For educational purposes only. Not tax, legal, or financial advice. Tax laws change frequently. Consult a registered tax agent or CPA for your specific situation.

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    TaxKiln Australia

    State tax comparison

    One-off stamp duty + annual land tax + annual employer payroll tax, side by side across all 8 states and territories.

    Lowest total

    ACT

    $33,724.00

    Highest total

    VIC

    $76,545.00

    Spread

    $42,821.00

    between ACT and VIC

    StateStamp dutyLand tax / yrPayroll tax / yrTotal
    NSW
    New South Wales
    $35,029.00$0.00$10,900.00$45,929.00
    VIC
    Victoria
    $49,070.00$3,225.00$24,250.00$76,545.00
    QLD
    Queensland
    $33,525.00$1,000.00$4,750.00$39,275.00
    WA
    Western Australia
    $37,465.50$2,670.00$22,000.00$62,135.50
    SA
    South Australia
    $43,330.00$0.00$0.00$43,330.00
    TAS
    Tasmania
    $35,685.00$3,987.02$6,000.00$45,672.02
    ACT
    Australian Capital Territory
    $28,604.00$5,120.00$0.00$33,724.00
    NT
    Northern Territory
    $38,487.50$0.00$0.00$38,487.50

    NSW — New South Wales

    Payroll-tax threshold $1,200,000.00 @ 5.45%.

    VIC — Victoria

    Payroll-tax threshold $900,000.00 @ 4.85%. Regional employers: 1.2125%.

    QLD — Queensland

    Payroll-tax threshold $1,300,000.00 @ 4.75%. 5.45% above $6.5m payroll.

    WA — Western Australia

    Payroll-tax threshold $1,000,000.00 @ 5.50%. Sliding diminishing threshold to $7.5m.

    SA — South Australia

    Payroll-tax threshold $1,500,000.00 @ 4.95%.

    TAS — Tasmania

    Payroll-tax threshold $1,250,000.00 @ 4.00%. 6.1% above $2m payroll.

    ACT — Australian Capital Territory

    Payroll-tax threshold $2,000,000.00 @ 6.85%.

    Stamp duty is being phased out (20-year reform, 2012–2032). Headline rates fall each Budget; the lost revenue is recovered via general rates and land tax.

    NT — Northern Territory

    Payroll-tax threshold $1,500,000.00 @ 5.50%. Deductible threshold tapers between $1.5m and $7.5m.

    NT has no land tax and no foreign-buyer surcharge.

    Frequently asked questions

    Why compare states like this?+
    Stamp duty, land tax and payroll tax are all state taxes — and they vary dramatically. A small business with a $1.4m payroll pays $0 payroll tax in QLD but $24k+ in VIC. A $900k investment property attracts very different annual land tax across NSW, VIC and QLD. This calculator shows the headline burden on a single page.
    What's NOT included?+
    Council rates, GST, insurance duty, motor vehicle duty, mortgage registration fees, regional payroll-tax discounts, principal-place-of-residence land tax exemption, primary-production land tax exemption, and concessions specific to off-the-plan or new builds. Treat the figures as a directional comparison, not a full quote.
    Are land tax thresholds for individuals or trusts?+
    These are the individual / general taxpayer thresholds. Land held by trusts, companies and foreign owners is often taxed at higher rates with lower thresholds (especially NSW and VIC). The principal place of residence is generally exempt across all states except ACT (which charges a broad-based land tax in lieu of stamp duty).
    Land tax figures assume an individual investor with one taxable parcel and no PPOR exemption. Trust / foreign / company surcharges not modelled. Educational only.