Property Glossary
Transfer duty — commonly still called stamp duty — is a Queensland state government tax payable on the transfer of property. It is one of the largest upfront costs in a property purchase and must be budgeted for alongside deposit, legal fees and inspection costs.
Transfer duty is a state government tax imposed on the transfer of dutiable property in Queensland. It is calculated on the dutiable value of the transaction — typically the purchase price, or market value if higher — using a sliding scale of rates that increases with the value of the property.
The duty is the buyer's obligation. It must be assessed by the Queensland Revenue Office and paid within 30 days of the earlier of the date of possession or settlement. In practice, payment is typically arranged by your solicitor or conveyancer at settlement.
Nil duty payable.
$1.50 for every $100 or part of $100 over $5,000.
$1,050 plus $3.50 for every $100 or part over $75,000.
$17,325 plus $4.50 for every $100 or part over $540,000.
$38,025 plus $5.75 for every $100 or part over $1,000,000.
At a $1,500,000 purchase price — common in the Noosa market — transfer duty is approximately $66,775 for a standard purchaser with no concessions. At $2,000,000, it is approximately $95,525. These are significant costs that must be funded on top of the deposit and cannot be borrowed in most cases.
Several concessions and exemptions apply to transfer duty in Queensland depending on buyer circumstances:
First home buyers purchasing a property valued at $700,000 or less receive a full concession — no duty payable. For properties between $700,000 and $800,000, a partial concession applies on a sliding scale. Above $800,000, no concession is available. To qualify, buyers must be Australian citizens or permanent residents, not have previously owned a home in Australia, and must move into the property within one year and occupy it for at least one year.
Owner-occupiers purchasing their principal place of residence who do not qualify for the First Home Buyer concession receive a home concession rate — effectively a lower duty rate applying up to $350,000 of the dutiable value. Above $350,000, the standard rate applies to the excess. The saving is modest at Noosa price points but worth confirming eligibility.
Purchasers buying an investment property or additional property — where the property will not be their principal place of residence — pay the standard rate with no concession. The duty on investment purchases in the Noosa market at typical price points is therefore substantial.
Foreign persons purchasing residential property in Queensland pay an additional 8% surcharge on top of standard transfer duty. This applies to non-Australian citizens, non-permanent residents and certain foreign corporations and trusts. Always confirm foreign buyer surcharge liability with your solicitor if there is any uncertainty about residency status.
Transfer duty is a material transaction cost at Noosa price points and should be budgeted for explicitly in any purchase plan. Unlike some other states where duty reform has occurred, Queensland's transfer duty rates remain unchanged in their structure and continue to represent a significant government impost on property transactions.
For buyers purchasing in the $1M–$2M range — typical for established Noosa suburbs — transfer duty ranges from approximately $38,000 to $95,000. At $2.5M, the duty exceeds $124,000. This must be funded from cash or equity, not mortgage proceeds, in most standard lending arrangements.
The timing of transfer duty payment — within 30 days of settlement — means buyers must have these funds available and readily accessible at settlement. Your solicitor will arrange the transfer duty assessment and payment as part of the conveyancing process, but confirming the amount early in the process allows you to ensure funds are in place.
Transfer duty is not negotiable and cannot be avoided through structuring in standard residential purchases. Any advice suggesting otherwise should be treated with significant caution and verified with an independent Queensland solicitor.
Transfer duty, legal fees, inspection costs and settlement adjustments add up quickly at Noosa price points. We help buyers understand the full cost of acquisition before they commit to a price.