Rates & sources
SDLT/LTT/LBTT bands vary between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Use the appropriate calculator.
Source: HMRC / Welsh Revenue / Revenue Scotland — figures refreshed at the start of each tax year.
When to use this calculator
- Before buying, renting, refinancing, or reviewing a property investment.
- When you want to compare cash flow, yield, growth, and ownership costs side by side.
- When you need a fast estimate before speaking to an agent, lender, or adviser.
- When you are assessing whether a rental property still makes financial sense after a mortgage rate change.
- When you want to compare the total cost of renting against owning over a five- or ten-year horizon.
A realistic Australia planning example
Use these sample inputs as a quick scenario test, then change one variable at a time to compare outcomes.
Property Purchase Price (A$)
A$700,000
State / Territory
New South Wales (NSW)
Buyer Type
Standard purchaser
Property Use
Principal place of residence
After entering these figures, review stamp duty, first home buyer discount and foreign investor surcharge together rather than in isolation — each metric tells a different part of the story. Then rerun the tool with one input adjusted to see which variable has the biggest effect on all three outputs before you settle on a plan.
How to read your results
Stamp Duty
Use this metric to compare scenarios side by side and understand how changes in the key inputs drive the final outcome. If the figure surprises you, isolate one variable at a time and rerun the calculation to identify which assumption is responsible.
First Home Buyer Discount
Use this metric to compare scenarios side by side and understand how changes in the key inputs drive the final outcome. If the figure surprises you, isolate one variable at a time and rerun the calculation to identify which assumption is responsible.
Foreign Investor Surcharge
Use this metric to compare scenarios side by side and understand how changes in the key inputs drive the final outcome. If the figure surprises you, isolate one variable at a time and rerun the calculation to identify which assumption is responsible.
Total Duty Payable
This is the headline outcome of the calculation, but it is most useful when read alongside the supporting metrics below it rather than in isolation. Try changing one input at a time and watching how this total moves to understand which driver has the biggest impact.
Effective Rate
The effective rate lets you compare options on a true like-for-like basis rather than being misled by different compounding periods or fee structures. Use it to cut through headline marketing rates when shortlisting providers or products.
Est. Total Upfront Costs
This is the headline outcome of the calculation, but it is most useful when read alongside the supporting metrics below it rather than in isolation. Try changing one input at a time and watching how this total moves to understand which driver has the biggest impact.
Method & assumptionsAuthoritative sources
This calculator applies the approximate 2024 progressive transfer duty (stamp duty) scales for New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory. Each state uses a tiered bracket system where progressively higher rates apply to each portion of the purchase price above a threshold. For first home buyers, the calculator applies a full duty exemption where the purchase price is at or below each state’s published exemption limit; partial concessions (available in NSW and VIC for prices above the full exemption threshold) are not modelled. The foreign investor surcharge of 8% is applied as a flat percentage of the full purchase price, consistent with current NSW, VIC, QLD, and SA rates.
The estimated total upfront costs figure adds 2% of the purchase price as a proxy for legal fees, conveyancing, building inspections, mortgage registration, and related transaction costs; actual costs will vary. Tasmania, Northern Territory, and the ACT’s full phased-duty model are not included due to the complexity of transition-period rates. Duty rates and first home buyer thresholds change frequently with state budgets — always verify the current rates directly with the relevant state revenue office (e.g., Revenue NSW, State Revenue Office Victoria, Queensland Revenue Office) or a licensed conveyancer before exchanging contracts.
Common mistakes
- !Comparing rent and ownership costs without including taxes, fees, and maintenance.
- !Using purchase price alone without testing the impact of financing or vacancy assumptions.
- !Relying on yield or growth in isolation instead of reviewing the full property case.
- !Forgetting Stamp Duty Land Tax (or its Scottish and Welsh equivalents), which can add thousands to the true cost of purchase.
- !Using optimistic rental growth figures without also testing a flat or declining rent scenario to check downside resilience.
What to do next
- Run a second scenario with a higher rate or lower rental yield to check downside resilience.
- Compare the result with a buy-versus-rent or stamp duty calculator before making an offer.
- Use the related guides below to understand agent fees, legal costs, and ongoing maintenance budgets.
- If you are assessing a buy-to-let, check the gross yield against the net yield after mortgage interest, voids, and management fees.
- Note down the key figures from this scenario to share with your solicitor or mortgage broker so they are working from the same assumptions.
Frequently asked
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