Transfer duty, which everyone calls stamp duty, is usually the biggest single cost of buying after the deposit. For first home buyers in WA it is now substantially reduced or removed altogether, and the thresholds were lifted again in the 2026-27 State Budget.

The current thresholds

For contracts entered into on or after 7 May 2026, a first home buyer purchasing an established home in the Perth metropolitan area pays no transfer duty at all up to $600,000, and a concessional rate between $600,000 and $800,000. For vacant land, no duty applies up to $450,000 with a concessional rate to $550,000. At Perth’s current unit and villa prices, a very large share of the strata property KPR sells falls under the nil-duty threshold, which can put tens of thousands of dollars back in a first home buyer’s pocket.

Contracts entered into between 21 March 2025 and 6 May 2026 sit under the previous thresholds, which were nil to $500,000 and concessional to $700,000 in the metropolitan area.

Who qualifies

Eligibility mirrors the First Home Owner Grant criteria, with one big difference: it applies to established homes, not just new ones. You must be a first home buyer, 18 or over, with at least one applicant an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

The move-in rule

As with the grant, you must live in the property as your principal place of residence for a continuous 6 months starting within 12 months of settlement. A sitting tenant with a modest period left on their lease is usually workable inside that window. Check the lease end date against the deadline before you offer, and see the tenant guide on our First Home Buyers page.

Work out your number

Run your figures through our stamp duty calculator, then check them with your settlement agent. If you are weighing up two properties either side of a threshold, we can tell you exactly what the duty difference looks like.

Back to the First Home Buyers page, or contact us to hear about properties that fit before they hit the portals.

General information only, not financial or legal advice. Rules change. Confirm the current position with RevenueWA and your adviser. Settings as at August 2026.