What's available to you in the ACT
No Stamp Duty
No property price limit (from 1 July 2026)
No Income Test
Income threshold removed 1 July 2026
All Property Types
New and existing homes qualify
Australia-first change: From 1 July 2026 the ACT became the first jurisdiction to remove stamp duty for eligible first home buyers with no income threshold and no price limit. The key test: every buyer (and their domestic partner) must not have owned property in the past 5 years.
Federal scheme options in ACT
Nationwide| Scheme | Deposit | Who it suits | Key benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5% Deposit Scheme (General stream) | 5% | First home buyers (or not owned in 10 years) | Avoid LMI via government guarantee |
| 5% Deposit Scheme (Single Parent stream) | 2% | Single parents/guardians with a dependent | No LMI; not restricted to first home |
| Help to Buy (shared equity). Try the calculator | 2%+ | Low‑to‑middle income buyers | Government equity lowers loan size and repayments |
| First Home Super Saver (FHSS) | N/A | Savers building a deposit | Tax‑advantaged savings via super |
Check the eligibility rules for the duty concession and each federal scheme separately.
ACT 5% Deposit Scheme Property Price Cap
Single cap applies across the entire ACT. Reviewed July 2026.
See what this could mean in dollars: my free cost to complete calculator estimates ACT stamp duty, first home buyer concessions and the total cash you may need to complete a purchase at your price point.
ACT programs
No traditional FHOG
- Replaced: First Home Owner Grant discontinued.
- Focus: Duty exemption for any property type, new or established.
Home Buyer Concession Scheme
- Duty payable: Nil - no property price limit (from 1 July 2026).
- Eligibility: No income threshold from 1 July 2026.
- Coverage: Both new and existing homes.
- Requirement: No property ownership in the last 5 years - applies to all buyers and their domestic partners.
ACT stamp duty examples
Eligibility: From 1 July 2026, the duty exemption has no property price limit. Buyer and residency requirements still apply.
Important things to know
Expanded from 1 July 2026
Transactions before 1 July 2026 fell under the old rules (income threshold and $1.02M price cap) - the exemption with no limits applies from 1 July 2026.
5-year ownership rule
Neither you nor your partner can have owned property anywhere in the last 5 years (different from other states).
No income test from 1 July 2026
The HBC scheme's income threshold was removed for transactions from 1 July 2026 - eligibility now rests on the 5-year ownership rule and residency requirements.
No cash grants available
ACT provides stamp duty relief rather than a First Home Owner Grant.
Federal schemes have their own caps
While the ACT duty exemption has no price limit, national programs like the 5% Deposit Scheme keep their own price caps ($1,000,000 ACT-wide).
Check your ACT eligibility
I'll help check the duty concession, federal scheme options and your buying costs.
Still working it out? See how the process works, step by step, or start with the First Home Buyer Guide.