Understanding Stamp Duty and Land Tax in Queensland: The 2026 Guide
By Tim AllenBuyer’s Agent and Director, IPS Buyer’s Agents
Stamp duty is the biggest upfront cost of buying property in Queensland after your deposit, and land tax is the cost that keeps coming back every year once you own investment property. Both have changed in the last two years. First home buyers now pay no duty at all on a new home, the concessions for established homes have been lifted, and from 1 August 2026 the home concessions are limited to Australian citizens, permanent residents and a small group of foreign retirees.
This guide brings everything together for 2026: the current transfer duty rates, the home and first home concessions, foreign buyer duty, and how land tax works for individuals, companies and trusts. Worked examples show what you would actually pay at common Brisbane and South East Queensland price points.
Updated October 2026. This is general information, not tax, legal or financial advice. We are buyer’s agents, not accountants or conveyancing solicitors. Rates, thresholds and eligibility rules change, so confirm your own position with your conveyancer, your accountant and the Queensland Revenue Office links at the end of this article.
What is stamp duty in Queensland?
Stamp duty, officially called transfer duty in Queensland, is a state tax paid by the buyer when property changes hands. It is collected by the Queensland Revenue Office (QRO) and is calculated on the dutiable value of the property, which is generally the higher of the price you pay and the property’s market value.
Three things decide how much you pay:
- The price. Duty is charged on a sliding scale, so the rate rises as the price rises.
- How you will use the property. If you will live in it, you can usually claim a home concession. Investors pay the general rates.
- Who you are. First home buyers can pay much less or nothing at all, while foreign buyers pay an extra 8% on residential property.
In practice your conveyancer or solicitor works out the duty, lodges the transfer documents and arranges payment, and the duty is normally paid at or before settlement. Most buyers pay it from their savings alongside the deposit, so build it into your savings target early.
Queensland transfer duty rates in 2026
These general rates apply to investment properties, commercial property and any purchase where no concession is claimed. They are the same rates as in our 2024 version of this guide.
| Dutiable value | Transfer duty |
| Up to $5,000 | Nil |
| $5,000 to $75,000 | $1.50 for each $100 over $5,000 |
| $75,000 to $540,000 | $1,050 plus $3.50 for each $100 over $75,000 |
| $540,000 to $1,000,000 | $17,325 plus $4.50 for each $100 over $540,000 |
| Over $1,000,000 | $38,025 plus $5.75 for each $100 over $1,000,000 |
For example, an investor buying an $800,000 property pays $17,325 plus $4.50 for each $100 of the $260,000 above $540,000. That is $17,325 plus $11,700, or $29,025.
If you are buying a home to live in and you are not eligible for a first home concession, you can usually claim the home concession. It applies a lower rate to the first $350,000 of the price:
| Dutiable value | Transfer duty with the home concession |
| Up to $350,000 | $1.00 for each $100 |
| $350,000 to $540,000 | $3,500 plus $3.50 for each $100 over $350,000 |
| $540,000 to $1,000,000 | $10,150 plus $4.50 for each $100 over $540,000 |
| Over $1,000,000 | $30,850 plus $5.75 for each $100 over $1,000,000 |
For any home worth $350,000 or more, the home concession saves exactly $7,175 compared with the general rates. On an $800,000 home, an owner-occupier pays $21,850 instead of $29,025.
To keep the concession you must move in with your belongings and live in the home on a daily basis within one year of settlement, and you cannot rent out or sell the whole property before you move in. Renting out the whole home within a year of moving in can also cost you the concession, so talk to your conveyancer before signing a lease.
Queensland now has three first home concessions, and which one applies depends on what you buy.
Established homes: the first home concession
- Up to $700,000: no transfer duty.
- $700,001 to $799,999: a partial concession that phases out as the price rises.
- $800,000 or more: no first home concession, but you can still claim the home concession.
At $700,000 the first home concession saves $24,525 compared with the general rates. With Brisbane’s median dwelling value now above $1 million, many first home buyers in inner and middle-ring suburbs will pay duty at home concession rates. In parts of Ipswich, Logan and Moreton Bay, established homes under $700,000 are still available.
New homes: the first home (new home) concession
For contracts signed on or after 1 May 2025, eligible first home buyers pay no transfer duty on a new home, with no price cap. A new home is one that has never been lived in or sold as a residence, such as a newly built house or an off-the-plan townhouse or apartment, and it can include a substantially renovated home. Duty can still apply to any extra land that is not part of the home.
Vacant land: the first home vacant land concession
Also from 1 May 2025, eligible first home buyers pay no duty on residential vacant land to build their first home. You must build, move in and live there within two years of settlement, and that deadline cannot be extended.
If you buy or build a new home, you may also qualify for Queensland’s First Home Owner Grant of $15,000 or $30,000, depending on your contract date, on new homes valued under $750,000. Together, the grant and nil duty make a new home far cheaper to get into than an established one. Whether a new home is the better long-term buy is a separate question, and our guide on whether it is better to build or buy an established home covers the trade-offs. For the full list of first home schemes, see our guide to first home buyer schemes in 2026 and our step-by-step guide to preparing to buy your first home in 2026.
The 2026–27 Queensland Budget tightened who can claim the home concessions. For contracts entered into from 1 August 2026, you must be an Australian citizen, a permanent resident or a specified foreign retiree to claim the home concession, the first home concession, the first home (new home) concession or the first home vacant land concession.
Temporary residents, including many people on work and student visas, will generally pay the general rates plus the 8% additional foreign acquirer duty. On an $800,000 home that is $29,025 plus $64,000, or $93,025, compared with $21,850 for an eligible owner-occupier. If you or your partner is not yet a permanent resident, get advice before you sign.
Additional foreign acquirer duty (AFAD) is an extra 8% of the dutiable value, charged on top of normal transfer duty when a foreign person buys residential land in Queensland. It also applies to purchases through companies and trusts with foreign interests. Foreign buyers usually need approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board as well, and are generally limited to new dwellings.
This table compares the transfer duty payable by an investor, an owner-occupier using the home concession, and a first home buyer, at prices common across South East Queensland in 2026. It assumes every buyer is eligible for the concession shown and that no foreign duty applies. An eligible first home buyer pays no duty on a new home at any of these prices.
| Price | Investor (general rates) | Owner-occupier (home concession) | First home buyer, established home |
| $500,000 | $15,925 | $8,750 | Nil |
| $650,000 | $22,275 | $15,100 | Nil |
| $800,000 | $29,025 | $21,850 | $21,850 |
| $1,000,000 | $38,025 | $30,850 | $30,850 |
| $1,200,000 | $49,525 | $42,350 | $42,350 |
Use the QRO’s transfer duty estimator to check your own figures, particularly for prices between $700,000 and $800,000 where the first home concession phases out. Our first home buyer calculator estimates your total upfront costs and repayments.
Land tax is an annual Queensland tax on the land you own at midnight on 30 June each year. It is worked out on the total taxable value of all your Queensland land, using the land values issued by the Valuer-General, not the price you paid or the value of the house on it. Your home is generally exempt, so land tax mostly affects investors, holiday home owners and owners of vacant land.
The threshold depends on who owns the land:
- Individuals: no land tax until your total taxable land value reaches $600,000.
- Companies and trusts: liable from $350,000.
- Absentees, foreign companies and trustees of foreign trusts: liable from $350,000, plus a 3% surcharge on the value above $350,000.
Land tax rates for individuals
| Total taxable land value | Land tax |
| Under $600,000 | Nil |
| $600,000 to $999,999 | $500 plus 1 cent for each $1 over $600,000 |
| $1,000,000 to $2,999,999 | $4,500 plus 1.65 cents for each $1 over $1,000,000 |
| $3,000,000 to $4,999,999 | $37,500 plus 1.25 cents for each $1 over $3,000,000 |
| $5,000,000 to $9,999,999 | $62,500 plus 1.75 cents for each $1 over $5,000,000 |
| $10,000,000 or more | $150,000 plus 2.25 cents for each $1 over $10,000,000 |
Land tax rates for companies and trusts
| Total taxable land value | Land tax |
| Under $350,000 | Nil |
| $350,000 to $2,249,999 | $1,450 plus 1.7 cents for each $1 over $350,000 |
| $2,250,000 to $4,999,999 | $33,750 plus 1.5 cents for each $1 over $2,250,000 |
| $5,000,000 to $9,999,999 | $75,000 plus 2.25 cents for each $1 over $5,000,000 |
| $10,000,000 or more | $187,500 plus 2.75 cents for each $1 over $10,000,000 |
Why ownership structure matters
The same land can attract very different land tax depending on who owns it. Take an investor whose Queensland investment properties have a combined land value of $750,000:
- Owned by an individual: $500 plus 1 cent on the $150,000 above $600,000, or $2,000 a year.
- Owned by a company or trust: $1,450 plus 1.7 cents on the $400,000 above $350,000, or $8,250 a year.
At a combined land value of $1.2 million, an individual pays $7,800 a year and a company or trust pays $15,900. Trusts can still make sense for asset protection, tax planning or estate planning, but land tax is a real cost to weigh against those benefits. How you and your partner hold title also affects the result. Decide on the structure with your accountant before you sign, because changing it later can trigger stamp duty again.
Land tax is also why a second or third investment property can cost more than its rent and interest alone suggest. Each new purchase adds to your total land value, and that can push you past a threshold. Factor it into your cash flow from the start. Our articles on property gearing, the split loan strategy and the 2026 Budget changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax explain the other moving parts in an investor’s numbers.
| Stamp (transfer) duty | Land tax | |
| When it is paid | Once, when you buy | Every year you own the land at 30 June |
| What it is based on | The price or market value of the property | The total value of all your Queensland land, excluding buildings |
| Who pays | The buyer | The owner |
| Your own home | Concessions reduce it, sometimes to nil | Generally exempt |
| Tax treatment for investors | Not deductible, but added to the cost base for capital gains tax | Generally deductible against rental income |
Stamp duty is only one of the costs on top of your deposit. Allow for:
- Title registration fees charged by Titles Queensland to register the transfer and your mortgage.
- Conveyancing or legal fees for the contract review, searches and settlement.
- Building and pest inspections, plus a body corporate search for units and townhouses.
- Loan costs, including application and valuation fees, and lenders mortgage insurance if your deposit is under 20%.
- Insurance from the day the property is at your risk under the contract.
- Rates adjustments at settlement for council rates and water already paid by the seller.
Stamp duty rises with the price, so every dollar you negotiate off the price saves duty too. Between $540,000 and $1 million, each $10,000 off the price saves $450 in duty. A buyer’s agent also helps you:
- set a realistic budget that includes duty, fees and, for investors, land tax;
- compare new and established homes when a first home concession or grant is on the table;
- avoid overpaying in a market where values have eased from their May 2026 peak and buyers have more negotiating power;
- work with your broker and accountant so the purchase fits your loan structure and long-term plan.
Our Winter 2026 market update explains why conditions favour well-prepared buyers right now. Our article on investment-savvy buyer’s agents shows why finance knowledge matters, and our breakdown of what a buyer’s agent costs in Brisbane in 2026 sets out our fees. For the language you will meet along the way, see our key terms every property investor should know.
- Decide whether you will live in the property or rent it out, as this decides which duty rates apply.
- Check your eligibility for the home or first home concessions, including the 1 August 2026 residency rule.
- Estimate your duty with the QRO estimator and add it to your savings target.
- If you are investing, add up the land value of all your Queensland property and check the land tax threshold for your ownership structure.
- Agree the ownership structure with your accountant before you sign.
- Ask your conveyancer to confirm the duty, the concession and the payment date.
IPS Buyer’s Agents helps home buyers and investors across Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan, Moreton Bay and the Sunshine and Gold Coasts buy well and budget for the true cost of a purchase. See the results in our client success stories, or contact us to talk through your plans.
- Queensland Revenue Office: Transfer duty rates
- Queensland Revenue Office: Transfer duty home concession rates
- Queensland Revenue Office: Home concession
- Queensland Revenue Office: First home concession
- Queensland Revenue Office: First home (new home) concession
- Queensland Revenue Office: First home vacant land concession
- Queensland Revenue Office: Changes to home concessions from 1 August 2026
- Queensland Revenue Office: Transfer duty estimator
- Queensland Revenue Office: First home owner grant
- Queensland Revenue Office: Land tax rates for individuals
- Queensland Revenue Office: Land tax rates for companies and trusts
- Queensland Revenue Office: Land tax rates for absentees
How much is stamp duty on an $800,000 home in Queensland in 2026?
An investor pays $29,025 at the general rates. An owner-occupier claiming the home concession pays $21,850. An eligible first home buyer pays nothing on a new home, but an established home at $800,000 is above the first home concession limit, so the home concession amount of $21,850 applies.
Do first home buyers pay stamp duty in Queensland?
For contracts from 1 May 2025, eligible first home buyers pay no transfer duty on a new home or on vacant land to build their first home, with no price cap. On an established home there is no duty up to $700,000 and a partial concession up to $800,000.
What changed for Queensland stamp duty concessions on 1 August 2026?
For contracts from 1 August 2026, only Australian citizens, permanent residents and specified foreign retirees can claim the home concessions. Temporary residents generally pay the general rates plus the 8% additional foreign acquirer duty.
What is the land tax threshold in Queensland?
Individuals pay land tax once the total taxable value of their Queensland land reaches $600,000 at 30 June. Companies, trusts and absentees are liable from $350,000, and absentees, foreign companies and foreign trusts also pay a 3% surcharge.
Do I pay land tax on my own home in Queensland?
Generally no. Land you use as your home is usually exempt. Land tax mostly applies to investment properties, holiday homes and vacant land, and it is based on the land value set by the Valuer-General, not the price you paid.
Is stamp duty tax deductible for property investors?
No. Stamp duty on buying an investment property is not deductible against rental income, but it is added to the property’s cost base, which reduces capital gains tax when you sell. Land tax on an investment property is generally deductible. Check your own position with your accountant.