First home buyers · Northern Territory
First home buyers in the Northern Territory
The Northern Territory has no first home duty concession, but its grant for new homes is the largest of any state or territory. Whether you buy new or established changes the numbers more than anything else.
On this page
What’s different in the NT
First home buyers in the NT pay normal stamp duty: there is no general first home duty concession for contracts signed now. The help comes as a grant. The HomeGrown Territory Grant (First Home Owner Grant) is $50,000 for a new home, with no price cap, for contracts or building starts before 30 September 2027 (inclusive).
NT duty is calculated differently from the states. Up to $525,000 a formula applies; above it, duty is 4.95% of the whole value, with higher rates for much more expensive properties.
The NT also has a $30,000 FreshStart New Home Grant for buyers who are not first home buyers. The two can’t be combined.
Who qualifies
HomeGrown Territory Grant (First Home Owner Grant)
- $50,000 for first home buyers buying or building a new home (never lived in or sold as a residence). Contract or building start by 30 September 2027; apply by 30 September 2028. No price cap.
- Natural persons, at least one 18+ and one an Australian citizen or permanent resident; live in the home for at least 12 months. Can't be combined with the FreshStart grant.
- The $10,000 grant for established homes was only for contracts from 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025.
Citizens, permanent residents and visa holders
Most first home schemes need at least one buyer who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident. Here is how Northern Territory treats each group. The visa guides go into detail.
| Buyer | Duty concession | First home grant | Foreign buyer surcharge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian citizen | No current scheme | Yes | No |
| Permanent resident | House and land package exemption only | Yes, $50,000, new homes | No surcharge |
| New Zealand citizen (444) | House and land package exemption only | Yes, $50,000, new homes | No surcharge |
| Temporary visa holder | House and land package exemption, with a citizen or PR co-buyer | Only with a citizen or PR co-applicant ($50,000) | No surcharge |
Stamp duty calculator for the NT
Set to a first home buyer who will live in the home. Change the price and property type to see the concession and grant for your purchase.
Estimated stamp duty
$23,928.60
- Transfer dutyConveyance stamp duty
- $23,928.60
- Mortgage registration fee
- $181
- Transfer registration fee
- $181
- Total government costs
- $24,290.60
Notes for this purchase (2)
- No first home buyer duty concession for established property in Northern Territory.
- HomeGrown Territory Grant (First Home Owner Grant): not eligible (established homes are not eligible).
A 60-minute consultation with Sulav Adhikari, by phone or video. We check these numbers against real lender policy.
Checked against Territory Revenue Office on (2026-27 rules)
- Conveyance stamp duty: page, legislation, official calculator · checked
- NT Land Titles Office: registration fees: page · checked
- HomeGrown Territory Grant (First Home Owner Grant): page 1, page 2 · checked
Assumptions
- The price you enter is treated as the dutiable value (the higher of the price and the market value).
- Every buyer is in the same residency group and buys the whole property. Mixed purchases (for example one foreign co-buyer) are worked out differently; use the revenue office calculator.
- Concessions and grants assume you meet all their conditions, including living in the home for the required time.
- Government fees are the land titles office registration fees for one transfer and one mortgage. Conveyancing, inspections and lender fees are not included.
- Your conveyancer or solicitor confirms the duty payable before settlement.
Estimates only, not a quote or credit approval. Important information about our calculators.
More options, including investors and foreign buyers: the NT stamp duty calculator.
Worked examples at three prices
| Item | Unit (established) | House (established) | New house (new) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $450,000 | $580,000 | $600,000 |
| Duty before concession | $20,057 | $28,710 | $29,700 |
| First home concession | None | None | None |
| Duty payable | $20,057 | $28,710 | $29,700 |
| Registration fees | $362.00 | $362.00 | $362.00 |
| Government costs | $20,419.15 | $29,072.00 | $30,062.00 |
| First Home Owner Grant | Not eligible | Not eligible | $50,000 |
| Under 5% scheme cap | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 5% deposit | $22,500 | $29,000 | $30,000 |
- First home buyer, owner-occupier, at least one buyer an Australian citizen or permanent resident, buying with a loan.
- 5% Deposit Scheme cap check uses the Darwin cap; confirm your postcode with the official tool.
- Calculated from Territory Revenue Office rules checked on 26 October 2026. Excludes conveyancing, inspections, lender fees and LMI.
No home in the table gets a duty concession. The established house is above $525,000, so its duty is a flat percentage of the full price. The new house pays $29,700 in duty, but the $50,000 grant more than covers it, which makes new homes the stronger first-home option in the NT while the grant lasts.
The 5% Deposit Scheme cap is $750,000 in Darwin and $600,000 in the rest of the NT. Help to Buy has a single NT cap of $600,000.
5% Deposit Scheme and Help to Buy in the NT
The NT is the one place where Help to Buy’s cap ($600,000) is below the 5% Deposit Scheme’s Darwin cap ($750,000), and it doesn’t split Darwin from the rest of the territory. Outside Darwin both schemes cap at the same figure.
| Area | 5% Deposit Scheme | Help to Buy |
|---|---|---|
| Darwin | $750,000 | $600,000 |
| Rest of the NT | $600,000 | $600,000 |
Eligibility for both schemes, and the First Home Super Saver Scheme, is set out on our first home buyers overview.
The house-and-land package exemption
No stamp duty (no value cap, not means tested) for a new detached home bought as a house-and-land package from a building contractor who bought the lot from the developer — contracts 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2027; buyer an individual 18+, citizen or permanent resident, living there 6 months starting within 12 months. Not modelled: check eligibility with your conveyancer.
The exemption isn’t limited to first home buyers, and our calculator doesn’t apply it. If you are looking at a house-and-land package, ask your conveyancer early whether the contract structure qualifies, because it can remove duty as well as the grant applying.
How and when to apply in the NT
Step 1: Decide new or established
The grant is only for a new home, never lived in or sold as a residence. An established home gets no first home help in the NT.Step 2: Check the grant dates
The $50,000 grant needs the contract or building start before 30 September 2027, inclusive. There is a later deadline to apply.Step 3: Apply for the grant
The grant is usually lodged through your lender as an approved agent, or directly with the Territory Revenue Office.Step 4: Move in and stay
Natural persons, at least one 18+ and one an Australian citizen or permanent resident; live in the home for at least 12 months. Can't be combined with the FreshStart grant.
For the general buying process, see first home loans.
Documents to have ready
- Passport, and proof of citizenship or permanent residence
- Payslips and an employment letter, or tax returns if self-employed
- Bank statements showing savings and the deposit
- Contract of sale, or the building contract for a new build
- For a house-and-land package: both contracts and the developer and builder details
Lender requirements differ; this is a typical list, not a government rule.
Common mistakes in the NT
Expecting a duty concession
The NT's general first home duty concessions have ended. Budget for full duty on any home.Counting on an established-home grant
The $10,000 grant for established homes was only for contracts from 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025.Missing the grant deadline
Both the contract or building start date and the application date matter for the HomeGrown grant.Applying for the wrong grant
The FreshStart New Home Grant is for buyers who are not first home buyers. First home buyers apply for the HomeGrown Territory Grant (First Home Owner Grant).
First home buyer questions in the NT
Do first home buyers pay stamp duty in the NT?
Yes. There is no general first home duty concession for contracts signed now. A house-and-land package exemption exists but isn't specific to first home buyers.
How much is the NT HomeGrown Territory Grant?
$50,000 for first home buyers buying or building a new home, with no price cap, for contracts or building starts before 30 September 2027 inclusive.
Is there a grant for established homes in the NT?
Not for contracts signed now. The $10,000 grant for established homes was only for contracts from 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025.
Do foreign buyers pay extra duty in the NT?
No. The NT has no foreign purchaser surcharge on stamp duty, though FIRB approval and the established-home ban still apply to foreign persons.
I owned a home before. Is there anything for me in the NT?
Possibly. The $30,000 FreshStart New Home Grant is for buyers who are not first home buyers, buying or building a new home. It can't be combined with the HomeGrown Territory Grant (First Home Owner Grant).
Can I use the 5% Deposit Scheme in the NT?
Yes, if you are eligible. The cap is $750,000 in Darwin and $600,000 elsewhere in the NT.
Check your first home numbers with Sulav
We work out which concession and grant apply to you, what you can borrow and how much cash you need at settlement.
First home buyer guides for other states
Sources
Every rule and figure on this page comes from these official sources. Dates show when we last checked each one.
- HomeGrown Territory Grant (First Home Owner Grant)
- HomeGrown Territory Grant (First Home Owner Grant) (bought an established home)
- House and land package exemption
- House and land package exemption (stamp duty)
- Stamp Duty Act 1978 (NT)
- Conveyance stamp duty
- NT Land Titles Office fees
- 5% Deposit Scheme property price caps
- Australian government 5 percent deposit scheme
- 69409
- 69410
- Uncapped 5 cent deposits available first home buyers today
- Help to Buy scheme
- Help buy property price caps
- Htb thresholds
- First Home Super Saver Scheme
- First Home Owner Grant Act 2000 (NT)