Moving house shouldn’t cost a year’s savings in tax.
WA charges transfer duty of $4.75 per $100 on the part of a home’s value between $360,000 and $725,000, and $5.15 per $100 above that. On a $725,000 home, that’s $28,453 before the next dollar.
From 7 May 2026, first home buyers pay no duty on homes up to $600,000. That’s a welcome admission that the tax is a barrier. Everyone else still pays it: downsizers, growing families who need more room, and people moving for work.
Stamp duty keeps people in homes that no longer suit them. A better way is to let West Australians move when life changes, without a tax bill standing in the way.
What we’d do
- Progressively reduce stamp duty and other transaction taxes on buying a home.
- Set a timetable to phase transfer duty out on homes, starting with downsizers and people moving for work.
- Oppose any new property tax to replace it.