First home buyer in the ACT: the Home Buyer Concession Scheme removes duty entirely
If you are buying your first home in the ACT, the single biggest number to understand is this: from 1 July 2026, an eligible buyer pays no conveyance duty at all, on a home of any value, under the Home Buyer Concession Scheme (HBCS). There is no First Home Owner Grant in the ACT to go alongside it, because the territory abolished its cash grant in 2019. This guide sets out exactly who qualifies, what changed on 1 July 2026, and what the saving looks like at real prices, computed from the current ACT Revenue Office rules.
What changed on 1 July 2026
The Home Buyer Concession Scheme has existed since 2019, helping more than 25,000 Canberrans buy a home and saving eligible buyers an average of $16,000 in duty. Until this year it was still limited by a property price cap and an income test. The 2026-27 ACT Budget removed both:
- No property price cap, from 1 July 2026 (previously around $1,020,000).
- No income threshold, also removed from 1 July 2026.
The result is that the ACT became the first Australian state or territory to offer a full, uncapped conveyance duty exemption to eligible buyers, confirmed by the ACT Government's own Budget release. Where a first home buyer in most other states still faces a phase-out or a hard price ceiling on their duty concession, an eligible ACT buyer pays nothing regardless of price.
Worked examples at four prices
Each figure below is computed from the current standard rate table (verified live 15 July 2026), showing the HBCS exemption against the standard duty at the same price so you can see the saving:
| Purchase price | HBCS duty | Standard duty | You save |
|---|---|---|---|
| $500,000 | Nil | $11,400 | $11,400 |
| $800,000 | Nil | $25,150 | $25,150 |
| $1,200,000 | Nil | $49,750 | $49,750 |
| $2,000,000 | Nil | $90,800 | $90,800 |
Standard duty computed from the ACT Revenue Office non-commercial property rates, verified live 15 July 2026. The HBCS column is nil at every price shown deliberately: unlike a phase-out or a capped exemption, there is no price at which the scheme stops applying. Estimate only. Use the official ACT Revenue Office calculator to confirm your own eligibility and figure. For the full standard and eligible owner-occupier rate tables, see the stamp duty ACT guide.
Who counts as eligible
The scheme's name says "home buyer," not "first home buyer," and that is deliberate. Per the ACT Revenue Office, to be eligible for the HBCS:
- You (and your spouse or domestic partner) must be at least 18, and must not have owned or held an interest in any residential property, in the ACT or anywhere else in Australia, in the last 5 years.
- At least one buyer must live in the home as their principal place of residence continuously for at least 1 year, starting within 12 months of settlement, or of a certificate of occupancy being issued for a new build.
The 5-year test means someone who owned a home a decade ago, sold it, and has been renting since can still qualify, which a strict "never owned a home" test would rule out. This is genuinely broader than the "first home buyer" schemes in NSW, Victoria and Queensland, all of which require you to have never owned property at all.
Why there is no First Home Owner Grant
Unlike every other Australian state and territory, the ACT does not pay a cash First Home Owner Grant. The grant ceased on 1 July 2019, and first home buyer support has been delivered solely through the duty exemption above ever since. If you are used to NSW, Victoria or Queensland's grant-plus-concession model, budget on the basis that the HBCS duty saving is the whole of your ACT government support, not one part of a larger package.
The "missing middle": units and turn-key homes
Alongside the HBCS changes, the 2026-27 Budget also removed duty on all new unit-titled properties bought by owner-occupiers, and extended that concession to turn-key units (a newly constructed unit that was not sold off-the-plan). This sits alongside, rather than inside, the HBCS, and is aimed at encouraging more medium-density housing in established suburbs. If you are considering a new unit or townhouse, ask your solicitor whether this concession applies in addition to, or instead of, the HBCS for your specific purchase.
Deposit and shared-equity schemes
The HBCS is a territory duty exemption, separate from federal low-deposit and shared-equity schemes, which change independently and are not administered by the ACT Revenue Office. This guide does not quote their current caps, because they are set nationally and move; check the official Australian Government first home buyers site for the current position rather than relying on a figure quoted elsewhere.
If you do not qualify for the HBCS
If you have owned property within the last 5 years, or otherwise do not meet the HBCS test, you are not automatically stuck paying the standard rate. The ACT has a second, separate concession: an eligible owner-occupier rate, available to any buyer who will live in the home for at least a year, regardless of prior ownership. It is a lower rate table than standard, though not a full exemption like the HBCS. The full owner-occupier rate table and worked examples are in the stamp duty ACT guide.
How to claim
You do not apply for the HBCS separately from your purchase. Your solicitor lodges the claim as part of your duty assessment when the transfer is registered with Access Canberra, within 14 days of signing, and you complete a declaration confirming you meet the eligibility criteria. Getting your solicitor engaged early means the exemption is claimed correctly the first time, rather than needing a later reassessment.
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Buying your first home in the ACT? Check your Home Buyer Concession Scheme eligibility
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Conveyancing Explained provides general information about property transactions in Australia. It is not legal advice and does not create a client relationship. For advice on your situation, engage a licensed conveyancer, settlement agent, or property solicitor in your state or territory.