5% Deposit & Stamp Duty by State

The deposit is only one part of the bill

Under the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme, eligible buyers can purchase with a deposit as low as 5% without Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI). Housing Australia says the expanded scheme began on 1 October 2025 with no income cap or cap on places. You apply through a participating lender, which still assesses your circumstances and ability to repay.

The government provides a guarantee to the lender, not cash for your deposit. It does not pay your stamp duty or forgive part of your mortgage. You still need savings and approval, and the property must satisfy the scheme's price cap for its location.

Two separate checks matter: the federal scheme decides whether a low-deposit guaranteed loan is available; your state or territory decides whether duty relief applies. A home can be under the scheme's price cap but outside a duty exemption. Never treat scheme approval as proof of a stamp duty saving.

First-home status, citizenship or residency, previous ownership and the requirement to live in the property can be assessed differently across programs. Ask your lender to confirm scheme eligibility and your conveyancer or revenue office to confirm duty separately.

What a 5% deposit looks like

For a hypothetical $750,000 purchase, a 5% deposit is $37,500 and the loan before fees is $712,500. Those are arithmetic examples, not a promise that a particular property or buyer qualifies. Your cash requirement is the deposit plus confirmed duty plus other buying costs.

Set aside money for conveyancing, inspections, transfer and mortgage registration, any lender charges and settlement adjustments. Use actual quotes rather than a national average. Rates, water charges or strata levies may need adjusting at settlement; moving and an emergency savings buffer are additional considerations.

The deposit paid when signing a contract is also not necessarily the same as the deposit your lender requires. Discuss the contract deposit and the timing of funds with your conveyancer before signing or bidding at auction. Do not subtract a grant from money you need early unless its payment timing has been confirmed.

Stamp duty: the state-by-state differences

This comparison identifies the relief to check, not your final tax bill. Official rules depend on property type, value, purchaser history and the relevant contract, transfer or settlement date. Where a current threshold could not be established confidently, it is deliberately not quoted.

NSW

First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme: exemptions and concessions depend on value and whether you buy a home or vacant land. Check the transaction-specific thresholds and residence rules.

Revenue NSW

VIC

Eligible first-home buyers pay no duty at dutiable values up to $600,000; a concession applies from $600,001 to $750,000. New homes, established homes and land have specific conditions.

State Revenue Office Victoria

QLD

Established-home relief depends on value. Eligible new first homes have separate full-duty relief with no value cap for contracts from 1 May 2025. Do not apply the new-home rule to an established home.

Queensland Revenue Office

WA

The first home owner rate has separate home and vacant-land thresholds; the home concession also distinguishes Perth/Peel from other locations. Check the schedule applicable to your transaction date.

RevenueWA

SA

Eligible new homes, off-the-plan apartments and land to build a home can receive full relief without a value cap under the applicable contract rules. Established homes are not covered by this relief; foreign-ownership surcharge rules are separate.

RevenueSA

TAS

The published established-home exemption for values up to $750,000 specifies settlements from 18 February 2024 to 30 June 2026. That period has ended: do not assume it applies to a later settlement. Ask the SRO about current relief.

State Revenue Office Tasmania

ACT

The Home Buyer Concession Scheme covers eligible new and established homes and residential land. The office states eligible buyers are exempt from 1 July 2026; earlier transactions had income limits. Prior ownership and residence conditions still apply.

ACT Revenue Office

NT

Check the house-and-land package exemption and its contract conditions. Do not assume a general first-home duty exemption or confuse a homebuyer grant with duty relief.

Territory Revenue Office

Source review is not an eligibility assessment. Policies and pages can change. Confirm the rules for your actual transaction before committing to a purchase.

Your upfront cash budget

Use the duty amount confirmed by your revenue office or conveyancer, and your own fee quotes. Enter zero only when an exemption has been confirmed. This is a cash budget, not a stamp duty assessment or loan approval.

Purchase price (AUD)

Confirmed stamp duty (AUD)

Other buying costs (AUD)

Enter all three amounts to see your cash budget. Amounts must be zero or greater.

Assumes an eligible 5% deposit loan with no LMI. Does not subtract grants, predict lender valuation, or include an emergency savings buffer. A larger loan means more interest and less equity at the outset.

Before making an offer

Confirm the scheme price cap and lender approval. Use Housing Australia's location-specific cap table and a participating lender; do not substitute a state duty threshold.
Identify the property correctly. Established, newly built, off-the-plan and vacant-land purchases can receive different treatment. Ask how dutiable value is assessed.
Check the date trigger. A concession based on contract date may differ from one based on settlement date. An expired period is not an ongoing entitlement.
Get a written duty estimate and fee quotes. Ask about all purchasers, previous ownership, residence requirements and any surcharge. Keep the confirmation with your buying budget.
Leave room for life after settlement. Compare repayments and running costs as well as the upfront cash. A guarantee protects the lender; it does not remove your repayment risk.

Common questions

Does the 5% scheme cover stamp duty?

No. The guarantee enables an eligible low-deposit loan without LMI. Duty relief is a separate state or territory decision.

Can I combine duty relief with a guaranteed loan?

Check both sets of rules. Being accepted into the federal scheme does not automatically qualify you for a state concession, and a duty exemption does not establish your borrowing capacity.

Why isn't there one exact upfront-cost figure for every state?

Your price, property type, eligibility, purchase date and fee quotes all matter. The cash budget above uses your confirmed duty instead of guessing a concession.

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