SA Stamp Duty Calculator 2026-27
SA stamp duty on a property purchase, with the concessions you qualify for, the foreign buyer surcharge, and the cash you need at settlement once the deposit and legal fees are counted.
RevenueSA charges stamp duty on a sliding scale of the dutiable value — the price or the market value, whichever is higher.
| Property price | $800,000.00 |
|---|---|
| Stamp duty | $37,830.00 |
| Legal fees | $2,000.00 |
How the sa stamp duty calculator works
RevenueSA charges stamp duty on a sliding scale of the dutiable value — the price or the market value, whichever is higher. South Australia abolished duty for eligible first home buyers on a new home, with no value cap. The foreign ownership surcharge adds 7% of the dutiable value. The effective rate is the duty you actually pay as a share of the price, which is always lower than the top marginal band.
Formula: Duty = the SA scale applied to the dutiable value · payable = duty − concessions + surcharge · cash at settlement = deposit + payable + legal fees
How South Australian conveyance (stamp) duty is calculated
A marginal nine-step scale
RevenueSA charges conveyance duty on the dutiable value of the land — normally the purchase price or the market value, whichever is higher. The scale is marginal: each rate applies only to the slice of value inside its bracket, and duty is charged for every $100 or part of $100. Duty starts at $1.00 per $100 and steps up to a top marginal rate of $5.50 per $100 above $500,000. Unlike New South Wales, which indexes its duty thresholds each year, South Australia does not index the brackets — the same nine steps have applied since 2012, so bracket creep pushes an ever larger share of Adelaide purchases into the top step.
The shortcut for most Adelaide purchases
Because the median Adelaide house price sits well above $500,000, most buyers can use a single line of the scale: $21,330 plus $5.50 for every $100 above $500,000. A $700,000 home is therefore $21,330 + ($200,000 ÷ 100 × $5.50) = $32,330.
| Property value | Standard buyer (owner-occupier or investor) | Eligible first home buyer — new home or vacant land |
|---|---|---|
| $400,000 | $16,330 | $0 |
| $600,000 | $26,830 | $0 |
| $800,000 | $37,830 | $0 |
| $1,000,000 | $48,830 | $0 |
| $1,500,000 | $76,330 | $0 |
| $2,000,000 | $103,830 | $0 |
South Australia charges the same duty scale to owner-occupiers and investors — there is no investor loading and no principal-place-of-residence discount. What changes the bill is first home buyer relief, the seniors downsizing relief, and the 7% foreign ownership surcharge.
First home buyers First home buyersSouth Australian first home buyer stamp duty relief
Full relief on new homes — and no property value cap
South Australia's first home buyer relief is unusual: it is unlimited in value but narrow in scope. For contracts entered into on or after 6 June 2024, an eligible first home buyer pays no stamp duty at all on a new home, an off-the-plan apartment, a house-and-land package (comprehensive building contract), or vacant land they will build their home on. RevenueSA removed the property value cap entirely in the 2024–25 State Budget, so a $1.5 million new build attracts the same $0 duty as a $500,000 one. Between 15 June 2023 and 5 June 2024 the relief was capped by property value (the new-home cap was $650,000) — those caps no longer apply.
Established homes get nothing
This is the trap that catches most South Australian first home buyers. Stamp duty relief for first home buyers of established (existing) homes was removed for contracts entered into after 15 June 2023. Buying an existing Adelaide house at $600,000 as a first home buyer means paying the full $26,830 — the same as any investor. Buying a new home at the same price costs $0. Thresholds you may have read about for existing homes (such as the $800,000 figure) belong to the New South Wales First Home Buyer Assistance Scheme, not South Australia.
Eligibility requirements
You must be a natural person aged 18 or over, and neither you nor your spouse or domestic partner may have previously held a relevant interest in residential property in Australia. At least one applicant must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident. You must occupy the home as your principal place of residence within 12 months of settlement or completion of construction, and live there continuously for at least six months.
The $15,000 First Home Owner Grant
Separately from the duty relief, the First Home Owner Grant of $15,000 is available on the purchase or construction of a new home in South Australia. Its $650,000 property value cap was also removed for contracts entered into on or after 6 June 2024. The grant does not apply to established homes.
Additional considerations Other SA reliefOther South Australian stamp duty relief — and what SA does not offer
Seniors downsizing relief (from 25 March 2026)
South Australians aged 60 or over who sell their principal place of residence and move to a smaller home pay no stamp duty on the purchase, for contracts entered into on or after 25 March 2026. The relief applies to a newly built home or an off-the-plan apartment with a dutiable value of $2,000,000 or less, or vacant land to build a new principal residence on. The new home must be smaller than the one being sold, established homes do not qualify, and the relief can be claimed once. On a $2 million purchase that is worth up to $103,830.
| Purchase price of the new home | Standard duty | Duty with seniors downsizing relief | Saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| $600,000 | $26,830 | $0 | $26,830 |
| $800,000 | $37,830 | $0 | $37,830 |
| $1,000,000 | $48,830 | $0 | $48,830 |
| $1,500,000 | $76,330 | $0 | $76,330 |
| $2,000,000 | $103,830 | $0 | $103,830 |
There is no off-the-plan concession for general buyers
South Australia's off-the-plan apartment concession applied only to contracts entered into between 20 June 2016 and 30 June 2018 and has not been reinstated. If you are not a first home buyer or an eligible downsizer, an off-the-plan apartment is taxed on its full contract value like any other purchase — there is no Victorian-style deduction for the construction component.
There is no annual property tax alternative
Some buyers arrive here expecting to be able to swap upfront stamp duty for an ongoing annual property tax. That option was the New South Wales First Home Buyer Choice scheme (and it closed to new entrants there in 2023). South Australia has never offered an opt-in annual property tax in place of stamp duty — duty is always paid upfront on the transfer. SA land tax is a separate annual tax on the aggregated site value of land you own, and your principal place of residence is exempt from it.
Other exemptions worth checking
RevenueSA also allows duty exemptions or reductions in specific circumstances — transfers between spouses or domestic partners of the family home, transfers arising from the breakdown of a marriage or domestic partnership, and transfers of non-residential, non-primary-production land (on which conveyance duty was abolished from 1 July 2018). Commercial and industrial property purchases in South Australia generally attract no conveyance duty at all.
Foreign buyersForeign ownership surcharge on South Australian property
7% surcharge on residential land
Foreign persons, foreign corporations and trustees of foreign trusts that acquire an interest in residential land in South Australia pay a foreign ownership surcharge of 7% of the value of that interest. It is charged in addition to ordinary conveyance duty and is paid at the same time. On an $800,000 Adelaide home the surcharge adds $56,000 on top of $37,830 in duty — a total of about $93,830. The surcharge is charged on the value of the residential land interest, not on the duty, and it is payable at the same time as the duty.
| Property value | Conveyance duty | Foreign ownership surcharge (7%) | Total payable |
|---|---|---|---|
| $500,000 | $21,330 | $35,000 | $56,330 |
| $600,000 | $26,830 | $42,000 | $68,830 |
| $800,000 | $37,830 | $56,000 | $93,830 |
| $1,000,000 | $48,830 | $70,000 | $118,830 |
Who is a foreign person?
A foreign person is broadly someone who is not an Australian citizen or permanent resident — including most temporary visa holders — plus foreign-controlled corporations and trusts. Australian citizens living overseas are not foreign persons, and neither are permanent residents. Where a property is bought jointly and only one purchaser is foreign, the surcharge applies to that person's share of the residential land.
When the surcharge does not apply
The surcharge attaches only to residential land. Commercial, industrial and primary production land is outside it — and since 1 July 2018 those transfers attract no South Australian conveyance duty either. Separately, foreign buyers of Australian residential property normally need Foreign Investment Review Board approval, which carries its own application fee.
Reference data Rate tableSouth Australian conveyance duty rate table 2026-27
RevenueSA conveyance duty is marginal — each rate applies only to the slice of the dutiable value inside its bracket, and duty is charged for every $100 or part of $100. The scale below has been unchanged since 2012 and applies equally to owner-occupiers and investors.
| Dutiable value | Duty payable | Duty at the top of the bracket |
|---|---|---|
| Up to $12,000 | $1.00 for every $100 or part of $100 | $120 |
| $12,001–$30,000 | $120 plus $2.00 per $100 over $12,000 | $480 |
| $30,001–$50,000 | $480 plus $3.00 per $100 over $30,000 | $1,080 |
| $50,001–$100,000 | $1,080 plus $3.50 per $100 over $50,000 | $2,830 |
| $100,001–$200,000 | $2,830 plus $4.00 per $100 over $100,000 | $6,830 |
| $200,001–$250,000 | $6,830 plus $4.25 per $100 over $200,000 | $8,955 |
| $250,001–$300,000 | $8,955 plus $4.75 per $100 over $250,000 | $11,330 |
| $300,001–$500,000 | $11,330 plus $5.00 per $100 over $300,000 | $21,330 |
| Above $500,000 | $21,330 plus $5.50 per $100 over $500,000 | No upper limit |
Add the 7% foreign ownership surcharge where the buyer is a foreign person and the land is residential. Conveyance duty on non-residential, non-primary-production land ("qualifying land") was abolished for transfers executed on or after 1 July 2018, so commercial and industrial purchases sit outside this table entirely.
| Dutiable value | Duty payable | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|
| $300,000 | $11,330 | 3.78% |
| $400,000 | $16,330 | 4.08% |
| $500,000 | $21,330 | 4.27% |
| $600,000 | $26,830 | 4.47% |
| $700,000 | $32,330 | 4.62% |
| $800,000 | $37,830 | 4.73% |
| $1,000,000 | $48,830 | 4.88% |
| $1,500,000 | $76,330 | 5.09% |
| $2,000,000 | $103,830 | 5.19% |
Frequently asked Frequently asked questions
Where these figures come from
Every duty figure on this page comes from RevenueSA, the South Australian revenue office that administers the Stamp Duties Act 1923 (SA). Federal items (capital gains tax, the First Home Owner Grant framework) come from the ATO and the Australian Government.
- Conveyance duty rate scale — RevenueSA — Rate of stamp duty.
- First home buyer relief (no value cap from 6 June 2024) — RevenueSA — Stamp duty relief for eligible first home buyers.
- Seniors downsizing relief (from 25 March 2026) — RevenueSA — Seniors downsizing stamp duty relief.
- Foreign ownership surcharge (7%) — RevenueSA — Foreign Ownership Surcharge.
- $15,000 First Home Owner Grant — RevenueSA — First Home Owner Grant.
- Capital gains tax & main residence — ATO — Capital gains tax.
- First home buyer support programs — FirstHome.gov.au.
Last checked: July 2026. The South Australian conveyance duty scale is not indexed and has been unchanged since 2012; concessions and thresholds are re-checked against RevenueSA after each State Budget.
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| Inputs | Stamp duty payable | Note |
|---|---|---|
| A $800,000 established home, owner-occupier | $37,830 | $37,830 of duty on an $800,000 established home |
FAQFrequently asked questions
How much is stamp duty on a $600,000 property in South Australia?
For a standard (non-first-home) buyer, conveyance duty on a $600,000 South Australian property is $26,830 — $21,330 on the first $500,000 plus $5.50 per $100 of the remaining $100,000. An eligible first home buyer purchasing a new home, off-the-plan apartment or vacant land pays $0, with no property value cap.
Do first home buyers pay stamp duty in South Australia?
Not on a new home. For contracts entered into on or after 6 June 2024 , eligible South Australian first home buyers pay no stamp duty on a new home, an off-the-plan apartment, a house-and-land package or vacant land they will build on, and RevenueSA removed the property value cap entirely. Established (existing) homes have not qualified since 15 June 2023 and attract full duty — the "$800,000 for existing homes" threshold belongs to the New South Wales scheme, not South Australia.
Is stamp duty different for investors and owner-occupiers in South Australia?
No. South Australia applies the same conveyance duty scale whether you are an owner-occupier or an investor. What changes the amount payable is first home buyer relief (new homes and vacant land only), the seniors downsizing relief, and the 7% foreign ownership surcharge.
What is the foreign buyer surcharge in South Australia?
Foreign persons, foreign corporations and foreign trusts pay a 7% foreign ownership surcharge on the value of their interest in residential land, on top of ordinary conveyance duty. On an $800,000 home that adds $56,000, taking the total to about $93,830. Commercial, industrial and primary production land is not subject to the surcharge.
Is there a stamp duty concession for downsizers in South Australia?
Yes. For contracts entered into on or after 25 March 2026 , South Australians aged 60 or over who sell their principal residence and move to a smaller new home, off-the-plan apartment or vacant land to build on pay no stamp duty, where the dutiable value is $2,000,000 or less . The relief can be claimed once.
When is stamp duty paid in South Australia?
Conveyance duty is assessed through RevenueSA Online and is paid at or before settlement . Your conveyancer or solicitor lodges the documents and pays the duty as part of settlement, because the transfer cannot be registered with Land Services SA until the duty is paid. Sources
The sources behind this calculator
- Revenue NSW — Transfer duty — the NSW transfer duty scale the rent-vs-buy page applies, alongside each other state's published scale
- Moneysmart — Buying a house — the upfront costs of buying: deposit, duty, lenders mortgage insurance and conveyancing
- Moneysmart (ASIC) — the regulator's guidance on buying, borrowing and lenders mortgage insurance
Last checked: September 2026. Duty scales are the state revenue offices' own; they change at each state budget and are verified against the office when they do.