ACT Conveyance Duty — How Much Will You Pay?
Conveyance duty is the ACT's version of stamp duty — and it works differently from every other state. Owner-occupiers pay a reduced rate, first home buyers under $1,020,000 can pay nothing, and the territory has no foreign buyer surcharge. Here's exactly how it's calculated, with worked examples at common Canberra price points.
What is conveyance duty in the ACT?
Conveyance duty (formally under the Duties Act 1999) is a territory tax charged on the transfer of property in the ACT. Like stamp duty in other states, it's a one-off cost payable at settlement, calculated as a percentage of the purchase price on a progressive bracket scale.
Unlike most other jurisdictions, the ACT runs two different rate tables — a general rate for investors and a lower rate for owner-occupiers who commit to living in the property. First home buyers who pass an income test and a 5-year prior-ownership rule can qualify for the Home Buyer Concession Scheme, which waives duty entirely on purchases up to $1,020,000.
The ACT has been gradually phasing out conveyance duty since 2012, replacing the revenue with broad-based land tax. That long-run policy direction means rates have steadily fallen and are expected to continue doing so in future budgets.
General rate (investors and ineligible buyers)
The general rate applies to investors, non-resident buyers, and owner-occupiers who do not qualify for the eligible (PPR) concession. All rates are effective from 1 July 2025.
| Property price | Duty payable |
|---|---|
| Up to $200,000 | 1.2% of value |
| $200,000 – $300,000 | $2,400 + 2.2% of excess over $200,000 |
| $300,000 – $500,000 | $4,600 + 3.4% of excess over $300,000 |
| $500,000 – $750,000 | $11,400 + 4.32% of excess over $500,000 |
| $750,000 – $1,000,000 | $22,200 + 5.9% of excess over $750,000 |
| $1,000,000 – $1,455,000 | $36,950 + 6.4% of excess over $1,000,000 |
| Over $1,455,000 | 4.54% of total value |
Properties over $1,455,000 are taxed at 4.54% of the total purchase price — not the marginal excess. At prices well above $1,455,000 this flat rate becomes cheaper than extrapolating the marginal brackets; at prices just above the threshold it may result in a slightly higher bill than the bracket below. Confirm the exact figure for high-value purchases with the ACT Revenue Office calculator.
Source: ACT Revenue Office — Conveyance duty.
Owner-occupier rate (eligible buyers)
If you buy a home and live in it as your principal place of residence for at least 12 continuous months, you pay the eligible (owner-occupier) rate. Eligible owner-occupiers have paid a reduced rate since 1 July 2021, and the ACT Government has continued lowering it as part of the long-running phase-out of conveyance duty. From 1 July 2025 the first bracket is 0.28% on the first $260,000 — versus the general (investor) rate of 1.2% on the same bracket. Above $260,000 the marginal rates are the same, but the lower cumulative base at the start means a cheaper outcome at every price point below $1,455,000.
| Property price | Duty payable |
|---|---|
| Up to $260,000 | 0.28% of value |
| $260,000 – $300,000 | $728 + 2.2% of excess over $260,000 |
| $300,000 – $500,000 | $1,608 + 3.4% of excess over $300,000 |
| $500,000 – $750,000 | $8,408 + 4.32% of excess over $500,000 |
| $750,000 – $1,000,000 | $19,208 + 5.9% of excess over $750,000 |
| $1,000,000 – $1,455,000 | $33,958 + 6.4% of excess over $1,000,000 |
| Over $1,455,000 | 4.54% of total value |
To claim the owner-occupier rate, you must be an eligible buyer under the Duties Act 1999 and confirm your principal-place-of-residence intention at settlement. If you move out within 12 months, the ACT Revenue Office can reassess duty at the general rate plus interest.
Home Buyer Concession Scheme (HBCS)
The HBCS is the ACT's first home buyer program. At $1,020,000, the threshold is the highest flat dollar cap on FHB duty relief in any state or territory — and unlike Queensland or South Australia (which waive duty on new builds only with no price cap), it covers both new and established homes.
- Full exemption on purchases up to $1,020,000 — you pay $0 conveyance duty.
- Partial concession above $1,020,000 — a fixed discount of up to $35,238 is applied against the full owner-occupier (PPR) rate.
- Income test — combined gross/taxable income of all buyers and their domestic partners over the financial year before the transaction must be at or below the ACT threshold. The threshold steps up with each dependent child and is updated annually.
- 5-year prior-ownership rule — no buyer (or their domestic partner) can have held a legal or equitable interest in any other property in the 5 years before the transaction. Before 1 July 2024 the lookback was 2 years.
- Applies to new and established homes — no distinction between property condition, unlike Queensland or South Australia.
At least one buyer must live in the home as their principal place of residence for at least one continuous year, starting within 12 months of the settlement date (or, for vacant land, within 12 months of the Certificate of Occupancy and Use being issued). The Commissioner for ACT Revenue can waive the residence requirement in limited unforeseen-circumstance cases. Full eligibility criteria and the current income thresholds are on the ACT Revenue Office Home Buyer Concession Scheme page.
The HBCS stacks with the federal 5% Deposit Scheme — if you qualify for both on the same purchase, you could avoid LMI entirely and pay zero conveyance duty.
Buying in another state? See how the ACT compares: NSW stamp duty (FHB exemption capped at $800,000) and Victoria stamp duty (FHB exemption capped at $600,000).
Worked examples
These figures are computed from the bracket tables above — the same method the ACT Revenue Office uses. All values are indicative; your final duty depends on the contract date, buyer eligibility, and whether you qualify for the owner-occupier or HBCS rate.
First home buyer · $750,000
Under the $1,020,000 Home Buyer Concession Scheme threshold — you pay $0, assuming you pass the income test and the 5-year prior-ownership rule.
Owner-occupier (non-FHB) · $900,000
Owner-occupier (PPR) rate applies — the reduced first bracket saves you roughly $2,992 compared to the general investor rate at the same price.
Owner-occupier (non-FHB) · $1,100,000
Full PPR rate, no concession. If you qualified for the HBCS, a $35,238 maximum discount would reduce this to around $5,120.
Investment property · $1,000,000
General (investor) rate with no concessions. Roughly $2,992 more than the same purchase under owner-occupier rates — only the first $260,000 bracket differs between the two tables.
Conveyance duty is just one line in your true purchase cost. See how it combines with LMI, conveyancing, inspections, and every ongoing cost:
Calculate your full purchase costWhen and how do you pay ACT conveyance duty?
Unlike most states, ACT conveyance duty isn't payable at the moment of contract or settlement — it's tied to title registration at Access Canberra:
- After settlement, you (or your conveyancer) have 14 days to lodge the transfer instrument with Access Canberra for title registration.
- Once title is registered, duty is payable within 14 days of that registration date.
In practice your conveyancer manages both steps as part of the settlement package, so the timing rarely surprises buyers — but the trigger is title registration, not settlement or contract exchange. Late lodgement or late payment attracts penalty tax and interest under the Taxation Administration Act 1999, and the ACT Revenue Office does not offer payment plans for conveyance duty.
Owner-occupiers buying off-the-plan units have, since 2020, had access to a separate Off the Plan Unit Duty Exemption— a full duty exemption (not a deferral) for unit-titled apartments and townhouses below an owner-occupier price cap. The cap and end date have been adjusted in each ACT Budget. Because the specific cap and contract-window dates change yearly, we don't reproduce the current parameters here — confirm them on the ACT Revenue Office Off the Plan Unit Duty Exemption page before signing. If you're also a first home buyer, check whether the HBCS or the OTP exemption gives the better outcome on your specific contract.
Frequently asked questions
How much is conveyance duty in the ACT?
ACT conveyance duty is calculated on a bracket scale and depends on your buyer type. An owner-occupier buying at $900,000 pays about $28,058 under the eligible (PPR) rate. An investor at the same price pays $31,050 under the general rate. First home buyers who pass the HBCS income test and the 5-year prior-ownership rule pay nothing on purchases up to $1,020,000. Above that threshold, a partial concession of up to $35,238 applies.
Do first home buyers pay stamp duty in the ACT?
Not if the property is under $1,020,000 and you meet the Home Buyer Concession Scheme (HBCS) eligibility tests: an income threshold (which scales with the number of dependent children), and a property-ownership rule that no buyer (or their domestic partner) has held an interest in any other property in the past 5 years. Eligible buyers pay $0 — a full exemption regardless of property type (new or established). Above $1,020,000, a partial concession applies, capped at a $35,238 discount from the full PPR rate. If you don't meet the eligibility criteria, the standard owner-occupier rate applies. Check the current income thresholds at the ACT Revenue Office before making decisions — they're updated each financial year.
What is the owner-occupier rate in the ACT?
Owner-occupiers who live in the property as their principal place of residence for at least 12 months pay the "eligible" (PPR) rate. The key difference is the first bracket: 0.28% on the first $260,000 instead of the investor rate of 1.2%. Above $260,000, the marginal rates are identical to the general table, but the lower cumulative base means you pay less at every price point up to $1,455,000. At $900,000 the saving over the general rate is about $2,992.
When do you pay conveyance duty in the ACT?
ACT conveyance duty payment is triggered by title registration at Access Canberra, not by contract exchange. After settlement, you (or your conveyancer) have 14 days to lodge the transfer instrument for title registration. Duty is then payable within 14 days of that registration. In practice your conveyancer manages both steps as part of the settlement package. Late lodgement or late payment attracts penalty tax and interest under the Taxation Administration Act 1999. Owner-occupiers buying off-the-plan units have a separate full-exemption scheme (the Off the Plan Unit Duty Exemption) that the ACT adjusts each Budget — the specific price cap and contract dates change yearly, so confirm the current iteration with the ACT Revenue Office before signing.
Does the ACT charge a foreign buyer surcharge?
No — the ACT is one of two jurisdictions, along with the Northern Territory, that levies no foreign purchaser surcharge on conveyance duty. Foreign buyers pay the same general rate as domestic investors. The ACT does impose a separate 0.75% annual land tax surcharge on residential property held by foreign persons, applied to the average unimproved value, but there is no duty loading at point of purchase.
How does ACT conveyance duty compare to other states?
The ACT general rate is among the steeper schedules in Australia at mid-tier prices, but the Home Buyer Concession Scheme threshold of $1,020,000 is the highest flat dollar cap on FHB duty relief in any state or territory — well above NSW ($800,000), Victoria ($600,000), and Queensland ($700,000 for established homes). Queensland, South Australia, and Tasmania waive duty on new builds with no price cap, but only on new homes; the HBCS covers both new and established. Owner-occupiers also benefit from the low first bracket (0.28% vs 1.2%). The ACT is also actively phasing out conveyance duty over two decades, replacing the revenue with land tax — so rates have been falling and that direction is expected to continue.
This guide is for general information only and is not financial, legal, or tax advice. ACT conveyance duty rules and HBCS thresholds change annually — verify current rates and your eligibility with the ACT Revenue Office or a licensed conveyancer before making property decisions.