NSW Stamp Duty Calculator (FHBAS + Foreign Surcharge)

What this calculator works out

This calculator estimates the transfer duty (still commonly called stamp duty) you will owe Revenue NSW when you buy residential property in New South Wales. It handles four moving parts in one go:

1. The standard duty under Schedule 1 of the Duties Act 1997 (NSW), including the 7% Premium Property Duty above $3,505,000.
2. The First Home Buyer Assistance Scheme (FHBAS), including the 1 July 2023 thresholds: full exemption to $800,000 and concessional duty to $1,000,000 for new and existing homes; full exemption to $350,000 and concessional duty to $450,000 for vacant land.
3. The 8% foreign purchaser surcharge under the Duties Act 1997 (NSW), Chapter 2A.
4. Edge cases like the $20 minimum and the interaction between FHBAS and foreign-purchaser status (foreign purchasers do not get FHBAS).

The figure it returns is the total duty liability owed at settlement — not the deposit, the loan amount, or the conveyancer fee. Combine it with our HECS-HELP repayment calculator and the Medicare Levy Surcharge calculator to see what your real cash position looks like across debt and tax.

Where the formula comes from

The brackets used here are the Revenue NSW Schedule 1 brackets that took effect on 1 July 2024:

Dutiable value	Duty
up to $16,000	$1.25 per $100 (min $20)
$16,001 – $35,000	$200 + $1.50 per $100 above $16,000
$35,001 – $93,000	$485 + $1.75 per $100 above $35,000
$93,001 – $351,000	$1,500 + $3.50 per $100 above $93,000
$351,001 – $1,168,000	$10,530 + $4.50 per $100 above $351,000
$1,168,001 – $3,505,000	$47,295 + $5.50 per $100 above $1,168,000
above $3,505,000	$175,830 + $7.00 per $100 above $3,505,000 (Premium Property Duty)

Revenue NSW reindexes the bracket boundaries each 1 July using a movement in the Sydney CPI. The percentage rates have been steady for years; only the boundary numbers shift. The page Updated date at the top tells you which reindexing run we are on.

How to read the inputs

• Purchase price — the contract price, in AUD. If the market value is higher than the contract price (for example, a related-party transfer at a friendly price), Revenue NSW uses the market value instead. Use the higher figure here.
• Purchase type — new home, existing home or vacant land. This only matters for FHBAS, since the vacant-land thresholds are lower than the home thresholds. If you are not claiming FHBAS the field has no impact on the duty figure.
• Eligible first home buyer — tick this only if all the FHBAS conditions are met: at least 18, Australian citizen or permanent resident, never previously owned a residential property in any country, you (or your spouse) move in within 12 months and live there for at least 12 continuous months. Investors and corporate buyers cannot tick this box.
• Foreign purchaser — tick this if any buyer on the contract is a foreign person under the Duties Act 1997 (NSW). That includes most temporary visa holders (485, 482, 500 etc), foreign citizens not ordinarily resident, and foreign-controlled companies and trusts. The 8% surcharge applies to the share of the property being acquired by the foreign buyer; this calculator assumes a 100% foreign share to give you the worst-case figure.

Worked examples

1. First home buyer, new apartment for $750,000. Purchase price is below the $800,000 FHBAS full-exemption threshold for new homes. Standard duty would be $28,505 (= 10,530 + (750,000 − 351,000) × 4.5%), but FHBAS wipes it. Total duty: $0.

2. Owner-occupier upgrader, existing home for $1,400,000, Australian citizen. No FHBAS, no surcharge. Sits in the 5.5% bracket. Duty = $47,295 + ($1,400,000 − $1,168,000) × 5.5% = $60,055.

3. Investor, existing home for $850,000, Australian citizen. FHBAS does not apply to investors. Duty = $10,530 + ($850,000 − $351,000) × 4.5% = $32,985.

4. Foreign 482 visa holder, new apartment for $1,200,000. No FHBAS (foreign), surcharge applies. Standard duty = $10,530 + ($1,200,000 − $351,000) × 4.5% = $48,735. Plus 8% × $1,200,000 = $96,000 surcharge. Total: $144,735.

5. Trophy buyer, existing home for $5,000,000, Australian citizen. Crosses into Premium Property Duty. Duty = $175,830 + ($5,000,000 − $3,505,000) × 7% = $280,455.

Common pitfalls

• The 12-month occupancy test is not optional. If you take FHBAS and then move out before the 12 months are up, you have to pay back the full duty. Renting the place out from day one disqualifies you.
• A spouse can disqualify you even if they are not on the contract. FHBAS asks whether you or your spouse have ever owned residential property anywhere in the world. If your partner owned a flat overseas a decade ago, you do not qualify.
• Foreign purchaser status is decided at the contract date. Becoming a permanent resident a month after you sign does not retroactively remove the surcharge.
• Off-the-plan deferral is not a discount. Eligible owner-occupier off-the-plan buyers can defer payment for up to 12 months from contract or until completion (whichever is sooner). The amount owing is unchanged. Investors cannot defer.
• Interstate comparison is not straightforward. NSW, VIC and QLD all use different brackets, different first home buyer rules and different foreign surcharge rates (NSW 8%, VIC 8%, QLD 8% effective 1 July 2024). Do not assume the NSW figure carries over.

When to talk to a professional

This calculator gives a general estimate based on public Revenue NSW data. For a binding figure on a specific contract — especially anything involving a trust, partial transfer, related-party sale, off-the-plan rebate, or foreign-investor pathway — speak to a NSW-registered conveyancer or property solicitor. For loan structuring and LMI maths, talk to a licensed mortgage broker. Nothing on this page is personal legal, tax or financial advice.

Related calculators

• Stamp Duty Calculator VIC — same workflow for Victoria, with FHB exemption to $600,000 and PPR concession to $750,000.
• Stamp Duty Calculator QLD — Queensland transfer duty including the home and first home concessions effective 1 May 2025.
• Stamp Duty Calculator WA — WA transfer duty with the FHOG and concessional rates for owner-occupiers.
• Land Tax Calculator NSW — annual NSW land tax once you actually own the property.
• HECS-HELP Repayment Calculator — combine the upfront stamp duty with your annual HECS bill when planning purchase timing.

Sources

1. Revenue NSW — Transfer duty — current bracket schedule and thresholds.
2. Duties Act 1997 (NSW) — Schedule 1 (general duty), Chapter 2A (foreign purchaser surcharge).
3. Revenue NSW — First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme — full exemption to $800,000 and concessional duty to $1,000,000 effective 1 July 2023.
4. Revenue NSW — Surcharge purchaser duty — 8% surcharge on foreign purchasers.
5. Revenue NSW — Premium Property Duty — 7% rate above $3,505,000 (indexed annually each 1 July).