Queensland's three rate ladders
Queensland is unusual: your duty depends on who you are. Investors pay the general schedule (nil to $5,000, then 1.5% to $75,000, 3.5% to $540,000, 4.5% to $1M, 5.75% above). Owner-occupiers get the home concession — just 1% on the first $350,000 — a flat $7,175 saving at any price above $350,000, with no upper limit; only two other jurisdictions reward living in the property at all. First home buyers stack a further concession on top. Mid-range Queensland duty is among the cheapest in the country: $15,925 at $500,000 for an investor versus $25,070 in Victoria.
First home buyers: the new-build game changer
Since 1 May 2025, eligible first home buyers pay no duty on a new home at any price — build or buy new and the bill is zero whether it's $550,000 or $1.5 million. For established homes, the concession gives $0 up to $700,000, then steps down in $10,000 bands to nothing at $800,000. Combined with the $30,000 First Home Owner Grant for new builds, Queensland currently has the most generous first-home package in Australia — and it reshapes the buy-established-vs-build decision entirely.
Foreign purchasers
Foreign acquirers pay Additional Foreign Acquirer Duty of 8% of the dutiable value on top of standard duty — $80,000 extra on a $1,000,000 purchase.