Tasmania First Home Grants and Duty 2026-27

Tasmania's First Home Owner Grant is $20,000 for eligible new homes where the transaction commences between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027. That is down from $30,000 in 2025-26, but above the $10,000 base grant it would otherwise have fallen to. The full duty exemption for first home buyers of established homes has ended: purchases settling after 30 June 2026 pay standard transfer duty. AgentBridge breaks down what each scheme does, who qualifies and how the process runs through the State Revenue Office of Tasmania (SRO).

First Home Buyer Help Available in Tasmania in 2026-27

Tasmania's state-level support now comes through two programs. The First Home Owner Grant pays $20,000 toward an eligible new home. The MyHome Shared Equity Program, run by Homes Tasmania, provides a state equity contribution for eligible buyers of new or existing homes. There is no longer a state duty exemption for first home buyers.

Federal programs sit on top. The First Home Guarantee lets eligible buyers settle with a 5% deposit and avoid lenders mortgage insurance. Help to Buy, the federal shared equity scheme, has been open for Tasmanian purchases since 9 June 2026.

At a Glance

The Tasmanian First Home Owner Grant: Amount, Eligibility and Property Type

The Tasmanian First Home Owner Grant pays $20,000 toward an eligible new home purchase or build where the transaction commences between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027. The First Home Owner Grant Amendment Bill 2026, which sets the $20,000 amount, passed Parliament in June 2026 and applies from 1 July 2026. The home must be completed within 24 months of the commencement date, although the Commissioner can extend that period for good reasons.

For a contract to buy a new home, or a comprehensive building contract, the commencement date is the contract date. For owner-builders it is the date the foundations are laid. Transactions that commenced on or before 30 June 2026 fall under the earlier $30,000 grant.

The grant covers homes that have not previously been occupied or sold as a place of residence, including kit homes. There is no property value cap.

Eligibility runs along familiar lines. Applicants must be natural persons aged 18 or over, Australian citizens or permanent residents (joint applicants need at least one to qualify), and neither applicant nor a spouse can have previously owned residential property in Australia before 1 July 2000, or owned and occupied property for more than 6 months after that date. Applicants must also not have received a first home owner grant previously.

The owner-occupier requirement applies. Buyers must occupy the home as their principal place of residence for a continuous period of at least 6 months, commencing within 12 months of completion. Selling or leasing before that triggers a clawback.

Applications run through the SRO Tasmania directly or via the buyer's lender if the lender is an approved agent.

Tasmanian First Home Buyer Stamp Duty: The Exemption Has Ended

Tasmania's full duty exemption for first home buyers of established homes applied to purchases settling between 18 February 2024 and 30 June 2026. The 2026-27 State Budget, delivered on 21 May 2026, did not extend it. The SRO states that the exemption is not available for transactions settling after 30 June 2026.

The test is the settlement date. A buyer who signed a contract before 1 July 2026 but settles after 30 June 2026 pays standard duty.

From 1 July 2026, first home buyers pay duty on the standard Tasmanian schedule, whether the home is new or established. On a $600,000 home that is $22,497.50, and on a $750,000 home it is $28,935. The calculation is set out in the Tasmanian stamp duty 2026-27 guide.

The separate 50% off-the-plan apartment and unit concession also closed to agreements executed after 30 June 2026.

Other Tasmania-Specific Schemes

The MyHome Shared Equity Program is administered by Homes Tasmania, with Bank of us as the accredited lender. Homes Tasmania takes an equity stake of up to 40% of the purchase price on a new home (maximum $300,000), or up to 30% on an existing home (maximum $150,000), whichever is the lesser. The buyer pays out Homes Tasmania's share within 30 years, by buying it out or selling.

Key MyHome settings from 1 July 2026:

• Minimum deposit of 2% of the purchase price.
• Property price caps of $800,000 for a new home and $750,000 for an existing home.
• Income limits for a new build start at $124,618 a year for a single adult with no children and $143,312 for a couple with no children. For an existing property they start at $102,785 and $118,204. Limits rise with the number of children.
• Financial assets of no more than $124,268.
• Buyers who qualify for the First Home Owner Grant, and first home buyers of existing homes, are exempt from the income and assets tests.

MyHome can be combined with the First Home Owner Grant, and the grant can count toward the deposit. For a new-home buyer, this means the $20,000 grant plus the MyHome equity contribution.

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander first home buyers, Homes Tasmania offers additional pathways. Confirm the current options with Homes Tasmania.

Stacking With Federal Schemes: First Home Guarantee and Help to Buy

The federal First Home Guarantee works alongside the Tasmanian schemes. Eligible first home buyers can settle with a 5% deposit and avoid lenders mortgage insurance. There is no limit on places and no income cap. The Tasmanian property price caps are $700,000 in Hobart and $550,000 elsewhere in the state.

Help to Buy has been open for Tasmanian purchases since 9 June 2026, after Tasmania passed legislation to let the federal scheme operate here. The Commonwealth takes up to 40% equity in a new home or up to 30% in an existing home, and the buyer needs a deposit of as little as 2%. From 1 July 2026:

• Income limits are $103,000 for single applicants and $165,000 for joint applicants and single parents.
• 10,000 new places are available nationally for 2026-27.
• Tasmanian property price caps are $700,000 in Hobart and $550,000 elsewhere in the state.

Help to Buy and MyHome are both shared equity programs, so a buyer would normally use one or the other. Confirm with your lender before applying.

A typical Tasmanian first home buyer building or buying new in 2026-27 can combine:

• First Home Owner Grant ($20,000 for transactions commencing 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027)
• First Home Guarantee (5% deposit, no LMI), or a shared equity program (MyHome or Help to Buy)

Worked Example: A $550,000 New Home Outside Hobart

A first home buyer signs a contract in July 2026 to buy a newly built $550,000 home in Ulverstone, on the North West coast.

• Transfer duty. $550,000 falls in the $375,001 to $725,000 bracket. The amount over $375,000 is $175,000. At $4.25 for each $100 (1,750 lots of $100) that is $7,437.50. Duty is $12,935 plus $7,437.50, or $20,372.50.
• First Home Owner Grant. $20,000, which covers all but $372.50 of the duty bill.
• First Home Guarantee. The price is within the $550,000 cap for areas outside Hobart. A 5% deposit is $27,500, with no LMI.
• Help to Buy (alternative). Also within the $550,000 cap. A 2% deposit is $11,000, and the Commonwealth could hold up to 40%, or $220,000, subject to the income limits.
• MyHome (alternative). 40% of $550,000 is $220,000, under the $300,000 maximum.

A first home buyer paying $600,000 for an established home in Hobart gets no grant and pays $22,497.50 in duty. The same purchase outside Hobart would be above the $550,000 cap for both the First Home Guarantee and Help to Buy, but within MyHome's $750,000 cap for existing homes.

How to Apply and What You'll Need

Transfer duty is lodged by the buyer's conveyancer through the SRO's Tasmanian Revenue Online system at settlement. The First Home Owner Grant application can be lodged via the buyer's lender (if an approved agent) or directly with the SRO.

Applicants should expect to provide:

• Proof of identity (driver's licence, passport)
• Proof of Australian citizenship or permanent residency
• Contract of sale or building contract
• Evidence of consideration paid (deposit receipts)
• Statutory declaration confirming first home buyer status
• For new-build grants, a certificate of occupancy

The SRO Tasmania publishes a First Home Owner Grant Guideline document that walks through the application requirements. The grant team can be contacted at fhogs@treasury.tas.gov.au for specific questions.

For MyHome, applications run through Bank of us or its accredited brokers, which handle the equity-contribution paperwork with Homes Tasmania.

First Home Guarantee and Help to Buy applications run separately through participating lenders.

Common Disqualifications to Watch For

Prior property ownership is the most common disqualifier. The Tasmanian rule extends to property owned and occupied for more than 6 months after 1 July 2000, and to any property owned before that date regardless of occupancy. The rule extends to a spouse or de facto partner even if the partner is not on the new contract.

The owner-occupier rule requires 6 continuous months of occupancy commencing within 12 months of completion. Defence postings, FIFO arrangements and similar patterns can complicate the test. The SRO does have discretion in genuine cases but the burden is on the applicant.

For new-build grant claims, the home must be genuinely new. A home that has previously been occupied or sold as a place of residence does not qualify.

Timing matters. The commencement date decides which grant amount applies: $30,000 up to 30 June 2026, $20,000 from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. The home must also be completed within 24 months of commencement for the $20,000 grant.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the First Home Owner Grant in Tasmania in 2026-27? $20,000 for eligible new homes where the transaction commences between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027. Transactions that commenced on or before 30 June 2026 fall under the earlier $30,000 grant.

Is the duty exemption for established homes still available? No. The full exemption for established homes up to $750,000 applied only to purchases settling between 18 February 2024 and 30 June 2026. The 2026-27 State Budget did not extend it, so standard transfer duty applies to purchases settling after 30 June 2026.

Do first home buyers get any duty relief on a new home? No. Tasmania has no duty exemption for new homes. The $20,000 grant is the main state support for new-home buyers, and on a $550,000 home it covers most of the $20,372.50 duty bill.

Does MyHome work with the First Home Owner Grant? Yes. MyHome and the First Home Owner Grant can be claimed together for eligible new-home purchases, and the grant can count toward the 2% deposit.

Can I use Help to Buy in Tasmania? Yes, since 9 June 2026. From 1 July 2026 the income limits are $103,000 for single applicants and $165,000 for joint applicants and single parents, and the price caps are $700,000 in Hobart and $550,000 elsewhere in Tasmania.

What happens if I move out within 6 months? The 6-month continuous-occupancy requirement is mandatory. Selling or leasing before 6 months triggers clawback of the grant, unless the SRO exercises discretion in genuine cases.

Related Resources

• Tasmanian Stamp Duty: 2026-27 Rates and Rules: the rate schedule and worked examples.
• How to Buy Property in Tasmania: the full Tasmanian purchase process from offer to settlement.
• A Step-by-Step Guide to Buying Your First Home in Australia: the national first home buyer process.
• State Revenue Office of Tasmania: First Home Owner Grant

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Scheme details change frequently. Confirm current thresholds with the State Revenue Office Tasmania, Homes Tasmania or your conveyancer before exchange. This article is general information only and is not personal financial product advice. Speak to a licensed adviser before making decisions that affect your financial position.

Previous editions: Tasmania First Home Owner Grant and Duty Exemptions for 2026 (2025-26 rules)