About $30,187 at the standard NSW rate, and $0 for an eligible first home buyer, because $800,000 is the top of the exemption. Pay $820,000 and the first home buyer pays about $3,900; at $900,000 about $19,600; at $1 million the exemption and concession are gone.
Eight hundred thousand dollars is the most important number in NSW first home buying because it is where the duty exemption ends.
At or below it an eligible first home buyer pays no transfer duty; above it the duty phases in until $1 million, where the full rate applies to everyone. For every other buyer, duty on $800,000 is about $30,187, paid in cash at settlement.
This page gives the exact figures around the threshold, the eligibility rules, and the decisions buyers make when a property sits just over the line.
Part of the first home buyer loans guide.
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Assumes an eligible NSW first home buyer purchasing an existing home under the First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme (exempt to $800k, concession to $1m). Indicative only, check Revenue NSW for your exact position.
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Residential rates from Revenue NSW. First home buyer figures use the First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme: exempt to $800,000, concession to $1,000,000.
| $700,000 | Standard duty about $25,687. Eligible first home buyer duty $0. |
|---|---|
| $800,000 | Standard duty about $30,187. Eligible first home buyer duty $0. |
| $820,000 | Standard duty about $31,087. Eligible first home buyer duty about $3,919. |
| $850,000 | Standard duty about $32,437. Eligible first home buyer duty about $9,797. |
| $900,000 | Standard duty about $34,687. Eligible first home buyer duty about $19,594. |
| $950,000 | Standard duty about $36,937. Eligible first home buyer duty about $29,390. |
| $1,000,000 | Standard duty about $39,187. Eligible first home buyer duty about $39,187. |
The concession between $800,000 and $1 million phases the full $1 million duty in proportionally. Figures exclude the small transfer and mortgage registration fees and any foreign purchaser surcharge.
A first home buyer looking at $820,000 pays about $3,900 in duty; at $850,000 about $9,800. Those are real costs but small against the price, and bidding to a hard $800,000 ceiling rarely wins a Sydney auction.
The sensible approach is to know the duty at each price before the auction and treat it as part of the bid, not a surprise after it. The stamp duty calculator gives the figure for any price.
Duty is paid in cash at settlement and cannot be added to the loan, so the deposit plan has to cover it.
On an $850,000 purchase with a 5 per cent deposit under the 5% Deposit Scheme, the cash needed is about $42,500 for the deposit, about $9,800 in duty and a few thousand in costs. The cash needed guide adds it all up.
Who pays the full $30,187, and who pays more.
Official sources for the figures on this page: Revenue NSW, transfer duty · Revenue NSW, First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme. Rules change; the official pages are the final word. Checked against these sources on 12 October 2026.
An illustrative couple who own their home buy a two-bedroom investment unit near a train line for $800,000. As investors they pay the standard duty of $30,187; the first home buyer exemption does not apply.
They fund a 20 per cent deposit of $160,000, the duty and about $4,000 of costs from an equity loan on their own home, about $194,000 in all, and borrow $640,000 against the unit.
The duty is not a deductible rental expense: it becomes part of the unit’s cost base and reduces capital gains tax when they sell. See using equity to buy.
The $640,000 loan costs about $3,840 a month, on top of the equity loan’s repayments. This is an illustrative example, not a Links client: figures are rounded, at the 6% example rate over 30 years.
About $30,187 at the standard residential rate. An eligible first home buyer pays nothing, because $800,000 is the top of the First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme exemption.
About $9,797, under the concession that phases duty in between $800,000 and $1 million. The standard rate at $850,000 is about $32,437.
The purchase price on the contract, or the market value if Revenue NSW considers the price understated. For almost every ordinary purchase it is the contract price.
No. Duty is paid in cash at settlement through the conveyancer. The loan covers the price less the deposit; duty and costs come from savings.
Renting a room while you live there is generally fine. Renting out the whole home in the first year breaks the residence requirement and the exemption can be reversed.
The first home buyer concession ends and the standard rate of about $39,187 applies. The 5% Deposit Scheme still applies up to $1.5 million in Sydney, but duty is payable in full.
The stamp duty calculator covers any price, the NSW schemes guide sets out eligibility, and the cash needed guide adds the deposit and costs.
Charles shows the duty at your exact price, whether you qualify for the exemption, and what the cash at settlement comes to. Free, no credit check.
Prefer a callback?Charles calls back within one business day. No documents needed yet.
General information only, not credit or financial advice. Scheme thresholds and lender policies change; the figures are illustrations on stated assumptions, not a quote. Links Property Finance holds an Australian Credit Licence authorisation and confirms eligibility against current rules in an assessment.
