ACT first home buyer stamp duty and grants
Last checked
As at Next checkThe ACT has no first home owner grant. Instead, eligible home buyers pay no stamp duty under its Home Buyer Concession Scheme.
Changed in 2026: the income test and the property value limit were removed for transaction dates from 1 July 2026.[2][3] In 2025-26, no duty applied only up to $1,020,000, with a household income limit.[2]
- Stamp duty: none for eligible buyers, contracts from 1 July 2026
- No income test and no property value cap
- New homes, established homes and vacant residential land qualify
- No first home owner grant since 1 July 2019
No first home owner grant in the ACT
The ACT stopped paying the First Home Owner Grant for transactions that started on or after 1 July 2019. The ACT Revenue Office lists the grant as $0 from that date.[1] The last grant was $7,000, for new, substantially renovated or off-the-plan homes where the transaction started between 1 January 2017 and 30 June 2019.[1]
The ACT Revenue Office says the grant was replaced by the Home Buyer Concession Scheme. That scheme lowers or removes stamp duty, called conveyance duty in the ACT, rather than paying a grant.[1][2]
| Item | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| First Home Owner Grant # | None: $0 for transactions from 1 July 2019. It was $7,000 from 1 January 2017 to 30 June 2019 | [1] |
| Home Buyer Concession Scheme # | No duty for eligible buyers, at any property value, for transaction dates from 1 July 2026 | [2][3] |
| Income test # | None from 1 July 2026. For 2025-26 the limit was $250,000 with no dependent children | [2] |
| Which properties # | New homes, established homes and vacant residential land | [2] |
| Prior property # | No buyer or domestic partner held an interest in property in the last 5 years | [2][3] |
| Living in the home # | At least one buyer, for one year, moving in within one year of settlement | [2] |
| Who can claim # | Individuals aged 18 or over; not companies, trustees or partnerships | [2][3] |
ACT stamp duty for first home buyers: the Home Buyer Concession Scheme
From 1 July 2026, eligible buyers pay no conveyance duty (stamp duty) under the Home Buyer Concession Scheme.[2] The rule is set by a determination made on 26 June 2026. It sets a nil rate of duty for eligible transactions dated from 1 July 2026.[3]
There is no income test and no property value cap. Duty is not payable whatever the property's value or the buyers' income, if the other rules are met.[2][3] New homes, established homes and vacant residential land all qualify.[2]
The main rules are these:
- Every buyer must be an individual aged 18 or over, not buying through a company, trust or partnership.[2][3]
- No buyer may have held an interest in any property in the 5 years before the transaction date, in Australia or overseas. This applies to each buyer's domestic partner too.[2][3]
- At least one buyer must own the home and live in it as their main home for at least one year in a row. They must move in within one year of settlement, or of the certificate of occupancy for vacant land.[2]
The scheme is not only for first home buyers. Someone who last owned property more than 5 years ago can also qualify. But a first home buyer whose partner owned property in that time cannot, unless a limited exemption applies.[2]
The transaction date, usually the day contracts are exchanged, decides which rules apply.[2] The ACT also runs other duty schemes, for example for off-the-plan units, pensioners and people with a disability. They are listed on its home buyer assistance page.[5]
To estimate the duty on a particular price, use the ACT Revenue Office's official Conveyance duty calculator.[6] We do not run our own duty calculator: the official one is maintained by the office that sets the rules.
Worked examples at $850,000 and $1,150,000
Take first home buyers in Canberra who meet the rules, with a contract signed in August 2026.
- An established townhouse at $850,000: no duty under the Home Buyer Concession Scheme, and no grant, because the ACT has none.[2][1] The price is under the $1,000,000 cap of both federal schemes. A 5% deposit is $42,500; Help to Buy's minimum 2% deposit is $17,000.[7][8]
- A house at $1,150,000: still no duty, because there is no value cap from 1 July 2026.[2] Under the 2025-26 rules, an eligible buyer would have paid $8,320: $6.40 for every $100 over $1,020,000.[2] The price is over the $1,000,000 cap, so neither federal scheme applies.[7][8]
- The same buyers, if one partner sold a flat three years ago: no concession, because of the 5-year rule, unless an exemption applies.[2] Unless another concession applies, duty is payable; the official calculator gives the amount.
This applies the published rules to stated prices. It is not a prediction of your result: eligibility depends on your circumstances and is decided by the ACT Revenue Office and the lender.
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How ACT support sits beside the 5% Deposit Scheme and Help to Buy
The federal 5% Deposit Scheme and Help to Buy each set one property price cap for the whole ACT: $1,000,000.[7][8] Housing Australia says Help to Buy can be used together with state stamp duty concessions and grants.[9]
The Home Buyer Concession Scheme has no price cap, but the federal schemes do. So a home above $1,000,000 can still get the duty concession, but neither federal scheme.
Caps apply by suburb and postcode; Housing Australia's postcode search confirms the cap for a particular address.[7]
How to claim the concession
You claim the concession on the online Buyer Verification Declaration form, before the title transfer is registered with ACT Land Titles.[4] Claims are self-assessed. You do not send documents with the form, but you must keep your evidence for at least 5 years.[4]
The ACT Revenue Office checks claims afterwards. If you do not meet the rules, including living in the home for one year, full duty becomes payable. Penalty tax and interest may also apply.[2] The Commissioner can shorten the residence period or extend the move-in date for an unforeseen circumstance. You must ask within 18 months of settlement, or of the certificate of occupancy for vacant land.[2]
Check before you rely on it. Grant and duty rules are administered by the ACT Revenue Office and change from time to time. General information only. It does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs, and it is not a recommendation to enter into any credit contract. Eligibility is decided by the scheme administrator and the lender.
Compare the ACT with every other state and territory in our first home buyer tracker. Or read how Help to Buy and the 5% Deposit Scheme work.
What changed
- : First home owner grant payments ceased in the ACT.[1]
- : Home Buyer Concession Scheme: the no-prior-property period rose from 2 to 5 years, for transactions from this date.[2]
- : Home Buyer Concession Scheme: no duty for eligible buyers. The income test and the property value limit were removed.[2]
Page history: every figure re-checked against the official pages listed below on .
Buying in the ACT?
Zafar works with clients Australia-wide by phone and video call. He can check the Australian Capital Territory and federal rules against your situation and how they fit with a loan from his lender panel.
Zafar is based in Melbourne and works with Canberra clients by phone and video call. See mortgage broker in Canberra.
Ask Zafar to check Call 0402 357 860
Sources
- ACT Revenue Office, First Home Owner Grant. Retrieved .
- ACT Revenue Office, About the Home Buyer Concession Scheme. Retrieved .
- ACT Legislation Register, Taxation Administration (Amounts Payable—Home Buyer Concession Scheme) Determination 2026 (DI2026-157). Retrieved .
- ACT Revenue Office, Claim the home buyer concession. Retrieved .
- ACT Revenue Office, Home buyer assistance. Retrieved .
- ACT Revenue Office, Conveyance duty calculator. Retrieved .
- Housing Australia (firsthomebuyers.gov.au), Help to Buy property price caps. Retrieved .
- Housing Australia (firsthomebuyers.gov.au), Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme fact sheet (headed 1 July 2026). Retrieved .
- Housing Australia (firsthomebuyers.gov.au), Help to Buy: frequently asked questions. Retrieved .
Common questions
Is there a first home owner grant in the ACT?
No. First Home Owner Grant payments ceased for transactions from 1 July 2019. The ACT replaced the grant with the Home Buyer Concession Scheme, which removes stamp duty for eligible buyers instead.
Do first home buyers pay stamp duty in the ACT in 2026?
Not if they are eligible for the Home Buyer Concession Scheme and the transaction date is on or after 1 July 2026. There is no income test and no property value cap.
Who is eligible for the ACT Home Buyer Concession Scheme?
Individuals aged 18 or over who, with their domestic partners, have held no property in the last 5 years. At least one buyer must live in the home for one year.
What if I signed my contract before 1 July 2026?
The rules for your transaction date apply. In 2025-26, no duty was payable up to $1,020,000, and household income had to be within the limit ($250,000 with no dependent children).
Can I use Help to Buy with the ACT concession?
Housing Australia says Help to Buy can be used with stamp duty concessions. In the ACT the Help to Buy price cap is $1,000,000.
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