New South Wales (Sydney) stamp duty & foreign buyer surcharge 2026-27

New South Wales charges foreign buyers a 9% surcharge purchaser duty on top of standard transfer duty. The calculator below works out your exact figure; further down are the full bracket table, a worked Sydney example and the common questions.

Foreign buyer surcharge
9%
Foreign owner land tax (yr)
5%
First home threshold
$800,000
Premium duty threshold
$3.87m
Government cost at settlementNSW · Australian citizen / PR · 3.9% of price$37,302
Property price

Dutiable value — usually the higher of contract price and market value

AUD
$100kLogarithmic scale — finer near the low end$20m
Buyer status

Determines the surcharge and whether FIRB applies

Property type & use

Drives FIRB eligibility, PPR rates and first home buyer relief

Property type
Intended use

Itemised breakdown

Payable to government at settlement

Transfer dutyState transfer / conveyance duty$36,937
Foreign buyer surchargeNot applicable to this buyer status$0
Transfer registration (approx.)Land titles office$183
Mortgage registration (approx.)Land titles office$183
Government cost at settlement$37,302Effective rate 3.93%

Annual holding cost (surcharge only)Foreign owner land tax surcharge n/a$0

Estimated on price; assessed on land value in practice. General land tax and the ATO vacancy fee are additional.

How this is calculated

NSW: duty from the progressive brackets. No foreign buyer surcharge applies to this buyer status.

ACT, TAS and NT brackets are compiled from published schedules — verify the owner-occupier / investor tracks with the revenue office. FIRB fees use the FY 2026-27 new-dwelling tiers, tripled for established dwellings.

The link carries every input on this page, so whoever opens it sees exactly these numbers.

Disclaimer

General information only — not tax, legal or financial advice. Rates, concessions and FIRB fees change often, and whether you are a "foreign person" turns on each jurisdiction’s own test. Confirm with the revenue office and your adviser before signing.

Official sourcesOpen data

Every rate on this page, with its official source and the date it was last checked, is published as a dataset under CC BY 4.0 — free to reuse with attribution. rates.json

NSW transfer duty brackets

Dutiable value is the higher of contract price and market value

Dutiable valueTransfer duty
$0 – $18,0001.25% of the price
$18,001 – $38,000$225 + 1.5% of the amount over $18,000
$38,001 – $103,000$525 + 1.75% of the amount over $38,000
$103,001 – $387,000$1,662 + 3.5% of the amount over $103,000
$387,001 – $1,290,000$11,602 + 4.5% of the amount over $387,000
$1,290,001 – $3,870,000$52,237 + 5.5% of the amount over $1,290,000
Above $3,870,001$194,137 + 7% of the amount over $3,870,000

Premium duty applies at 7% only to the portion above $3,870,000, and only to residential property. The 9% foreign buyer surcharge is charged separately on the full dutiable value and is never reduced by any concession.

Worked example: a Sydney $950,000 new build, overseas buyer

Non-resident individual, investment use, with a mortgage, FIRB new-dwelling tier

Transfer dutyNSW 分档计算$36,937
Foreign buyer surcharge 9%$950,000 × 9%$85,500
FIRB application fee (est.)New / vacant land tier, FY 2026-27$15,600
Transfer registration (approx.)Land titles office$183
Mortgage registration (approx.)Land titles office$183
Government cost at settlement$138,402

The same property bought by an Australian citizen or permanent resident (as an investment) would cost about $37,302 in government charges — a difference of $101,100 entirely from the surcharge and the FIRB application fee.

Recent NSW changes

  1. 1 January 2025Surcharge purchaser duty rose from 8% to 9%; the foreign owner land tax surcharge rose from 4% to 5%.
  2. 1 April 2025The Commonwealth ban on foreign purchases of established dwellings took effect; the 2026-27 Budget extended it to 30 June 2029.
  3. 1 July 2025The premium duty threshold moved to $3,721,000, with the excess taxed at 7%.
  4. 1 July 2026All duty brackets were indexed upward; the premium duty threshold rose to $3,870,000, and a $20 minimum applies.
  5. 1 July 2026Eligible build-to-rent and retirement village projects may be exempt from surcharge duty, subject to the legislation.

Common questions

How much surcharge do foreign buyers pay in NSW?

Surcharge purchaser duty is 9% of the dutiable value, up from 8% on 1 January 2025, and is charged on top of standard transfer duty. On $950,000 the surcharge is $85,500.

Do temporary visa holders count as foreign persons?

Usually yes. Student, work and partner visa holders are generally surcharged at 9% as foreign persons, subject to the Revenue NSW residency test.

Do New Zealand citizens pay the surcharge?

It depends on whether they ordinarily live in Australia. An SCV holder who has been in Australia for at least 200 days in the 12 months before the purchase is taxed as a local — no surcharge and no FIRB. Those living overseas are treated as foreign persons.

Does first home buyer relief (FHBAS) offset the surcharge?

No. FHBAS reduces base transfer duty only — full exemption under $800,000 and a partial concession under $1,000,000. The surcharge still applies to the full value, and the scheme generally requires citizenship or permanent residency.

When is duty payable?

Generally within 3 months of signing the contract, or on settlement if that comes first. The surcharge is lodged alongside standard duty; late payment attracts interest and penalties.

Other states & territories

Official sources

General information only — not tax, legal or financial advice. Rates, concessions and FIRB fees change often, and whether you are a "foreign person" turns on the New South Wales rules applied case by case. Confirm with the revenue office and your adviser before signing. Last checked: 2026-09-12