Official sources for property buying and selling costs in Australia

The figures that decide what a property sale or purchase costs are published by a short list of official bodies: state and territory revenue offices for transfer duty, concessions and surcharges; fair trading regulators for agents and conveyancers; the ATO for capital gains tax, clearance certificates and foreign investment applications; and the Foreign Investment Review Board for the rules on what foreign persons may buy. This page lists them, says what to check on each, and explains how to read their figures so you use the right year and the right scale.

This guide is part of costly mistakes when selling a house. For complaint bodies, see complaints about agents and conveyancers.

State and territory revenue offices

Jurisdiction	Body	Check here
NSW	Revenue NSW (revenue.nsw.gov.au)	Transfer duty thresholds for the financial year, First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme, surcharge purchaser duty, duty calculator
Victoria	State Revenue Office (sro.vic.gov.au)	Land transfer duty rates, PPR and first home buyer concessions, off-the-plan concession, foreign purchaser additional duty
Queensland	Queensland Revenue Office (qro.qld.gov.au)	Transfer duty rates, home and first home concessions, first home (new home) concession, AFAD
WA	RevenueWA (wa.gov.au)	Transfer duty, first home owner rate, foreign transfer duty
SA	RevenueSA (revenuesa.sa.gov.au)	Stamp duty, first home buyer relief, foreign ownership surcharge
Tasmania	State Revenue Office Tasmania (sro.tas.gov.au)	Duty, first home buyer relief, foreign investor duty surcharge, First Home Owner Grant
ACT	ACT Revenue Office (revenue.act.gov.au)	Conveyance duty, Home Buyer Concession Scheme
NT	Territory Revenue Office (treasury.nt.gov.au)	Stamp duty and home buyer schemes

How to read them. Check three things on every page: the date the rates apply from (NSW thresholds are indexed each 1 July; the rate year follows the contract date), whether a figure is a threshold or a rate, and whether the page has been updated after the latest state budget. If an announced change is "subject to legislation", check whether it has passed; for example, Victoria's off-the-plan concession extension to 20 April 2027 was legislated in June 2026.

Agents and conveyancers

Jurisdiction	Regulator	Check here
NSW	NSW Fair Trading	Licence check, agency agreements, underquoting, cooling-off
Victoria	Consumer Affairs Victoria	Licence register, sales authority, statement of information, Section 32
Queensland	Office of Fair Trading (qld.gov.au)	Licence search, appointment forms, seller disclosure (from 1 August 2025)
WA	Consumer Protection WA	Real estate and settlement agent licences
SA	Consumer and Business Services	Land agent and conveyancer registers, Form 1
Tasmania	CBOS and the Property Agents Board	Property agent licences
ACT	Access Canberra	Agent and conveyancer licences, required documents
NT	Agents Licensing Board	Agent licences

Federal bodies

Body	Check here
Australian Taxation Office (ato.gov.au)	Main residence exemption, CGT discount (and its replacement by indexation for most sales from 1 July 2027), foreign resident capital gains withholding and clearance certificates, GST withholding on new residential property, residential foreign investment applications, vacancy fee
Foreign Investment Review Board (foreigninvestment.gov.au)	Rules for foreign persons buying residential land, the established dwelling ban and its exceptions (Guidance Note 6), fees (Guidance Note 10)
Federal Register of Legislation (legislation.gov.au)	The text of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997, Taxation Administration Act 1953 and Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act 1975
Moneysmart (moneysmart.gov.au)	ASIC's consumer guidance on buying and selling a home
ACCC (accc.gov.au)	Australian Consumer Law, misleading advertising

State legislation

Each state publishes its own legislation online, including its duties act and its agents and conveyancing laws. Use the official legislation site when you need the exact wording, for example the NSW Legislation website for the Property and Stock Agents Act 2002 or the Victorian Legislation website for the Sale of Land Act 1962.

Key facts we checked against these sources (October 2026)

NSW transfer duty 2026-27 scale and First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme thresholds of $800,000 and $1,000,000 (Revenue NSW)
NSW surcharge purchaser duty 9% (Revenue NSW)
Victoria's general land transfer duty scale, PPR rates and foreign purchaser additional duty of 8% (SRO Victoria)
Victoria's off-the-plan concession for contracts from 21 October 2024 to 20 April 2027 (SRO Victoria)
Queensland general transfer duty rates, AFAD of 8%, first home concession thresholds and the new home concession from 1 May 2025 (QRO)
Tasmania foreign investor duty surcharge 8% (SRO Tasmania)
The established dwelling ban from 1 April 2025, stated on the Foreign Investment website as running to 30 June 2029
Foreign resident capital gains withholding of 15% with no threshold for contracts from 1 January 2025 (ATO)

How to use official figures safely

Use the official calculator for duty rather than a third-party one.
Note the date of the page and the rate year.
Read conditions, not just thresholds: concessions depend on occupation and ownership history.
Ask your conveyancer to confirm the figure on your settlement statement.
Keep a copy of the page you relied on, with the date.

Frequently asked questions

Why do websites give different duty figures?

Many calculators use an old scale or ignore concessions. Revenue offices publish the official scales and calculators.

Are announced budget changes already law?

Not always. Budget measures often need legislation. Revenue offices usually say "subject to legislation" until it passes.

Where can I find the cooling-off rules?

On the fair trading regulator's website for your state; see underquoting, price guides and cooling-off.

Who can give me advice on my situation?

A solicitor or licensed conveyancer for contracts, a registered tax agent for CGT, and the revenue office for how a concession applies to you.