First Home Buyer Schemes in Australia 2026-27

First home buyers in Australia have access to a layered set of schemes, grants and concessions. The federal government runs the deposit guarantees, the Help to Buy shared-equity scheme and the First Home Super Saver Scheme. Each state and territory adds its own grant and stamp duty relief on top.

This guide maps the full landscape for 2026-27, explains how the federal and state programs fit together and links to each state guide for the detail.

How the System Is Structured

First home buyer assistance is split across two levels of government.

Federal Programs

Housing Australia administers the deposit guarantees and Help to Buy. The Australian Taxation Office runs the First Home Super Saver Scheme.

• First Home Guarantee. Buy with a 5% deposit and no lenders mortgage insurance. It is now promoted on firsthomebuyers.gov.au as the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme.
• Family Home Guarantee. A 2% deposit guarantee for single parents and single legal guardians.
• Help to Buy. Shared equity: the Commonwealth contributes part of the purchase price and takes a matching share of the home.
• First Home Super Saver Scheme. Save part of a deposit inside super with tax advantages.

The Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee no longer exists as a separate scheme. It was folded into the First Home Guarantee on 1 October 2025.

Federal and state programs are not mutually exclusive. A first home buyer can usually combine a federal guarantee with a state grant and a state duty concession.

State and Territory Programs

Each state and territory runs its own First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) or equivalent, its own stamp duty relief for first home buyers, and in some cases other assistance. The amounts, caps and rules differ in every jurisdiction, which is where most of the planning work sits.

The Federal Programs

First Home Guarantee (5% Deposit Scheme)

The First Home Guarantee lets an eligible first home buyer purchase with a deposit as low as 5% without paying lenders mortgage insurance (LMI). Housing Australia guarantees the gap between the buyer's deposit and the 20% at which LMI normally stops.

Since 1 October 2025 there is no limit on places and no income cap. The main eligibility tests are:

• Australian citizen or permanent resident, aged 18 or over
• A first home buyer, or not having owned property in Australia in the last 10 years
• Buying a home to live in (not an investment)
• A principal-and-interest loan of up to 30 years through a participating lender
• A purchase price at or below the cap for the location

Source: Housing Australia (price caps from 1 October 2025). Check the cap for a specific postcode with the tool at firsthomebuyers.gov.au before signing a contract.

Worked example. On a $700,000 home in Hobart (at the Tasmanian capital city cap), the minimum deposit is 5% x $700,000 = $35,000, with no LMI.

Family Home Guarantee

The Family Home Guarantee is for single parents and single legal guardians with at least one dependent child. Eligible buyers can purchase with a deposit as low as 2% without LMI.

It is not limited to first home buyers: a single parent who has owned a home before but does not own one now may qualify. Unlike the First Home Guarantee, it still has an income cap and a limited number of places each year. Confirm the current settings at firsthomebuyers.gov.au.

Help to Buy

Help to Buy is a federal shared-equity scheme that opened on 5 December 2025. Western Australia joined once its enabling law passed in December 2025, and Tasmania joined on 9 June 2026, so the scheme is now available in every state and territory. The Commonwealth contributes up to 40% of the purchase price for a new home, or up to 30% for an existing home, and takes a matching share in the property. The buyer needs a deposit of at least 2%.

There are no repayments, rent or interest on the Commonwealth's share while the buyer lives in the home. The buyer can buy back the share in steps over time, and the Commonwealth's share rises or falls with the home's value.

The key settings for 2026-27:

• Income limits: $103,000 for a single applicant; $165,000 for joint applicants or a single parent (taxable income on the previous year's notice of assessment). The limits are indexed each 1 July.
• Places: up to 10,000 a year.
• Citizenship: all applicants must be Australian citizens.
• Ownership: applicants cannot own any property in Australia or overseas.
• Price caps: the same as the First Home Guarantee except Sydney and NSW regional centres, where the Help to Buy cap is $1,300,000.

Worked example. On a new $600,000 home, the buyer's minimum deposit is 2% x $600,000 = $12,000, and the Commonwealth can contribute up to 40% x $600,000 = $240,000. The buyer's loan covers the rest.

Help to Buy and the First Home Guarantee are different tools. The guarantee removes LMI; Help to Buy reduces the loan. A buyer uses one or the other on a purchase, not both. Help to Buy can still be combined with state grants and stamp duty concessions.

First Home Super Saver Scheme

The First Home Super Saver Scheme (FHSSS) lets first home buyers make voluntary super contributions and later release them, with associated earnings, for a deposit. Up to $15,000 of contributions from any one financial year count, to a total of $50,000 across all years.

Contributions and earnings are taxed inside super. Check the ATO rules and speak to a licensed adviser. The FHSSS is administered by the ATO. For advice tailored to your circumstances, speak to a licensed adviser.

The State Programs at a Glance

The summary below covers each state's grant and its first home buyer duty relief for 2026-27. Follow the state guides for thresholds and worked examples.

Notes:

• Queensland. The 2026-27 Queensland Budget (23 June 2026) kept the $30,000 grant. It also announced that, for transactions from 1 August 2026, transfer duty home concessions (including the first home concessions) will be limited to Australian citizens, permanent residents and specified foreign retirees, subject to legislation.
• Tasmania. The $20,000 grant is set by the First Home Owner Grant Amendment Bill 2026, which passed Parliament in June 2026 and applies from 1 July 2026. It is made up of the $10,000 base grant plus a $10,000 additional amount.
• ACT. The Home Buyer Concession Scheme is not limited to first home buyers. Eligible buyers must not have owned property in the last 5 years and must live in the home for at least a year.

Sources: Housing Australia and firsthomebuyers.gov.au (federal), Australian Taxation Office (FHSSS), Revenue NSW, State Revenue Office Victoria, Queensland Revenue Office, RevenueWA, RevenueSA, State Revenue Office Tasmania, ACT Revenue Office, NT Government. Confirm with the relevant authority before exchange.

How the Programs Stack

The most common question from first home buyers is which schemes can be combined. Federal and state schemes generally stack; some combinations do not.

Example: NSW First Home Buyer, Land Plus Build at $750,000

A buyer purchases a $340,000 block and signs a $410,000 building contract, a combined $750,000. The buyer can typically access:

• The First Home Guarantee (if eligible) to buy with a 5% deposit and no LMI.
• The NSW $10,000 First Home Owner Grant, because the combined land and build cost is within the $750,000 cap.
• No duty on the land under the First Home Buyers Assistance scheme, because the block is under the $350,000 vacant land threshold. At 2026-27 rates the duty would otherwise be $1,662 + $3.50 for each $100 (2,370 lots of $100, the $237,000 over $103,000) = $9,957.
• The First Home Super Saver Scheme, if savings have been built up inside super.

Together that is about $20,000 in grant and duty saved, before the value of avoiding LMI.

Example: TAS First Home Buyer, Established Home at $700,000

From 1 July 2026 this buyer has less help than a year earlier:

• The First Home Guarantee is still available, because $700,000 is at the Hobart cap.
• The established-home duty exemption has ended, so full duty applies: $12,935 + $4.25 x 3,250 ($325,000 over $375,000) = $26,747.50.
• The $20,000 grant does not apply, because it is for new homes.

A buyer who settled the same purchase by 30 June 2026 paid no duty.

Example: Home Buyer in the ACT at $1,200,000

Under the 2026-27 Home Buyer Concession Scheme, an eligible buyer pays no duty at any price. At the 2025-26 settings, a $1,200,000 home was above the $1,020,000 cap, and the buyer paid $6.40 x 1,800 ($180,000 over $1,020,000) = $11,520. Without the scheme, owner-occupier duty would be $33,958 + $6.40 x 2,000 = $46,758.

The First Home Guarantee would not be available on this purchase, because $1,200,000 is above the $1,000,000 ACT cap.

What Does Not Stack

A buyer cannot use Help to Buy and the First Home Guarantee on the same purchase. They are alternative federal pathways.

A buyer cannot generally claim a First Home Owner Grant in two states. The FHOG is a once-only benefit nationally.

A buyer cannot generally claim a first home buyer duty concession on a later purchase. Eligibility resets only in narrow circumstances.

Eligibility: The Common Tests

Most first home buyer schemes share five common tests.

Australian Citizenship or Permanent Residency

Most schemes require at least one buyer to be an Australian citizen or permanent resident. Some require all buyers to meet the test, and Help to Buy requires every applicant to be a citizen.

Never Previously Owned a Home

Most schemes require that no buyer on the contract has owned a home in Australia, with limited exceptions (the Family Home Guarantee, and the First Home Guarantee for people who have not owned property in the last 10 years). The test usually counts investment properties as well as homes.

Owner-Occupied for a Minimum Period

Most schemes require the buyer to live in the property as their principal place of residence for a minimum period after settlement (typically 6 to 12 months). Failing the test can mean repaying the grant or duty concession.

Property Value Cap

Most schemes cap the property value. The federal caps vary by location, and the state caps vary by scheme. In 2026-27 the ACT Home Buyer Concession Scheme, the SA new-home relief, the QLD new-home concession and the NT HomeGrown grant have no cap.

Income Threshold

Help to Buy and the Family Home Guarantee apply income limits. The First Home Guarantee has had none since 1 October 2025, and the ACT removed its income test from 1 July 2026. Most state grants and duty concessions have no income test.

How to Apply

Federal Programs

The First Home Guarantee and Family Home Guarantee are applied for through a participating lender, not directly to Housing Australia. Help to Buy also starts with a participating lender: the buyer needs conditional approval from both the lender and Housing Australia before making an offer.

FHSSS releases are requested from the ATO. The timing rules around signing a contract are strict, so check them with the ATO before you sign.

State Programs

State grants and duty concessions are administered by the relevant state revenue office.

In most cases the conveyancer or solicitor lodges the duty concession and grant paperwork at or before settlement. The buyer provides the eligibility evidence (identity, citizenship, ownership history).

Timing

Most state grants and duty concessions are claimed at settlement. The guarantee is arranged through the lender during the loan application, and Help to Buy approval must be in place before an offer or auction bid.

Confirm eligibility before signing a contract, not after. Several schemes are time-limited, as Tasmania's established-home exemption showed when it ended on 30 June 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I combine the First Home Guarantee with a state First Home Owner Grant?

Yes, in most cases. The guarantee removes lenders mortgage insurance on the loan side; state grants are paid separately on the property side. Each program's rules must be met independently. Confirm with the participating lender and the state revenue office before signing a contract.

What are the Help to Buy income limits for 2026-27?

$103,000 for a single applicant and $165,000 for joint applicants or a single parent, based on taxable income in the previous financial year. All applicants must be Australian citizens.

Is there still a limit on First Home Guarantee places?

No. Since 1 October 2025 there is no limit on places and no income cap. Property price caps still apply by location, from $600,000 in the NT to $1,500,000 in Sydney.

Do Tasmanian first home buyers still get help in 2026-27?

Yes, but less of it. The grant for new homes is $20,000 for transactions from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. The duty exemption for established homes ended for settlements after 30 June 2026.

How much can I save through the First Home Super Saver Scheme?

Up to $15,000 of voluntary contributions from any one financial year, and $50,000 in total, plus associated earnings. For advice tailored to your circumstances, speak to a licensed adviser.

Related Resources from AgentBridge

• Australian Stamp Duty State by State 2026-27
• A Step-by-Step Guide to Buying Your First Home in Australia
• NSW Stamp Duty 2026-27
• Queensland First Home Grants 2026-27

About AgentBridge

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AgentBridge provides general property information, not personal financial product advice. For advice tailored to your circumstances, speak to a licensed adviser.

Previous editions: The Complete Australian Guide to First Home Buyer Schemes in 2026 (2025-26 rules)