Home Ownership To Be Easier With The Expansion Of First Home Buyer Choice Program

Home ownership in Maroubra and the rest of NSW will be easier following the expansion of the State’s First Home Buyer Choice program. 


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Under the scheme, eligible first home buyers now have a choice between paying stamp duty or a smaller annual property tax. The First Home Buyer Choice may also help lower the upfront costs for first home buyers looking for a property up to $1.5 million. 

Premier Dominic Perrottet said this was all about giving families more choice throughout their home ownership journey so they can live in the right home at the right time of their life.

Photo credit: Mikhail Nilov/Pexels

“We know that stamp duty is a significant barrier to home ownership, particularly for young people and families trying to break into the market for the first time,” Mr Perrottet stated.

Stamp duty also known as transfer duty is a tax you have to pay when you buy a property including your home or holiday home, an investment property, a vacant land or a farming property, commercial or industries properties, or a business which includes land.

Those who signed the contract of purchase between 11 November 2022 and 15 January 2023 can now claim a refund of transfer duty before 30 June 2023 through the Revenue NSW Portal online.

Photo credit: RODNAE Productions/Pexels

To be eligible for the choice of an annual land tax or stamp duty in NSW, one must be an individual (not a company or trust) and must be above 18 years of age. If you’re planning to have a co-owner, you or at least one person you’re buying with must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

It also applies to citizens who have not owned or co-owned residential property in Australia, nor received a First Home Buyer Grant or duty concessions. Eligible parties must also move into the property within a year of purchase and live in it continuously for at least six months.


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To learn more about the First Home Buyer Choice scheme, visit NSW Government’s website.

Published 6-March-2023