First home buyer stamp duty in the UK, Australia and Canada compared
How much stamp duty or land transfer tax first-time buyers save in each part of the UK, every Australian state and the main Canadian provinces.
Most of the countries we cover cut property purchase taxes for people buying their first home. The rules differ a lot: some exempt you completely up to a price limit, some give a fixed refund, and a few offer nothing at all for existing homes. Here’s how the main schemes compare in November 2026.
United Kingdom
| £350,000 home | Moving home | First-time buyer | Saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| England or Northern Ireland | £7,500 | £2,500 | £5,000 |
| Scotland | £8,350 | £7,750 | £600 |
| Wales | £7,500 | £7,500 | None |
In England and Northern Ireland, first-time buyers pay nothing up to £300,000 and 5% from £300,001 to £500,000. Above £500,000 the relief disappears entirely, so a £510,000 home costs £15,500 in stamp duty, not a few hundred pounds more than a £500,000 one (£10,000). Scotland’s relief is worth at most £600. Wales has no first-time buyer relief, but nobody pays tax on the first £225,000.
Australia
| $750,000 home | Owner-occupier | First home buyer (established home) |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | $27,937 | $0 |
| Victoria | $40,070 | $40,070 (relief ends at $750,000) |
| Queensland | $19,600 | $10,925 |
| Western Australia | $29,741 | $24,225 |
| ACT | $19,208 | $0 |
- New South Wales: no duty up to $800,000, reduced up to $1 million.
- Victoria: no duty up to $600,000, reduced up to $750,000.
- Queensland and South Australia: no duty at any price on a new home. Queensland also exempts established first homes up to about $700,000.
- Western Australia: no duty up to $600,000, then $16.15 per $100 up to $800,000 (since 7 May 2026).
- ACT: no duty at any price since 1 July 2026 for eligible buyers.
- Tasmania: its exemption ended for settlements after 30 June 2026. The Northern Territory has no first home duty concession.
Canada
- Ontario: a refund of up to $4,000, which covers all the tax on the first $368,000.
- Toronto: a further municipal rebate of up to $4,475. On an $850,000 Toronto home, first-time buyers pay $18,475 instead of $26,950.
- British Columbia: no tax on the first $500,000 (worth up to $8,000) for homes up to $835,000, partly up to $860,000. Newly built homes are fully exempt up to $1.1 million.
- Quebec and Manitoba: no province-wide first-time buyer exemption from transfer tax, though some Quebec municipalities run their own programmes.
Before you rely on a concession
Almost every scheme has conditions beyond the price: you usually must never have owned a home before (the ACT scheme instead looks at the last five years), you must live in the property, and some schemes exclude buyers who aren’t citizens or permanent residents. Your solicitor, conveyancer or notary will check eligibility, but it’s worth knowing the numbers before you make an offer.
Work out your own figures: UK stamp duty, Australia stamp duty, Canada land transfer tax. Then see the monthly cost with the mortgage calculator.