First Home Buyer Guide Tasmania: Grants, Stamp Duty & Schemes (2026)

With the established-home duty exemption gone, the grant on a new home is Tasmania’s only first home help, so the price matters more than ever. Set your full cash-to-buy figure before you offer, so your own numbers decide what you offer.

First Home Owner Grant, Tasmania

Tasmania pays a $20,000 First Home Owner Grant for a new home, including a kit home, with no value cap, for transactions from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. It was $30,000 in 2025-26 and is scheduled to return to $10,000 from 1 July 2027.

The grant applies to new homes only: newly built homes that haven’t been occupied or sold as a residence, homes built on vacant land for the first time, and kit homes. Established homes don’t qualify, and since 1 July 2026 there’s no duty concession on them either.

Given Tasmania’s lower median prices, the grant still covers a meaningful share of a typical deposit. The amount follows the commencement date of the transaction, so check the date on your contract with the State Revenue Office.

Stamp duty for first home buyers

The first home buyer duty exemption on established homes (100% up to $750,000) applied to transfers settling from 18 February 2024 to 30 June 2026, and is not available for transfers settling after 30 June 2026 (State Revenue Office Tasmania). Before 18 February 2024 a 50% concession applied up to $600,000. There is no first home duty relief on a new home or vacant land.

So a first home buyer now pays the same duty as anyone else: $18,248 on a $500,000 home and $28,935 on $750,000. The exemption followed the settlement date, not the contract date. Rules checked on 14 October 2026.

Federal government schemes

5% Deposit Scheme (First Home Guarantee)

• 5% Deposit Scheme (the expanded First Home Guarantee): buy with a 5% deposit and no LMI. Since 1 October 2025 there’s no income test and no limit on places. The price cap is $700,000 in Greater Hobart and $550,000 in the rest of Tasmania. See our 5% Deposit Scheme guide.
• Single parents and legal guardians (Family Home Guarantee): a 2% deposit, the same price caps and no income test. You don’t have to be a first home buyer, but any other home you own must be sold within 4 weeks of settling.
• Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee: closed. No new guarantees have been issued since 1 October 2025; regional buyers use the 5% Deposit Scheme at their area’s price cap.

Help to Buy

Help to Buy (shared equity): the government contributes up to 40% of a new home or 30% of an existing one, with a 2% minimum deposit and no LMI. For 2026–27 the income limits are $103,000 (single) and $165,000 (joint or single parent). The price cap is $700,000 in Hobart and $550,000 elsewhere in the state. It can’t be combined with the 5% Deposit Scheme. See Help to Buy guide.

First Home Super Saver scheme (FHSS)

First Home Super Saver scheme (FHSS): save part of your deposit in super with voluntary contributions, up to $15,000 a year and $50,000 in total per person, then withdraw 85% of before-tax contributions and all after-tax ones, plus deemed earnings (7.51% a year for October–December 2026). Salary sacrifice is taxed at 15% going in, and the release at your marginal rate less a 30% offset. There’s no price cap, and it combines with the other schemes. See the FHSS guide or run your numbers in the FHSS calculator.

Tasmania, one of Australia’s most affordable states

Despite COVID-era growth, Tasmania remains considerably more affordable than most mainland capitals. For first home buyers priced out of Sydney or Melbourne, Tasmania offers genuine value, particularly in regional centres.

• Hobart medians are significantly lower than Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane
• Launceston, Burnie, and Devonport offer further affordability
• The $20,000 grant on a new home covers a higher share of a typical deposit than it would in Sydney or Melbourne
• Growing remote work culture has made Tasmania viable for mainland workers

Note: Tasmanian rental yields have historically been strong, attracting investor competition that can affect entry pricing in some segments.

Key property markets, Hobart, Launceston, and Burnie

Hobart

Tasmania’s capital. Inner suburbs (Battery Point, Sandy Bay, North Hobart) sit at premium prices; outer suburbs and satellite towns like Glenorchy, Clarence and Kingborough offer more accessible entry points for first home buyers.

Launceston

Tasmania’s second-largest city and the main commercial centre of the north. Lower medians than Hobart, with strong community infrastructure, good schools, and improving connectivity.

Burnie and the north-west coast

Burnie, Devonport, and surrounds are among the most affordable property markets in Australia. First home buyers can find quality homes under the $550,000 5% Deposit Scheme cap that applies outside Greater Hobart.

Eligibility requirements

To qualify for the Tasmanian FHOG:

• Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident
• Be 18 years or older
• Have never previously owned residential property in Australia used as a place of residence
• Occupy the new home as your principal place of residence for at least 6 months, starting within 12 months of settlement
• The property must be a new home (not previously occupied or sold as a residence)

The established-home duty exemption isn’t available for transfers settling after 30 June 2026. Confirm the grant rules for your transaction date at sro.tas.gov.au.

Step-by-step, buying your first home in Tasmania

1. Understand your finances. Calculate borrow + save. Factor in full stamp duty (the first home exemption ended for settlements after 30 June 2026), legal fees, pest and building inspection, and moving costs.
2. Decide: new or established. New: the $20,000 grant to 30 June 2027, plus full stamp duty. Established: full stamp duty and no grant. Run the numbers at your target price.
3. Check federal scheme eligibility. 5% Deposit Scheme (5% deposit, no LMI, no income test) via a participating lender.
4. Get pre-approval. A clear budget and a stronger offer. Important in tight stock markets.
5. Search and inspect. Building and pest inspection before contract is essential, especially on older Tassie homes.
6. Engage a conveyancer. A Tasmanian conveyancer or solicitor reviews the contract, runs searches, and manages settlement.
7. Apply for the FHOG. Through your lender or directly with the State Revenue Office. Typically paid at settlement.

Resources and contacts

• State Revenue Office Tasmania (SRO), FHOG and stamp duty: sro.tas.gov.au
• Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS), property and tenancy: cbos.tas.gov.au
• Housing Australia, First Home Guarantee and federal schemes: housingaustralia.gov.au
• ATO, First Home Super Saver Scheme: ato.gov.au