Calculate Land Transfer Stamp Duty
What is Conveyance (Stamp) Duty in the ACT?
In the ACT, stamp duty is officially called conveyance duty, and is administered by the ACT Revenue Office. It’s calculated on a sliding, marginal $-per-$100 scale rather than the flat-bracket system used in most other states.
💡Did you know? The ACT is the only Australian jurisdiction actively phasing out stamp duty altogether, replacing it with higher ongoing general rates (a broad-based land tax) as part of a 20-year reform program that began in 2012.
How is Conveyance Duty calculated?
The ACT runs two separate rate schedules. There’s a lower rate for eligible owner-occupiers (you must live in the property for at least 12 months, starting within 12 months of settlement) and a higher rate for everyone else, including investors. Rates rise progressively with property value before both schedules converge to a flat rate at the very top of the market.
What are the Conveyance Duty rates in the ACT?
The ACT’s lowest-tier rates are confirmed directly by the ACT Revenue Office:
- Eligible owner-occupier: starts at $0.28 for every $100, up to $260,000
- General (investor) rate: starts at $1.20 for every $100, up to $200,000
- Above $1,455,000: both schedules converge to a flat 4.54% of the total transaction value
The ACT’s rates work differently to the flat-bracket systems used elsewhere: duty is calculated on a marginal, dollar-per-$100 scale that increases gradually as the property value rises, with owner-occupiers paying a lower rate than investors at every level until the two schedules converge above $1,455,000. Because the calculation is layered rather than a single flat percentage, your exact duty amount depends on exactly where your purchase price falls within that scale. Enter your figure into the ACT Revenue Office’s conveyance duty calculator to see the precise amount for your purchase.
Source: ACT Revenue Office: About conveyance duty
Are there any exemptions in the ACT? The Home Buyer Concession Scheme
This is the headline story for ACT buyers right now. Rather than a traditional first home buyer grant or a capped exemption, the ACT runs the Home Buyer Concession Scheme (HBCS): and from 1 July 2026, it got dramatically more generous.
What changed: previously, HBCS was income-tested and capped at a property value of $1,020,000. From 1 July 2026, both the income test and the property value cap have been removed entirely. Eligible buyers now pay zero conveyance duty regardless of how much the property costs or how much they earn.
To be eligible, you (and your domestic partner, if applicable) must:
- be 18 years or older
- not have owned property in the last five years
- have at least one buyer live in the home as their principal place of residence for at least 12 months, starting within one year of settlement
Unlike most other states’ first home buyer schemes, HBCS isn’t limited to first-time buyers specifically. Anyone meeting the five-year non-ownership rule and the residence requirement can apply, regardless of whether they’ve owned property at some point in the past.
Source: ACT Revenue Office: About the Home Buyer Concession Scheme and ACT Budget 2026-27 updates
⚠️ IMPORTANT: This is a very recent change (effective from 1 July 2026). Several third-party calculators and comparison sites are still describing the old $1,020,000 cap and income test as current. They haven’t caught up yet. Always confirm directly with the ACT Revenue Office.
What is the Stamp Duty for Foreign Buyers in the ACT?
Unusually, the ACT does not charge a foreign buyer stamp duty surcharge at all, one of only two Australian jurisdictions (alongside the Northern Territory) without one. Foreign owners instead pay an annual land tax surcharge of 0.75% of the property’s Average Unimproved Value.
Who needs to pay Conveyance Duty, and when?
- ✅ The buyer pays it: not the seller.
- ✅ Duty is payable 14 days after your title is registered at Access Canberra (i.e. after settlement), rather than at exchange of contracts: a notably different timing rule to every other state, most of which calculate the deadline from the contract date.
I’m not quite sure what applies to me. Can you help?
If you are looking to purchase a home or investment property in the ACT, our team at Well Money can help, including working through whether you’re likely to qualify for the newly-uncapped Home Buyer Concession Scheme.
To chat about your deposit, lending and home ownership options book in a time to sit down with us, or feel free to call on 1300 899 724.