligibility. This is general information, not tax advice.

In detail

How to Avoid Transfer Duty / Stamp Duty in NSW, QLD, and VIC — Is It Possible?

While transfer duty in NSW, QLD, and VIC is mandatory for most property purchases, some buyers may qualify for stamp duty exemptions or stamp duty concessions to reduce costs. Below are the options to legally lower or avoid stamp duty in NSW, QLD, and VIC.

One distinction matters up front. You're entitled to arrange your purchase so you pay only the duty the law requires — claiming the concessions you genuinely qualify for and structuring the purchase sensibly. What isn't legitimate is an artificial arrangement designed purely to avoid duty, or understating a property's value: state revenue offices have anti-avoidance rules and can reassess, backdate and penalise. Everything below is a genuine, state-sanctioned concession or a sound structuring choice, not a loophole — and your conveyancer will confirm what you actually qualify for. Two of the bigger levers have their own explainers: buying before you build (see stamp duty on house-and-land and off-the-plan) and the full set of reliefs (see stamp duty exemptions and concessions).

How to Avoid Transfer Duty in NSW

In NSW, buyers can reduce or avoid duty through:

  • First Home Buyer Assistance Scheme — Full stamp duty exemption in NSW for homes up to $800,000 and vacant land up to $350,000, and concessions for homes up to $1,000,000 and vacant land up to $450,000.
  • Off-the-Plan Purchases — Deferring transfer duty payment for up to 12 months if buyers intend to move into the home and satisfy the living requirements.
  • Family and Relationship Transfers — Some property transfers between spouses or due to inheritance may qualify for stamp duty exemptions or concessions.

For further details, visit the Revenue NSW's website.

How to Avoid Transfer Duty in QLD

In QLD, ways to reduce duty include:

  • First Home (New Home) Concession — For contracts dated from 1 May 2025, eligible first-home buyers pay no transfer duty on a new or substantially renovated home — with no price cap.
  • First Home Concession (established homes) — Eligible first-home buyers of established homes valued up to $700,000 pay no duty, with a tapered concession up to $799,999 (maximum saving $24,525).
  • First Home Vacant Land Concession — For contracts dated from 1 May 2025, no duty applies to vacant land bought to build a first home on, with no cap (earlier contracts: no duty on land up to $350,000, tapering to $500,000).
  • Home concession — Buyers can claim the home concession when acquiring a residence to live in, even when you have owned a home before.
  • Exemptions for Family Transfers — Property transfers due to marriage breakdowns or inheritances may be exempt.

Note that from 1 August 2026, eligibility for the home and first home concessions is restricted to Australian citizens, permanent residents and certain foreign retirees. Check eligibility using the QLD stamp duty calculator.

How to Avoid Transfer Duty in VIC

In VIC, buyers can benefit from:

  • First Home Buyer Duty Exemptions — No stamp duty in VIC for homes up to $600,000, with concessions up to $750,000.
  • Principal Place of Residence — Reduced stamp duty in VIC for properties as your primary residence valued up to $550,000.
  • Off-the-Plan Concessions — Reduces duty based on construction progress at contract signing. For contracts entered into on or after 21 October 2024 and on or before 20 April 2027, a temporary concession extends this to all purchasers of strata apartments, units and townhouses — including investors — with no value threshold.
  • Spouse and Family Transfers — Certain family transactions are exempt from VIC transfer duty.

Find more information at the State Revenue Office Victoria.

How to Avoid Double Transfer Duty?

"Double duty" is a term referencing a property transaction resulting in more than one transfer duty assessment. This in turn can result in the buyers and transferees being liable to pay transfer duty twice or more.

Transactions and circumstances that may give rise to double duty include:

  • Contract Changes: Adding or removing buyers after the contract is signed
  • Nominations & Assignments: The buyer nominates another buyer after signing the contract
  • Entity Transfers: Transferring property between entities, such as from an individual to a company
  • Trust Transfers: Transferring property into or out of a trust or between trusts
  • Entity Structure Changes: Changing property ownership between legal entities as a result of corporate reconstructions and consolidations

Prudent buyers should be aware of the potential liability for double duty to avoid unnecessary costs. To avoid double duty, it is paramount to ensure the contract accurately specifies the person or entity that will legally own the property. When in doubt, it is advisable to consult a legal professional before structuring your purchase and refer to state revenue office guidelines.

In practice

Reducing stamp duty in practice

In our experience, two things trip buyers up on transfer duty. The first is assuming a concession applies automatically. First-home and off-the-plan concessions depend on your state and your eligibility, so buyers who bank on the saving before checking the criteria can be caught short.

The second, and costlier, is double duty. We regularly see it come up when buyers want to add or remove a name after signing, nominate someone else onto the contract, or shift the purchase into a company or trust late. Each can trigger a second duty assessment.

What we do is settle who, or which entity, will legally own the property before the contract is signed rather than after.

The takeaway: get the buyer's name and structure right up front, and confirm any concession against your state's rules rather than assuming it applies.

Related explainers

Stamp duty on house-and-land & off-the-plan

Stamp duty on house-and-land packages and off-the-plan purchases is transfer duty that can be calculated differently from an established home — sometimes assessed on the land value alone if you buy before building starts — which can mean real savings, subject to timing and state rules.

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Stamp duty for foreign buyers

Stamp duty for foreign buyers is a one-off surcharge on top of standard transfer duty, ranging 7%-9% of value by state (9% NSW; 8% VIC/QLD/TAS; 7% WA/SA), separate from FIRB approval and from any annual land-tax surcharge.

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When you pay stamp duty (and refunds)

Stamp duty (transfer duty) is generally due within a set window around settlement, and paying it is a condition of registering your ownership. Pay late and interest can apply; in some situations, like a failed purchase, a refund may be available.

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Stamp duty exemptions & concessions

Stamp duty exemptions and concessions are reductions or waivers of transfer duty for eligible buyers — first-home buyers, off-the-plan purchases and some others — that can cut the cost substantially. The thresholds and rules differ by state and change regularly, so eligibility is worth checking for your situation.

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