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DRAFT / NEEDS REVIEW. From 1 August 2026, the Queensland home concession on transfer duty carries a tighter residency and citizenship requirement. Buyers who do not meet the new criteria may no longer be eligible for the concession on transactions from that date.
What changed
Queensland’s home concession reduces the transfer duty payable when someone buys a home they intend to live in, with the concessional rate applying to the first $350,000 of the property’s value and a maximum saving of $7,175. According to the Queensland Revenue Office, for transactions entered into on or after 1 August 2026, an eligible buyer must be an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident, or a specified category of foreign retiree, in order to claim the concession.
The existing occupancy conditions continue to apply alongside the citizenship and residency requirement. A buyer claiming the concession must move into the home within one year of settlement and occupy it on a daily basis as their principal place of residence. The Queensland Revenue Office also maintains restrictions on selling, leasing out, or demolishing the property before the buyer has established that required residence.
Why it matters
This is a change to who qualifies for the concession, not to the size of the concession itself. A buyer who would previously have qualified based on the existing occupancy rules alone may now be excluded from the concession from 1 August 2026 onward if they do not meet the citizenship, permanent residency, or specified foreign retiree criteria. Since the concession is worth up to $7,175, getting eligibility wrong has a direct financial consequence at settlement, and the Queensland Revenue Office can pursue reassessment if a claim turns out to be ineligible.
What to verify before you act
This article summarises publicly available information from the Queensland Revenue Office as at the time of writing. It is not a substitute for checking your own eligibility directly. Before signing a contract or claiming this concession, confirm your citizenship, residency, or foreign retiree status against the Queensland Revenue Office’s current criteria, and confirm the occupancy requirements you must meet after settlement. If your situation is not straightforward, for example if you hold a visa that is not covered by the standard categories, seek advice from the Queensland Revenue Office directly or from a qualified conveyancer or solicitor before relying on this concession in your purchase budget.
Sources
- Queensland Revenue Office, Home Concession (transfer duty), qro.qld.gov.au
This article is general information only, current at the time of publication, and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Eligibility rules can change and can depend on individual circumstances. Always confirm current requirements directly with the Queensland Revenue Office or a qualified professional before making a decision. This article is held for internal review before publication because it concerns tax eligibility rules.
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