First home buyer stamp duty and grants: what usually matters
Last updated 23 July 2026. Educational only — not credit advice and not a Revenue Office assessment.
First home is a legal status, not a vibe
Australian first-home pathways generally care about whether you (and sometimes your spouse or partner) have owned residential property before, whether you will live in the home as your principal place of residence, and whether the contract and property type sit inside published caps.
If you have owned before, many concession and grant paths are closed even if this is “your first purchase in years.” Always check the current state definition rather than assuming.
Living in it is usually non-negotiable
Duty concessions and the Commonwealth 5% Deposit Scheme are built around owner-occupation. Selecting investment / not living in it typically removes those paths. In Queensland, first-home duty concessions also require the live-in setting — first-home buyer alone is not enough.
That is why DutyStack surfaces purpose and first-home status together. Conflicting ticks should change the estimate.
Price caps kill eligibility quietly
Many FHB duty concessions and the 5% Deposit Scheme use price or dutiable-value caps that differ by state and sometimes by metro vs regional. Crossing the cap by a small amount can move you from a full exemption to full standard duty.
Run the actual offer price, not a rounded aspiration price, before you treat a concession as locked in.
FHOG is separate from duty
The First Home Owner Grant is administered under state rules and often favours new homes or vacant land over established dwellings. A buyer can receive a grant and still pay duty, or receive a duty concession with little or no grant.
DutyStack shows grant credit where the inputs match the modelled path. Contract dates and temporary boost periods can change grant amounts — confirm with the administering body for your state.
Practical checklist before you exchange
- Confirm prior ownership history for every purchaser on title
- Confirm you can meet the living-in period for any concession you claim
- Confirm the contract price is inside the relevant cap
- Confirm new vs established treatment for grant and duty
- Have your conveyancer lodge the correct concession claim — calculators do not lodge