WA Stamp Duty 2026-27: Calculate Your Western Australia Transfer Duty

Western Australia’s transfer duty sits in the middle of the pack nationally — higher than Queensland but competitive with New South Wales, and well below Victoria. On a $600,000 Perth property, you’re looking at roughly $22,500 in stamp duty. First home buyers get full exemption up to $500,000, but in Perth’s current market where the median hovers above $600,000, many first-time buyers will enter the concession taper zone and pay some duty. Here’s how the rates work, where the relief is, and how to use the calculator to lock in your exact number.

How WA transfer duty is calculated in 2026-27

Western Australia uses a marginal-rate tiered system, with bands that are wider than Victoria’s but narrower than Queensland’s at the lower end:

• On the first $120,000 of the dutiable value: 1.9% of that portion.
• Between $120,001 and $150,000: $2,280 plus 2.85% of the amount over $120,000.
• Between $150,001 and $360,000: $3,135 plus 3.8% of the amount over $150,000.
• Between $360,001 and $725,000: $11,115 plus 4.75% of the amount over $360,000. The majority of Perth residential purchases land in this band, and the 4.75% marginal rate is what drives WA’s duty to be broadly comparable to NSW at similar price points.
• Above $725,000: $28,453 plus 5.15% of the amount over $725,000.

On a $500,000 property, the duty works out to roughly $17,955. On $650,000, approximately $25,000. And at $900,000, the bill rises to about $37,500. The effective rate on a $500,000 purchase is about 3.6%, rising to approximately 4.2% at $900,000 — lower than Victoria at every price band but above Queensland across the board.

A distinctive feature of WA’s formula is the relatively high starting threshold of $120,000 for the first band at 1.9%. This means low-value properties — entry-level units or regional homes — attract proportionally less duty than they would under NSW’s steeper starting rate of 1.25% on only the first $18,000.

First home buyer duty exemption: up to $500,000, regional buyers get more

WA reformed its first home buyer duty relief effective 21 March 2025. The current rules work as follows:

For a house or unit (established or new) in the metropolitan area or Peel region, transfer duty is fully exempt on properties valued up to $500,000. Between $500,001 and $700,000, a partial concession applies on a sliding scale — the relief shrinks as the price rises, and above $700,000 no concession is available.

For regional WA properties (outside Perth and Peel), the same $500,000 full exemption applies, but the concession taper extends further to $750,000. This recognises that regional property prices, while generally lower, can be elevated in certain mining and coastal towns.

For vacant land purchases where you intend to build your first home, the full exemption threshold is $350,000 with a concession phasing out to $450,000.

The key constraint for Perth buyers is the $500,000 full-exemption cap. At a median house price around $600,000–$650,000, a typical first home buyer purchasing at the median will exceed the full exemption and enter the concession taper zone — paying some duty, though less than the full rate. The $700,000 upper concession cap also means first home buyers purchasing above that threshold receive no relief, even in a market where many entry-level houses in established suburbs list above that figure.

The First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) of $10,000 for new homes continues unchanged into 2026-27. It is administered separately from the duty exemption and can be received alongside it.

Foreign buyer surcharge: 7%

WA imposes a foreign buyer surcharge of 7% on top of the standard transfer duty for residential property purchases by foreign persons, foreign companies, and trustees of foreign trusts. The surcharge is calculated on the same dutiable value as the base duty and is payable at settlement.

On a $600,000 Perth property, the foreign surcharge adds $42,000. Combined with the base duty of roughly $22,500, the total bill is approximately $64,500 — an effective rate of about 10.75%. The surcharge applies in addition to (not instead of) the standard duty, and first home buyer concessions do not reduce or eliminate the foreign surcharge component.

Use the stamp duty calculator for your exact WA figure

WA’s tiered rates plus the first home buyer concession taper plus the regional vs metro threshold difference make manual estimation unreliable, especially near the $500,000 and $700,000 boundaries where small price differences produce large duty swings.

Use the stamp duty calculator to plug in your property value, select Western Australia, and pick your buyer type — first home buyer (metro/Peel), first home buyer (regional), owner-occupier, investor, or foreign purchaser. The calculator applies the correct WA rate tiers, the first home concession including the regional upper threshold, and the foreign surcharge in one step. If you’re considering a vacant land purchase followed by a construction loan, the calculator helps you model the duty difference between buying land and building vs buying an established home.

What changes in WA from 2025-26 to 2026-27

The standard transfer duty rates remain unchanged from the previous year — there is no annual CPI indexing in WA’s duty formula, so the dollar thresholds are static until legislation changes them. The first home buyer relief thresholds ($500,000 full, $700,000/$750,000 concession cap, $350,000/$450,000 land) introduced 21 March 2025 also carry forward into 2026-27 without adjustment. The $10,000 FHOG continues unchanged. WA Treasury has not announced any duty reforms for the 2026-27 budget cycle, though this should be confirmed against the state budget papers when published.

Related guides

• Stamp duty states compared: NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA (2026) — WA vs the other mainland states at each price level
• First home buyer grants by state 2026 — WA’s $10,000 FHOG alongside other states
• Foreign buyer stamp duty surcharges across Australia 2026 — how WA’s 7% surcharge stacks up

Data sources and as-at date

All rates, thresholds and concession rules in this article are sourced from the Western Australian Department of Treasury / Finance (RevenueWA) and reflect the law as at July 2026 for the 2026-27 financial year. Specific references include the Duties Act 2008 (WA), the RevenueWA transfer duty rates page, the first home owner duty exemption and concession guidelines (effective 21 March 2025), the foreign transfer duty information page, and the FHOG page on the RevenueWA website. Rates are verified against official published sources but may change — always confirm the current rate at the RevenueWA website or with your settlement agent before settlement.

Data current as at: July 2026. RevenueWA rates, thresholds and concessions may be updated after this date. Always verify your specific duty with the RevenueWA calculator or a qualified settlement agent before making a purchase decision.

Use the calculator, then talk to a broker

WA’s stamp duty is more predictable than Victoria’s but still varies meaningfully by property value and buyer type — and the first home buyer taper between $500,000 and $700,000 is not linear. Run the stamp duty calculator with your specific purchase price and buyer status to get an accurate figure before making an offer.

If stamp duty is stretching your deposit, or you’re trying to understand how the total upfront costs — duty, LMI, conveyancing, settlement fees — affect your borrowing capacity, speak with an Arrivau licensed mortgage broker. They can assess your full position and provide guidance within one business day.

Disclaimer: This article provides general information only and does not constitute financial, legal, or tax advice. Transfer duty rates, thresholds, concessions, and surcharges are set by the Western Australian Department of Treasury / Finance and may change without notice. The actual duty payable on your purchase depends on your specific circumstances, including the dutiable value, contract date, buyer residency status, and eligibility for concessions. Always verify the current rate with RevenueWA or a qualified settlement agent before making a purchase decision. For tax implications — including the capital gains treatment of stamp duty — consult a registered tax agent.