First Home Buyer Stamp Duty in the ACT
The Australian Capital Territory has the simplest first-home setting in the country. From 1 July 2026 the Home Buyer Concession Scheme charges no stamp duty for eligible first home buyers — with no property value cap and no income test. The concession applies to new and established homes and to vacant land alike.
Estimated first-home duty at different prices
These are planning estimates for an eligible ACT first home buyer, using the current thresholds. Treat them as a ballpark — the exact figure depends on your circumstances and the property type, so always confirm with ACT Revenue Office.
| Purchase price | New build | Established | No concession |
|---|---|---|---|
| $600,000 | $0 | $0 | $27,000 |
| $700,000 | $0 | $0 | $31,500 |
| $800,000 | $0 | $0 | $36,000 |
| $900,000 | $0 | $0 | $40,500 |
| $1,000,000 | $0 | $0 | $45,000 |
| $1,100,000 | $0 | $0 | $49,500 |
“No concession” shows the approximate duty a non-first-home buyer would pay at the same price, so you can see what the first-home concession is worth to you.
The Home Buyer Concession Scheme
The ACT has been steadily widening its first-home concession, and from 1 July 2026 it removes the two limits that used to catch buyers out: the value cap and the household income test. Any eligible first home buyer pays $0 duty regardless of what the property costs.
Eligibility still applies: all buyers must be first home owners (you and your partner must not have owned property in Australia in the past couple of years), at least one buyer must occupy the home for a continuous period, and you must move in within a set time after settlement. But once eligible, the duty saving is complete.
Why 'no cap, no income test' is a big deal
Most state concessions taper out at a price threshold, so higher-value purchases lose them entirely. By removing the cap, the ACT lets first home buyers save the full duty even on more expensive Canberra homes — where duty would otherwise be one of the largest costs of buying.
Removing the income test matters too: dual-income professional households that are shut out of means-tested schemes elsewhere still get the full ACT concession. That makes the ACT unusual in rewarding first home buyers across the whole market rather than just the entry level.
Grants stack on top of the duty concession
The ACT folded its First Home Owner Grant into the broader duty concession years ago, so the duty saving above is the main first-home benefit — check the ACT Revenue Office for any current build incentives.
In planning terms, a duty concession lowers what you need at settlement, while a grant adds cash back afterwards. Model both to see your true total cash position — the calculator handles the duty side and shows total cash needed for ACT.
This is general information, not financial or tax advice. Stamp-duty rules change with each state budget — figures are current as of July 2026. Always confirm the exact concession, grant and eligibility with ACT Revenue Office before you buy.
I'm a geologist-turned-builder who got frustrated with financial calculators that hand-wave how Australian tax actually works.
Every projection on MyNextDollar runs on current ATO mechanics for FY2026-27 — Stage-3 brackets, super contribution caps and HELP thresholds.
The calculation engine is covered by 88 unit tests and 10,000 fuzz scenarios, so what you see is exactly what the rules produce — not a rough estimate.