Queensland stamp duty and land tax calculator

Using the two calculators

The transfer duty calculator works out Queensland transfer duty at the general rate, the home concession rate and the first home concession, and adds additional foreign acquirer duty (AFAD) for a foreign buyer's share of residential land. The land tax calculator works out land tax for the 2026/2027 year for individuals, companies and trustees, foreign companies and trusts, and absentees, including the 3% foreign and absentee surcharge.

Both calculators stop where the answer depends on facts they cannot check. Mixed concession claims between co-buyers, a concession combined with a foreign buyer, a property with a non-residential part, and the exemptions all return a plain refusal and a link to the QRO transfer duty calculator.

Transfer duty rates

Queensland transfer duty is charged on the dutiable value of the transaction. The same rates apply to landholder duty and corporate trustee duty. Duty is charged for each $100, or part of $100, so the amount over a band floor is rounded up to the next $100 before the rate is applied.

QRO's example: an investment house with a dutiable value of $850,000 pays $17,325 plus $4.50 for each $100 of the $310,000 above $540,000, which is $31,275. There is no separate rate for seniors card or pensioner concession card holders. Transfer of a mortgage over Queensland land attracts $5 duty.

Home concessions

Queensland has four home concessions and a buyer can claim one for their home: the home concession, the first home concession, the first home (new home) concession and the first home vacant land concession. Each applies only to the part of the property used as the home.

Home concession

Available whether or not the buyer has owned a home before. The concessional rate applies to the first $350,000 and the general rates apply to the balance, which QRO says saves up to $7,175.

QRO's example: a buyer who has owned a home before pays $950,000 for their next home and moves in straight after settlement. Duty is $10,150 plus $18,450, which is $28,600.

First home concession

For an established first home, duty is worked out at the home concession rate and the first home concession amount is then deducted. For contracts signed on or after 9 June 2024:

These are QRO's figures. A buyer of a residence valued between $700,001 and $799,999 must be paying market value.

First home (new home) and first home vacant land concessions

For eligible transactions entered into on or after 1 May 2025, a first home buyer of a new home, or of vacant land on which to build their first home, gets a full concession with no value cap. A new home is one not previously occupied or sold as a place of residence, or a substantially renovated home. The concession only covers the residential land. Any additional land that is not part of the residence or not used for residential purposes is dutiable at the transfer duty rates.

Eligibility points accountants get asked about

• The buyer must be acquiring as an individual. Companies cannot claim, except as a corporate trustee, and trustees can claim only in narrow cases where all beneficiaries are individuals under a legal disability (not a discretionary or unit trust).
• For transactions entered into on or after 1 August 2026, each claimant must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or specified foreign retiree.
• The buyer must move in, with their personal belongings, within 1 year of settlement. This cannot be extended.
• First home concessions need the buyer to be at least 18 and never to have held an interest in a residence anywhere in the world.
• Selling, or leasing all of the property, before moving in or within 1 year of moving in triggers a reassessment. Renting part of the home after moving in is allowed for lease arrangements starting on or after 10 September 2024, provided the owner keeps living there.

Co-buyers can claim different concessions on their own shares. QRO's example: Fiona, an Australian citizen, buys 75% and claims a concession; Mark, who is not a citizen, permanent resident or specified foreign retiree, buys 25% and pays full duty and AFAD on his share. The calculator does not split these cases.

Additional foreign acquirer duty

AFAD is an extra 8% on transactions liable for transfer duty, landholder duty or corporate trustee duty where a foreign person acquires AFAD residential land. That is land used or to be used solely or primarily for residential purposes, including established homes, vacant land for a home and land for residential development. It does not include land used for hotels and motels.

AFAD is worked out on the foreign acquirer's interest in the dutiable value, which uses the GST-inclusive price and includes chattels. It applies whether the property is an investment or not, and it continues to apply if the buyer later becomes a citizen or permanent resident.

A specified foreign retiree (retirement visa subclass 405 or 410, or certain pending parent visa applications) is exempt from AFAD on their principal place of residence for transactions on or after 1 January 2023. A home concession reduces transfer duty only and does not reduce AFAD. Exemption or ex gratia relief can be available in other cases set out by QRO.

Land tax for 2026/2027

How it is assessed

Queensland land tax is based on the freehold land owned at midnight on 30 June each year, so the 2026/2027 assessment uses land owned at midnight on 30 June 2026. The taxable value comes from the Valuer-General's valuations. Under section 18 of the Land Tax Act 2010, the value used is generally the average of the land's values for the year and the previous 2 years. Exempt land, such as land used as the owner's home, is excluded.

The rate depends on the type of owner. Each owner is assessed on land owned solely plus their share of land owned jointly with others.

Individuals

An individual is an Australian citizen, a permanent visa holder or a person who usually lives in Australia. A trustee of a special disability trust is also taxed at the individual rates.

QRO's examples: $680,000 gives $1,300, and $6,400,000 gives $87,000.

Companies and trustees

Companies (including clubs, associations and societies) and trustees of trusts and super funds have a $350,000 threshold.

QRO's examples: an Australian company with $6,400,000 of land pays $106,500, and an SMSF trustee with $760,000 pays $8,420.

Land held for a trust is assessed separately, as if it were the only land the trustee owned. It is not added to the trustee's own land or to land held for another trust, unless the trusts are aggregated because their beneficiaries and their interests are the same at 30 June. QRO's example: Aqua Pty Ltd receives one notice as trustee of the Ocean Family Trust and another in its own capacity.

Absentees

An absentee is a foreign individual (including a New Zealand citizen) who does not hold a permanent visa and does not usually live in Australia. Absentees cannot claim the home or primary production exemption.

Foreign and absentee surcharge

Absentees, foreign companies and trustees of foreign trusts pay a 3% surcharge on top of the rates above where the taxable value is $350,000 or more. QRO's formula is (taxable value − $350,000) × 3%. QRO's example for both an absentee and a foreign company: $400,000 of land gives land tax of $2,300 plus a $1,500 surcharge, $3,800 in total.

A company is foreign if it is incorporated outside Australia or foreign persons and related persons have at least a 50% controlling interest. A trust is foreign if at least 50% of the trust interests are held by foreign individuals, foreign companies, trustees of foreign trusts or related persons. For liabilities arising on or after 30 June 2026, an exemption from the surcharge may be available for significant contributors to the Queensland economy and large residential developers; before that date the relief was ex gratia.

Quick reference for client conversations

For other states, see NSW, Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia. For property GST, see GST on property.