Stamp duty on a $750,000 owner-occupier home in 2026: ACT $19,500 (with first-home waivers); WA $28,500; QLD $20,000; NT $33,000; TAS $30,000; SA $35,500; VIC $40,000; NSW $45,000. Foreign buyer surcharges add 7%-8% in VIC, NSW, QLD.
Stamp duty rates by state for $750K purchase
New South Wales - tiered up to 7%. First-home buyer exemption up to $800K, concession to $1M. Foreign surcharge 8%.
Victoria - up to 6.5%. Foreign surcharge 8% + vacant land tax. Off-the-plan concession can reduce dramatically.
Queensland - up to 5.75%. First-home concession up to $700K. Foreign acquirer 8%.
Western Australia - up to 5.15%. First-home concession up to $530K. Foreign 7%.
South Australia - up to 5.5%. First-home concession to $650K. Foreign 7%.
Tasmania - up to 4.5%. First-home concession to $600K.
Beyond stamp duty, most states levy annual land tax once your land value exceeds a threshold. NSW threshold ~$1.075M, VIC ~$300K (with 2026 expansion to most investors), QLD ~$600K, SA ~$732K, WA ~$300K. ACT replaced stamp duty with annual general rates. NT has no land tax.
Foreign buyer surcharge
Non-resident or non-citizen buyers face additional duty: NSW 8%, VIC 8% (+ 4% land tax surcharge), QLD 8%, SA 7%, WA 7%, TAS no surcharge but FIRB approval required. On a $750K purchase, the foreign surcharge alone adds $52K-$60K. FIRB application fees range $14K to $200K+.
ACT has effectively the lowest because it transitioned to annual general rates instead of upfront stamp duty. For traditional stamp duty, Tasmania (4.5% top) and WA (5.15%) are next. NSW (7%) and VIC (6.5%) are highest.
Do first-home buyers pay stamp duty in Australia?
Reduced or none depending on state and price. NSW: full waiver up to $800K, concession to $1M. VIC: full waiver up to $600K, concession to $750K. QLD: waiver up to $550K, concession to $700K. ACT: $34K waiver for any first-home buy.
What is the foreign buyer surcharge in Australia?
Additional duty for non-resident buyers: NSW 8%, VIC 8%, QLD 8%, SA 7%, WA 7%. Plus FIRB approval (~$14K to $200K depending on value). Plus annual land tax surcharge in NSW, VIC, QLD on top of base land tax.
Can stamp duty be added to my home loan?
Usually yes, but it counts toward your LVR (loan-to-value ratio). Most lenders cap LVR at 95% so you still need ~5% cash for stamp + LMI. Borrowing stamp duty also extends repayment cost over the loan term.
Key takeaways
Use the calculators below with YOUR actual numbers - generic rules can be substantially off for individual situations.
Tax brackets, contribution limits, and rate tables update annually - bookmark and check back in February-April.
Most planning decisions hinge on marginal tax rate, not effective rate.
For complex situations a fee-only fiduciary advisor or CA is usually worth the cost; for simple ones a robo-advisor suffices.
Bookmark this page - we update annually as authorities publish next year's tables.
By audience: what to focus on
Different reader types need different angles on this topic. Pick the one closest to your situation.
Salaried employees
Maximise tax-advantaged retirement contributions (EPF/401(k)/SIPP/RRSP). Check whether your country prefers the old vs new regime, employer-match thresholds, and salary-sacrifice options. Use the calculators below with your CTC / gross income.
Freelancers / self-employed
You bear higher self-employment tax + lose the employer match, but get access to higher contribution limits (Solo 401k, SEP-IRA, NPS Tier-I). Track business expenses meticulously. Quarterly estimated tax payments avoid underpayment penalty.
NRIs / expats
Tax residency rules (183-day, tie-breaker), double-taxation treaties, foreign tax credits all come into play. NRI restrictions on PPF (no new accounts) but expanded options on NPS. Cross-border income often needs specialist advice.
Retirees / pre-retirees
Sequence-of-returns risk in early retirement is the largest threat. Glide-path asset allocation, Roth-conversion analysis in low-income years, Required Minimum Distribution planning, and Medicare/healthcare gap funding (US) are the big items.
Quick reference: 10 specific scenarios
Scan the question list, expand only the rows that match your situation.
What is the most important thing to know about this topic?
The single most important takeaway is to use the calculators below with YOUR actual numbers rather than relying on rules of thumb. Personal finance is heavily sensitive to individual variables (tax bracket, time horizon, country, age, employment type, dependents). A blanket rule that works for one household can be substantially wrong for another.
Where can I find authoritative source data for this?
Always trace back to the official issuer: IRS revenue procedures for US tax brackets, CBDT notifications for India, HMRC bulletins for UK, CRA tax tables for Canada, ATO website for Australia. Avoid relying on secondary sources for the numbers that drive your tax filing.
How often do these numbers change?
Most tax brackets, contribution limits, and rate tables update annually in the budget cycle for that jurisdiction. Some (like the US Federal Reserve rates, RBI repo rate) change at policy meetings 4-8 times per year. Bookmark this page and check back in February-April for next-year updates.
Does this apply to non-resident / NRI / expat scenarios?
Cross-border situations have additional complexity (tax residency, treaty positions, foreign tax credits, FBAR/FATCA reporting). The general framework here applies but the specific numbers may differ. For multi-country income, consult a cross-border tax specialist before filing.
Yes. The math here feeds directly into retirement-corpus and FIRE calculators in the related-tools section. Most retirees model 25x annual spending as their target nest egg (the inverse of the 4% safe withdrawal rule) using these underlying tax and return assumptions.
How accurate are the calculators on this site?
Calculators use the latest published rate tables from each country's tax authority and update annually. For tax filing, ALWAYS verify with the official software or a qualified accountant. The calculators here are accurate for planning, salary negotiation, and retirement projection - not a substitute for filing software.
Are there country-specific versions of this content?
Yes. Use the country picker in the top nav to switch to India (₹), US ($), UK (£), Canada (CAD), Australia (AUD), Singapore (SGD), UAE (AED), or Germany (EUR) versions of the relevant calculators.
What's the difference between effective and marginal tax rate?
Marginal rate is the tax on your NEXT dollar of income (the top of your bracket). Effective rate is total tax divided by total income - usually much lower because progressive brackets tax earlier income at lower rates. Deductions save tax at your marginal rate, not effective. Most planning decisions hinge on marginal rate, not effective.
Is this information current?
Updated for FY 2025-26 (India), Tax Year 2025-26 (UK), Tax Year 2026 (US), Tax Year 2025 (Canada and Australia). The trust block at the top of this page shows the verified date and authority sources for the rate tables used.
Where can I get personalised advice?
For complex situations (multi-country income, equity comp, divorce, sudden inheritance, business sale), a fee-only fiduciary financial advisor or CA is worth the cost. For simple situations (single country, salary employee), the calculators here plus a robo-advisor at 0.25% AUM is usually enough.
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Common adjacent queries on this topic. Each calculator and explainer linked below covers one or more of these specifically.
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