First Home Buyer Loan Schemes 2026-27: Complete State-by-State Grants & Stamp Duty Savings

If you're a first home buyer in 2026-27, the landscape has shifted dramatically. QLD locked zero stamp duty on new builds into law. NSW expanded exemptions up to $800,000. SA abolished stamp duty on new builds entirely. WA lifted thresholds three times. ACT became the first jurisdiction to kill stamp duty for ALL first home buyers — $0 regardless of price. And the NT is sitting on a $50,000 grant, the biggest in the country.

Here is every grant, exemption, and shared-equity scheme available right now, state by state.

Federal Schemes: Apply Anywhere

Before we go state-by-state, two Commonwealth schemes sit underneath all state benefits. You can stack them.

First Home Guarantee (FHG): Since 1 October 2025, there is no cap on places (previously 35,000 per year), no income caps (previously $125K single / $200K joint), and higher property price caps. Buyers need a minimum 5% deposit and the government guarantees the remaining amount to 20%, so no LMI is payable. Price caps by region: Sydney up to $900K, Melbourne $800K, Brisbane $700K, Perth $600K, Adelaide $600K, Hobart $600K, ACT $750K, NT $600K. You must be an Australian citizen (not PR), 18+, and must not have previously owned property in Australia.

Help to Buy Shared Equity: The 2026-27 Budget committed roughly $800 million to expand Help to Buy. The government co-purchases up to 40% of your home. You need as little as a 2% deposit and only fund 60% of the purchase price. Income thresholds from 1 July 2026: single applicants $103,000, single parents and joint applicants $165,000. You can buy back the government's equity share over time at market value.

NSW: $10K Grant + $800K Stamp Duty Exemption

FHOG (First Home Owner Grant): $10,000 for newly built or substantially renovated homes. Price caps — $600,000 for new home purchases, $750,000 combined value for vacant land plus building contract. Not available for established homes.

FHBAS (First Home Buyer Assistance Scheme): Full stamp duty exemption on properties up to $800,000. Sliding scale concession from $800,001 to $1,000,000. Since July 2023, more than 94,000 first home buyers have saved an average of $20,400 each under these expanded thresholds.

First Home Buyer Choice (Property Tax): Closed to new entrants from 30 June 2024. If you elected property tax before that date, you continue paying $400 plus 0.3% of unimproved land value above the general land tax threshold. No mechanism to revert to stamp duty.

Foreign buyer surcharge: 9% stamp duty surcharge plus 5% land tax surcharge. BTR and retirement village developers may get refunds from 1 July 2026.

QLD: $30K Grant + $0 Stamp Duty on New Builds (No Cap)

FHOG: $30,000 — extended for four more years with $72 million in funding. Was due to drop to $15,000 on 30 June 2026 but is now locked in for new builds until approximately mid-2030. Combined value of home and land must be under $750,000.

New home stamp duty: From 1 May 2025, first home buyers purchasing a brand-new or substantially renovated home pay ZERO stamp duty with no price cap. This is now permanently legislated. On a $1,000,000 new build, you save approximately $30,850. More than 3,500 Queenslanders have already saved over $66 million since May 2025.

Vacant land: Also zero stamp duty with no value cap for first home buyers.

Established homes: Full exemption under $700,000, sliding scale concession $700,000 to $800,000. Over $800,000, no concession.

Boost to Buy (shared equity): QLD Government contributes up to 30% on new homes or 25% on existing homes. $1,000,000 property price cap. Minimum 2% deposit. Income caps: $150,000 single, $225,000 couple or single with dependants. As of June 2026, Southeast Queensland places are fully allocated; regional places still available.

Important: From 1 August 2026, temporary residents lose access to home, first home, and vacant land transfer duty concessions.

VIC: $10K–$20K Grant + $600K Exemption

FHOG: $10,000 for new homes valued up to $750,000. No changes in the 2026-27 Budget.

Stamp duty: Full exemption on properties up to $600,000. Concessional rates from $600,001 to $750,000. Off-the-plan concession extended six months to 21 April 2027 (100% deduction of outstanding construction costs, available to both owner-occupiers and investors).

Regional FHB grant: Eligible first home buyers in regional Victoria can receive $20,000 for new builds. This doubles the metropolitan FHOG.

Foreign buyer surcharge: 8% stamp duty surcharge plus 4% absentee owner land tax surcharge.

Forgone revenue: $740 million in 2026-27 spent on first home buyer concessions.

WA: $600K Exemption (Up from $500K) + $10K Grant

FHOG: $10,000 for newly built or substantially renovated homes. Property cap for properties south of the 26th parallel lifted to $800,000 (up from $750,000) on 7 May 2026. FHOG eligibility is now decoupled from the FHO rate of duty value cap.

Stamp duty exemption: Threshold for established and new homes lifted from $500,000 to $600,000 on 7 May 2026. Concession threshold lifted from $700,000 to $800,000. Max saving on an established home is $22,515. Vacant land exemption lifted from $350,000 to $450,000, concession to $550,000; max saving $25,390. When combining vacant land exemption plus FHOG, total benefit reaches $35,390.

Off-the-plan concession: Extended to 30 June 2028 and expanded to survey-strata and community title schemes from 12 March 2026. Pre-construction exemption threshold at $800,000 with tapering to 50% above $900,000.

Foreign buyer surcharge: 7% stamp duty surcharge. New foreign transfer duty exemption for build-to-sell developments.

SA: $15K Grant + Full Stamp Duty Abolition on New Builds (No Cap)

FHOG: $15,000 for new builds. No property value cap (removed 6 June 2024).

Stamp duty: Since 6 June 2024, stamp duty is fully abolished for first home buyers purchasing or building a new home, off-the-plan apartment, or vacant land to build. No property value cap. This does NOT apply to established homes.

Tightened eligibility (13 February 2025): From this date, you are ineligible if you or your spouse previously held any residential property interest anywhere in Australia. Foreign ownership surcharge is no longer eligible for FHB relief.

Foreign buyer surcharge: 7%. No foreign owner surcharge on annual land tax — SA is one of the few states without one.

TAS: $20K Grant (Down from $30K) + 50% Duty Discount

FHOG: Reduced from $30,000 to $20,000 from 1 July 2026 ($10,000 base + $10,000 additional). Applies to new homes only, no explicit price cap.

Stamp duty: 50% discount on established homes up to $600,000. From 1 July 2026, no duty concession for new homes — only established homes get the 50% discount (the previous 18 Feb 2024 to 30 Jun 2026 window offering full exemption on established homes up to $750,000 has now closed). FHOG and stamp duty concession can be combined for new builds.

Foreign buyer surcharge: 8% stamp duty surcharge (FIDS) plus 2% land tax surcharge (FILTS) with no tax-free threshold.

ACT: $0 Stamp Duty for ALL First Home Buyers (No Price Cap)

Stamp duty: From 1 July 2026, stamp duty is fully abolished for all first home buyers who live in the property — the first jurisdiction in Australia to do this. Both the property price cap and income threshold for the Home Buyer Concession Scheme have been removed. Newly constructed turn-key units (not sold off-plan) also exempt from duty for owner-occupiers.

No FHOG: The ACT does not offer a First Home Owner Grant. The Home Buyer Concession Scheme provides a full stamp duty waiver instead.

General rates: The ACT has been replacing stamp duty with annual land-based rates since 2012, unique in Australia. For 2026-27, the fixed charge for residential houses is $884 plus marginal rating factors on the 5-year averaged unimproved land value. Rates increases capped at 5% maximum.

No foreign owner land tax surcharge.

NT: $50K HomeGrown Grant — Largest in Australia

HomeGrown Territory Grant: $50,000 for first home buyers building or buying a new home. No cap on build or purchase price. Extended to 30 September 2027. This is the largest FHOG-type grant in Australia, replacing the $10,000 base FHOG.

FreshStart New Home Grant: $30,000 for existing homeowners (NOT first home buyers) building or buying a new home.

Territory Home Owner Discount (THOD): Full stamp duty exemption on properties up to $500,000. Applies to both new and established homes. Not limited to first home buyers — anyone who doesn't currently own NT residential property can apply.

No foreign buyer surcharges: NT is the most foreign-investor-friendly jurisdiction — no foreign buyer stamp duty surcharge, no land tax at all.

FAQ

Can I stack federal and state benefits? Yes. Federal schemes (First Home Guarantee, Help to Buy) are stackable with every state's own grants and stamp duty concessions. A QLD first home buyer could combine the $30,000 FHOG, zero stamp duty on a new build, and the First Home Guarantee with a 5% deposit and no LMI.

Which state gives the best deal in 2026-27? For new builds: QLD offers the best combination ($30K FHOG + $0 stamp duty no cap + Boost to Buy shared equity). For any type of home: ACT offers $0 stamp duty with no price or income caps. For cash grant alone: NT's $50K HomeGrown grant is the largest in Australia.

Do I have to be a citizen? Federal schemes (FHG, Help to Buy) require Australian citizenship. State FHOGs and stamp duty concessions generally accept Australian citizens or permanent residents. From 1 August 2026, QLD temporary residents lose access to transfer duty concessions.

When do these benefits end? QLD's $30K FHOG and $0 stamp duty are now permanently legislated. WA's off-the-plan concession runs to 30 June 2028. NT's HomeGrown grant to 30 September 2027. Federal schemes continue with no announced end date.

What about established/existing homes? Most state benefits are heavily skewed toward new builds. For established homes: NSW gives full exemption to $800K; QLD gives full exemption to $700K; TAS gives 50% discount to $600K; NT gives full exemption to $500K; ACT gives full exemption with no cap. VIC exempts to $600K. SA gives nothing for established homes.