WA lifts stamp duty thresholds to $600,000: what first home buyers need to know

Western Australia's $297 million 2026-27 Housing Taxation Package has lifted stamp duty thresholds for first home buyers to their highest levels yet, and the change has been quietly working its way through the market since May. If you are saving for a first home in Perth or regional WA, these new thresholds could mean a meaningfully bigger tax saving than you were budgeting for, or a home you had ruled out on price could now clear the exemption cutoff entirely.

What changed in WA's housing tax package

The package raised several thresholds that first home buyers in WA rely on, across both established and newly built homes:

• No stamp duty up to $600,000 on a new or established home, up from the previous $500,000 cutoff.
• A concessional rate then applies between $600,000 and $800,000, up from the old $700,000 ceiling, with eligible buyers able to save up to $22,515 depending on the purchase price.
• For vacant land, the exemption threshold rose from $350,000 to $450,000, with a concessional rate available up to $550,000 and potential savings of up to $25,390.
• The First Home Owner Grant property price cap increased from $750,000 to $800,000, so more newly built homes still qualify for the $10,000 grant.
• The off-the-plan duty concession was extended for a further two years, through to 30 June 2028.

Why the timing matters for Perth buyers

WA's property market has run hotter than most other states over the past couple of years, with Perth recording some of the strongest annual price growth in the country even as Sydney and Melbourne have softened. That growth had been pushing a growing share of typical first home purchases past the old $500,000 exemption cutoff, effectively eroding the value of the concession over time as prices rose around it. Lifting the thresholds by $100,000 across the board is largely a response to that price growth, restoring more of the buffer first home buyers had a few years ago.

The changes took effect from 7 May 2026 for eligible contracts, so if you exchanged or are about to exchange on a home in WA, it is worth checking with your conveyancer or the new WA state revenue guidance that you are being assessed under the updated thresholds rather than the old ones.

What this means for first home buyers

A higher exemption threshold does not change how much you can borrow or how much deposit you need, but it can materially change the total cash you need on settlement day, since stamp duty is usually payable upfront. A few practical things worth doing with the new numbers:

• Re-run your budget with the new $600,000 exemption and $800,000 concession thresholds if you had previously priced a home just above the old cutoffs. It may now fall within the concessional band or the full exemption.
• Check whether a vacant land and build package now fits under the higher $450,000 land exemption, particularly in growth corridors where land prices have been climbing.
• Confirm your builder or developer's contract date lines up with the eligibility rules, since off-the-plan and house-and-land timing can affect which duty rate and grant thresholds apply.
• Speak with a conveyancer or the WA state revenue office to confirm your specific eligibility, since personal circumstances such as prior property ownership can affect what you are entitled to.

Run the numbers

Use these tools to see how the new WA thresholds change your upfront costs and overall borrowing position:

• Stamp Duty Calculator - work out your estimated stamp duty in WA under the updated thresholds
• FHOG Dashboard - check how the higher $800,000 property cap affects your First Home Owner Grant eligibility
• Grant Stacker - see how the stamp duty concession can combine with other federal and state schemes you may be eligible for
• Borrowing Power Calculator - check how much you may be able to borrow before you commit to a purchase price near the new thresholds