Queensland Scraps Stamp Duty for First Home Buyers of New Homes

Queensland first home buyers purchasing a newly built home stopped paying stamp duty on 1 May 2025. The change, legislated through the Revenue Legislation Amendment Bill passed by state parliament in February, was one of the Crisafulli Government's key election commitments.

Eligible buyers who sign a contract for a new home to live in, or for vacant land on which to build one, can apply for a full transfer duty concession. Unlike many first home buyer concessions, there is no value cap on the home or land.

Who qualifies

The contract must be dated on or after 1 May 2025, and the buyer must be a first home buyer intending to live in the property. The exemption applies to new homes and residential land only; established homes continue to fall under the existing first home concession, whose threshold had been lifted to $700,000 the previous year.

The government estimated the change would benefit about 3,000 first home buyers each year. Its official guide puts the average saving at $9,096 on a median-priced house-and-land package across Queensland.

Savings vary by region

When the legislation passed, the ABC published estimates based on the Queensland Revenue Office's duty calculator showing how savings differ by market:

• Brisbane's east: about $29,500 on a median-priced new build.
• Toowoomba: about $24,730 on a median house-and-land package.
• Logan-Beaudesert: about $6,960.

Debate over the design

The opposition supported the bill, but shadow treasurer Shannon Fentiman told parliament she was concerned it would mostly benefit higher-income earners, noting that someone buying a $2 million property would receive nearly six times the support of a first home buyer purchasing a median-priced home in Bundaberg.

The Real Estate Institute of Queensland questioned how widely the concession would be used, given that completions and building approvals were below historical averages, particularly in regional Queensland. Its chief executive, Antonia Mercorella, suggested a stamp duty exemption for Queenslanders aged 55 and over to encourage downsizing and free up larger homes.

Q Shelter's acting chief executive, Jackson Hills, said stamp duty was a significant upfront cost that disadvantaged aspiring first home buyers.

A year on

The exemption sat alongside the $30,000 First Home Owner Grant and the Boost to Buy home ownership scheme. In its 2026-27 Budget in June 2026, the government said more than 3,500 Queenslanders had benefited from the stamp duty exemption, saving more than $66 million, and that the relief was now locked in law, with more than $60 million expected to be delivered each year.

The $30,000 grant was also locked into the Budget for four years, giving builders and buyers of new homes greater certainty about the incentives available.