What is stamp duty?
Stamp duty is a state government tax the buyer pays when a property changes hands in South Australia. It's calculated on the purchase price using a sliding scale set by RevenueSA. For an average $750,000 Adelaide home it's around $35,000, often the single biggest line item after the deposit.
The short version
Every Australian state charges stamp duty (sometimes called conveyance duty or transfer duty). It's the tax for registering you as the new owner. You pay it once, at settlement, and it has to be paid before the title transfer goes through.
The amount is not flat. SA uses a bracket system: the first slice of the purchase price is taxed at one rate, the next slice at a higher rate, and so on. The percentages stack as the price goes up.
SA stamp duty brackets (2024)
| Price slice | Rate on that slice |
|---|---|
| Up to $12,000 | 1.00% |
| $12,001 – $30,000 | 2.00% |
| $30,001 – $50,000 | 3.00% |
| $50,001 – $100,000 | 3.50% |
| $100,001 – $200,000 | 4.00% |
| $200,001 – $250,000 | 4.25% |
| $250,001 – $300,000 | 4.75% |
| $300,001 – $500,000 | 5.00% |
| Above $500,000 | 5.50% |
A $750,000 purchase by a non-first-home buyer works out at roughly $35,080.
The first home buyer concession
Since June 2023, eligible SA first home buyers pay no stamp duty at all on a property up to $650,000. Between $650,000 and $700,000 a phase-out applies, full duty resumes above $700,000.
Eligibility in short:
- You (and any co-buyer) have never owned residential property in Australia
- You'll live in the home for at least 12 continuous months, starting within 12 months of settlement
- You're an Australian citizen or permanent resident
- The property is your principal place of residence, not an investment
Surcharges that can apply on top
- Foreign Owner Duty Surcharge, 7% extra on top of standard stamp duty for non-citizens / non-permanent-residents
- Land tax, separate from stamp duty, an annual tax on investors and second homes (see SA Land Tax tool)
How to find the exact stamp duty for any purchase
- Open the All-In SA Cost Calculator
- Enter the purchase price and your buyer type
- The "Stamp duty (SA)" line shows the RevenueSA amount, with the FHB concession auto-applied if eligible
Read more
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RevenueSA brackets, FHB concession, every other settlement cost in one place.
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