NSW $400k FHB: vacant land vs dwelling
Same price, same first-home tick. Dwelling FHBAS is $800k / $1m. Vacant land FHBAS is $350k / $450k. The calculator used to lump both into New / vacant land and print $0. It does not anymore.
Engine 2026-07-ftc. Educational estimate — not a Revenue Office assessment or credit advice.
Briefing
New South Wales first-home assistance is two schemes that share a name. Dwelling FHBAS uses $800,000 / $1,000,000. Vacant land FHBAS uses $350,000 / $450,000. They are not interchangeable.
DutyStack used to treat New / vacant land as one toggle. On a $400,000 NSW FHB land contract that printed $0 duty — the dwelling exemption. That was wrong. Vacant land now uses the land caps. At $400,000 the engine charges $7,034 on the concession slope.
FHOG is a new-home grant. It does not credit on the land contract, even if you plan to build. Budget grant = $0 until a new home is actually the dutiable transaction.
If the contract is a house, use Established or New dwelling. If it is a lot, use Vacant land. Mixing those ticks is how settlement cash breaks after you have already bid.
After this comparison, open the NSW learn hub for premium duty above $3.87m — a different price band, a different mistake.
The decision
Is this contract a dwelling, or vacant land?
- NSW dwelling FHBAS: $0 ≤ $800k, concession to $1m
- NSW vacant land FHBAS: $0 ≤ $350k, concession to $450k
- A $400k land contract is on the land concession slope — not $0
- FHOG is for a new home, not the land contract
- Ticking New dwelling on a land deal invents the wrong duty line
What to tick
- State: NSW
- Price: $400,000
- First home buyer: Yes
- Live in it: Yes
- Compare Established dwelling vs Vacant land
Engine comparison
Established dwelling
Inside the dwelling FHBAS $800k exemption. Stamp duty $0. No FHOG on established stock.
- Stamp duty
- $0
- Deposit
- $80,000 (20%)
- LVR
- 80.0%
- LMI flag
- Not flagged
- Funds to complete
- $80,374
NSW FHB full exemption (≤ $800k)
Within 5% Scheme cap ($1,500,000) for NSW metro / regional centre — no LMI under Scheme
Vacant land
Land FHBAS concession between $350k and $450k. Duty is $7,034. FHOG remains $0.
- Stamp duty
- $7,034
- Deposit
- $80,000 (20%)
- LVR
- 80.0%
- LMI flag
- Not flagged
- Funds to complete
- $87,408
NSW FHB vacant land sliding concession ($350k–$450k)
Within 5% Scheme cap ($1,500,000) for NSW metro / regional centre — no LMI under Scheme
Takeaway
On NSW first-home land, use Vacant land — not New dwelling and not the $800k dwelling exemption. Then fund duty without spending a new-home grant you have not earned yet. Confirm FHBAS eligibility with Revenue NSW for the instrument date.