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When you buy a property or someone transfers ownership of a property to you in NSW, you generally must pay transfer duty (stamp duty).
On this page
Fraud alert
Revenue NSW is aware of scams related to duty payments and communications between you and your solicitor or conveyancer.
Revenue NSW emails are always sent from @revenue.nsw.gov.au and @service.nsw.gov.au. We will never ask for duty payments to be made using bank account details provided in an email.
Tips for keeping safe
Stay vigilant.
Verify any payment requests with your solicitor or conveyancer.
Never click on links or scan QR codes from unverified sources.
Prior to making any online payments, refer to the pay your transfer duty page to confirm Revenue NSW bank account details.
If in doubt, contact our team directly on 1300 139 814.
Introduction to transfer duty
You must pay transfer duty – once known as stamp duty – in NSW when you buy:
From 21 June 2016, if you are considered a foreign person and are acquiring residential-related property NSW, you must pay surcharge purchaser duty.
Surcharge purchaser duty is calculated on the dutiable value and is paid in addition to the transfer duty payable on the acquisition of residential-related property.
You must pay transfer duty within three months of signing the contract for sale, or transfer if there is no contract.
However, settlement cannot take place if transfer duty has not been paid. This means that if settlement is earlier, duty must be paid on or before the date of settlement.
If you buy off-the-plan and you intend to live in the property, you may be able to defer the payment of your transfer duty for up to 12 months.
Calculating transfer duty
Use our online calculator to work out how much transfer duty you’ll need to pay.
You must pay transfer duty based on the property’s sale price or its current market value, whichever is higher.
We charge a standard transfer duty rate, as well as a premium duty rate, for residential properties worth more than $3 million.
Under Chapter 2, Part 3, Division 3 of the Duties Act 1997 the threshold amounts for standard transfer duty and premium duty rates are adjusted annually in line with movements in the Consumer Price Index (All Groups Index) for Sydney.
Adjusted base amounts are rounded to the nearest dollar (and an amount of 50 cents is rounded down)
Due to updated threshold amounts, the 2021/22 year has two sets of transfer duty calculations (news and media release).
If the buyer and seller are related or associated, or you’re not transferring the whole property, the property must be valued by a suitably qualified person.
Premium property duty is a higher duty rate that is payable when you buy a residential property in NSW and the value is above the premium threshold.
From 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026, the threshold is $3,721,000. Each year the premium threshold is adjusted in accordance with the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
The premium duty rate is applied to the value for the residential land that exceeds the premium threshold. The standard transfer duty rate is applied to the remainder of the value of the property.
For residential properties also used for business and land over 2 hectares, the premium duty is rate is applied differently.
The premium rate applies to residential properties only. If your property value is above the premium threshold and part of it is used for business, we’ll only take into account the part that’s used for residential purposes when applying the premium transfer duty rate.
For large residential properties, the premium transfer rate is calculated only on the first two hectares of land you own, as a proportion of your overall parcel of land. The remainder of your property will be charged at the standard rate.
Your solicitor or conveyancer can lodge an application for assessment on a contract for sale or transfer of land on your behalf. They’ll also arrange for duty to be paid. This is typically done as part of the settlement process. They'll also know if you are entitled to any exemptions or concessions.
You can apply for a refund (PDF, 259 KB) if you’ve paid transfer duty on a contract for sale or transfer that doesn’t go ahead.
You must apply within:
five years of the transfer duty assessment being made, or
12 months after the agreement is cancelled.
When applying for a refund, we’ll ask you for:
the original contract for sale or transfer
evidence the agreement has been cancelled – eg a photocopy of the Deed of Rescission (signed by both parties) or letters from both parties confirming the agreement has been cancelled
From 1 July 2016, the NSW government abolished transfer duty on the sale of business assets, including intellectual property, goodwill and statutory licences.
However, you still must pay transfer duty on any land the business holds. Duty will be assessed on the value of the land, including leasehold interests, fixtures and goods.
