Pensioner Duty Concession Scheme
On this page
The Pensioner Duty Concession Scheme (PDC) helps eligible pensioners who own a residential home, move to more suitable accommodation. The scheme works by reducing the conveyance duty (stamp duty) payable on the purchase of a property, including:
- new or established residential homes
- homes purchased off the plan
- residential vacant land.
From 1 July 2020, eligible pensioners buying a property as a principal place of residence can also choose to defer payment of conveyance duty. You can do this under this concession scheme, if you have any duty owing after the maximum concession is applied, or under the Pensioner Duty Deferral Scheme.
Eligibility
To be eligible to claim this conveyance duty (stamp duty) concession, you must meet the following:
- You, or at least one other buyer of the property, must be a pensioner.
- You and all other buyers must be a homeowner of a property.
- Your new property is in the same names as the former property.
- You must live in the home continuously for a minimum of one year. You need to start to reside in the home within one year of your settlement date (or issue of the certificate of occupancy for vacant land).
- You must acquire a legal and equitable interest in the property.
- You must not have claimed the Over 60’s Home Bonus or PDC previously.
If you would like to claim the PDC, here’s how you need to meet all the requirements.
1. You, or at least one other buyer of the property, must be a pensioner
You are an eligible pensioner if at the time of the transaction date:
- you get an Australian age pension from Services Australia or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA), or
- you get a disability support pension from Services Australia and are at least 50 years old, or
- you have held a DVA Gold Card for at least one year* before the transaction.
*If you have held a DVA Gold card for less than one year before your property purchase transaction date, you will not be eligible unless you meet one of these other 2 options.
Transaction date
The transaction date is the date the agreement to purchase the home or land is made. This usually happens on the date when you sign and exchange contracts for your new property. Your transaction date is used to assess your eligibility for the PDC.
2. You and all other buyers must be a homeowner
You, and any other buyer, must be the owner of your former property to be eligible for the PDC.
The former property you are moving out of (or already have) must also be your principal place of residence (PPR) to be eligible for the PDC.
You must sell your former property, meeting the following requirements:
- If you sell your former property first – the sale of your former property cannot take place more than a year before the registration of the new property in your name with ACT Land Titles.
- If you buy the new property first – you have one year after registration of the new property to sell your former property.
You cannot hold a legal or equitable interest in any other land or property at the time of the transaction date of your new property, other than the former property you are moving out of (or already have).
If any buyers (or their domestic partner) hold an interest in land other than the interest in the former property they are not eligible for the PDC.
There are exemptions to these property requirements which are explained in the following information.
Property exemptions
If any buyer's or their domestic partner acquired an interest in property as an executor or trustee (but not a beneficiary) under a will, then this interest in property can be exempted from the property ownership requirements.
To find out more about the evidence you will need to claim, go to Pensioner duty concession.
This is where a relationship has ended and one of the buyers relinquishes (gives up) their interest in property under a court order or binding agreement.
If you or your domestic partner are required to transfer or sell (relinquish) your interest in property by any of the following orders or agreements, then this property may be exempt from the property ownership requirement:
- an order of the court
- a written financial agreement under the Family Law Act 1975 (Cwlth)
- a domestic relationship agreement under the Domestic Relationships Act 1994.
For an order or agreement, it must instruct you to transfer or sell (relinquish) your interest in any prior property that you may own. It is also important the following requirements are met for this exemption to apply:
- for an order of a court:
- it must be sealed (signed and stamped) before the transaction date of your new property purchase
- it must be sealed before you transfer or sell (relinquish) any prior interests in property and sign and exchange contracts for the sale of your former home
- for an agreement, it must be signed by both parties before:
- the transaction date of your new property purchase
- you transfer or sell (relinquish) any prior interests in property and exchange contracts for the sale of your former home.
To meet these exemption requirements, you need to follow the correct timeline of events.
To find out more about the evidence you will need to claim, go to Pensioner duty concession.
An exemption for a former spouse's property interests exists for a transaction that has a transaction date from 1 July 2025. If any buyers have separated from, but are still legally married to, their former spouse, the spouse’s property interests may be exempted from the PDC requirements if:
- There has been a dissolution, annulment or irretrievable breakdown of the domestic relationship.
- The buyer is not living (cohabiting) with their former spouse and there is no likelihood of cohabitation being resumed.
Additionally, if the buyers prior property interests are exempt, they can claim the PDC for the new property when it is not in the same names as the former property.
To find out more about the evidence you will need to claim, go to Pensioner duty concession with separation from a domestic partner (spouse) exemption.
3. Your new property is registered in the same name as the former property
To be eligible for the PDC, the new property you’re buying must be in the same name, or names, as the former property you’re selling.
There are exemptions to this requirement if:
- there is an order of the court or binding agreement
- the Commissioner is satisfied that it is fair and reasonable in the circumstances.
An example of a situation which may be considered 'fair and reasonable in the circumstances' is where a person is selling their former property that has a deceased person on its title. The new property is purchased in the name of the surviving partner.
4. You must live in the home continuously for a minimum of one year
The PDC residence requirement states that once you buy your new property, at least one buyer must live in it continuously for a minimum of one year.
This means you must start living in your new property as your principal place of residence within one year of either:
- the settlement date (for a new or established home), or
- the date that a certificate of occupancy and use (COU) has been issued (for vacant land).
Principal place of residence
Principal place of residence (PPR) is where a person mainly lives. A person can occupy more than one place of residence at a time, however, only one residence may be a person’s PPR. Find out more about principal place of residence (272 KB)
When claiming the PDC, you are agreeing to meet this residence requirement in advance. If you do not meet the residence requirement, you will be liable to pay full conveyance duty (stamp duty) in relation to the transaction. Penalty tax or interest may also apply if the requirements are not met. Read more about your obligations and responsibilities.
Residence exemption
If you are experiencing an unforeseen circumstance and cannot meet the residence requirement, find out more in the following.
The Commissioner for ACT Revenue can reduce the residence period, in full or in part, or extend the time before you must start living in the property, but only if:
- There has been an unforeseen circumstance such as a health-related issue.
- You make a request no later than 18 months after:
- the settlement date (for an eligible home), or
- the date you receive the COU once construction of the new home is finished (for vacant land).
If you have any concerns about meeting your residency requirements, you should contact us as early as possible.
5. You must acquire a legal and equitable interest in the property
You, and any other buyer, must acquire a legal and equitable interest in the property you have purchased.
A common example of this is getting the legal title of the property registered with ACT Land Titles and the property is not held on trust.
6. You must not have claimed the Over 60's Home Bonus or PDC previously
You are not eligible if you’ve claimed either of these schemes before:
- Over 60s Home Bonus, or
- PDC.
Both schemes can only be claimed once. Also, if you have already claimed one of them, then you cannot claim the other.
Check if you may be eligible for the Pensioner Duty Concession Scheme
Use this eligibility checker to find out if you may be eligible to claim the pensioner duty concession.
Find out how much duty concession you can get
To find out how much concession on conveyance duty (stamp duty) you would get, choose from one of the following periods of time. Use the transaction date of when you purchased your property to find which yearly period applies.
You can also use our tool to calculate your conveyance duty (stamp duty).
Concession amount for transaction dates from 1 July 2025
From 1 July 2025, the maximum amount of conveyance duty (stamp duty) concession you can receive when claiming a concession is $35,238. The limit for property value is set at $1,020,000 or less. If you pay higher than this amount for your property, duty starts to apply.
| Property value | Duty to pay after concession |
|---|---|
| $1,020,000 or less | $0 |
| Between $1,020,000 and $1,455,000 | $6.40 for every $100, or part of $100, by which the dutiable value exceeds $1,020,000 |
| $1,455,000 or more | a flat rate of $4.54 per $100 applied to the total dutiable value, less an amount of $35,238 |
Concession amounts before 1 July 2025
Concession amount for transaction dates from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025
For transaction dates from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025, the maximum amount of conveyance duty (stamp duty) concession you can receive when claiming a concession is $34,270.
| Property value | Duty payable |
|---|---|
| $1,000,000 or less | $0 |
| Between $1,000,000 and $1,455,000 | $6.40 for every $100, or part of $100, by which the dutiable value exceeds $1,000,000 |
| $1,455,000 or more | a flat rate of $4.54 per $100 applied to the total dutiable value, less an amount of $34,270 |
Concession amount for transaction dates from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024
For transaction dates from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024, refer to the following tables.
| Property value | Duty payable |
|---|---|
| $550,000 or less | $0 |
| Between $550,000 and $765,000 | $9.55 for every $100, or part of $100, by which the dutiable value exceeds $550,000 |
| $765,000 or more | No concession |
| Land value | Duty payable |
|---|---|
| $423,000 or less | $0 |
| Between $423,000 and $500,000 | $11.60 for every $100, or part of $100, by which the dutiable value exceeds $423,000 |
| $500,000 or more | No concession |
Concession amount for transaction dates from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023
For transaction dates from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023, refer to the following tables.
| Property value | Duty payable |
|---|---|
| $550,000 or less | $0 |
| Between $550,000 and $765,000 | $9.70 for every $100, or part of $100, by which the dutiable value exceeds $550,000 |
| $765,000 or more | No concession |
| Land value | Duty payable |
|---|---|
| $373,000 or less | $0 |
| Between $373,000 and $450,000 | $9.75 for every $100, or part of $100, by which the dutiable value exceeds $373,000 |
| $450,000 or more | No concession |
Concession amount for transaction dates from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022
For transaction dates from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022, refer to the following tables.
| Property value | Duty payable |
|---|---|
| $490,000 or less | $0 |
| Between $490,000 and $642,000 | $10.85 for every $100, or part of $100, by which the dutiable value exceeds $490,000 |
| $642,000 or more | No concession |
| Land value | Duty payable |
|---|---|
| $360,000 or less | $0 |
| Between $360,000 and $432,000 | $11.15 for every $100, or part of $100, by which the dutiable value exceeds $360,000 |
| $432,000 or more | No concession |
Concession amount for transaction dates from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021
For transaction dates from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021, refer to the following tables.
| Property value | Duty payable |
|---|---|
| $440,000 or less | $0 |
| Between $440,000 and $570,000 | $11.05 for every $100, or part of $100, by which the dutiable value exceeds $440,000 |
| $570,000 or more | No concession |
| Land value | Duty payable |
|---|---|
| $278,650 or less | $0 |
| Between $278,650 and $390,000 | $6.85 for every $100, or part of $100, by which the dutiable value exceeds $278,650 |
| $390,000 or more | No concession |
Concession amount for transaction dates from 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020
For Transaction dates from 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020, refer to the following tables.
| Property value | Duty payable |
|---|---|
| $420,000 or less | $0 |
| Between $420,000 and $530,000 | $11.55 for every $100, or part of $100, by which the dutiable value exceeds $420,000 |
| $530,000 or more | No concession |
| Land value | Duty payable |
|---|---|
| $277,200 or less | $0 |
| Between $277,200 and $385,000 | $6.95 for every $100, or part of $100, by which the dutiable value exceeds $277,200 |
| $385,000 or more | No concession |
Concession amount for transaction dates from 6 June 2018 to 30 June 2019
For Transaction dates from 6 June 2018 to 30 June 2019, refer to the following tables.
| Property value | Duty payable |
|---|---|
| $680,500 or less | $0 |
| Between $680,500 and $895,000 | $15.05 for every $100, or part of $100, by which the dutiable value exceeds $680,500 |
| $895,000 or more | No concession |
| Land value | Duty payable |
|---|---|
| $361,700 or less | $0 |
| Between $361,700 and $434,500 | $13.35 for every $100, or part of $100, by which the dutiable value exceeds $361,700 |
| $434,500 or more | No concession |
Concession amount for transaction dates from 18 September 2017 to 5 June 2018
For Transaction dates from 18 September 2017 to 5 June 2018, refer to the following tables.
| Property value | Duty payable |
|---|---|
| $680,500 or less | $0 |
| Between $680,500 and $895,000 | $15.75 for every $100, or part of $100, by which the dutiable value exceeds $680,500 |
| $895,000 or more | No concession |
| Land value | Duty payable |
|---|---|
| $361,700 or less | $0 |
| Between $361,700 and $434,500 | $14.15 for every $100, or part of $100, by which the dutiable value exceeds $361,700 |
| $434,500 or more | No concession |
Concession amount for transaction dates from 7 June 2017 to 17 September 2017
For Transaction dates from 7 June 2017 to 17 September 2017, refer to the following tables.
| Property value | Duty payable |
|---|---|
| $680,500 or less | $20.00 minimum duty |
| Between $680,500 and $895,000 | $15.75 for every $100, or part of $100, by which the dutiable value exceeds $680,500 ($20.00 minimum duty) |
| $895,000 or more | No concession |
| Land value | Duty payable |
|---|---|
| $361,700 or less | $20.00 minimum duty |
| Between $361,700 and $434,500 | $14.15 for every $100, or part of $100, by which the dutiable value exceeds $361,700 ($20.00 minimum duty) |
| $434,500 or more | No concession |
How to claim
Before claiming the PDC, check you meet all the requirements explained on this page. It is your responsibility to provide an accurate self-assessment of your situation.
If you are eligible for a partial conveyance duty concession, you have the option to defer any remaining duty payable after the maximum concession has been applied.
To make a claim for the PDC you need to complete the online Buyer Verification Declaration form. You need to do this before you register the title transfer of your new property or land with ACT Land Titles.
To complete the Buyer Verification Declaration form, you need to provide a concession code. Which code you provide on the form depends on:
- your property purchase transaction date
- your circumstances.
Use the situation that applies to you:
- Pensioner duty concession
- Pensioner duty concession with separation from a domestic partner (spouse) exemption
Pensioner duty concession
Apply your property transaction date to find your code.
| Transaction dates | PDC codes |
|---|---|
| From 1 July 2024 |
|
| Between 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2024 |
|
Deferring duty
If you want to defer your remaining duty payable, do this before you register the title transfer with ACT Land Titles. Learn more about deferring duty.
Select a deferral code from the following table.
| Transaction dates | PDC deferral codes |
|---|---|
| From 1 July 2024 |
|
| Between 7 June 2017 to 30 June 2024 |
|
Evidence
Read more about the evidence you need to provide.
You do not need to provide any other documents when you submit the Buyer Verification Declaration form. However, we do require that you have your evidence available for review, if we request this, and you keep it for at least 5 years from the transaction date.
Evidence required:
- contract for sale
- transfer instrument
- you hold one of the following at the time of the transaction:
- Services Australia age pension or a Department of Veterans’ Affairs age pension equivalent
- Services Australia disability support pension and be 50 years of age or over
- Veteran Gold Card.
This evidence must be available for the ACT Revenue Office to review, if requested.
Related party transactions – evidence of value
A full property valuation report by a certified valuer may be requested by the ACT Revenue Office for conveyance duty purposes. If requested, it must have a valuation date within 3 months of the property transaction date.
Pensioner duty concession with separation from a domestic partner (spouse) exemption
This information applies to property transaction dates from 1 July 2025.
The following code should only be used when you meet these 2 requirements:
- You have a spouse you have separated from but are still legally married to.
- You are seeking to have your spouse's sole property interests exempted from the PDC.
If you are eligible for the PDC under the separation from a domestic partner (spouse) exemption, use the code DPS25.
To check your eligibility, go to Property exemptions.
Deferring duty
If you want to defer your remaining duty payable, use the code DP25D. This should be done before you register the title transfer with ACT Land Titles. Learn more about deferring duty.
Evidence
Read more about the evidence you need to provide.
You do not need to provide any other documents when you submit the Buyer Verification Declaration form. However, we do require that you have your evidence available for review, if we request this, and you keep it for at least 5 years.
For transactions from 1 July 2025, the following evidence is required:
- contract for sale
- transfer instrument
- hold one of the following at the time of the transaction:
- Services Australia age pension or a Department of Veterans’ Affairs age pension equivalent
- Services Australia disability support pension and be 50 years of age or over
- Veteran Gold Card
- evidence of name change (if applicable)
- a statutory declaration with the following information:
- name of your former spouse/domestic partner
- date of birth of your former spouse/domestic partner
- date you were married or commenced your de facto relationship
- date you separated
- your former spouse/domestic partner's current address (if known)
- a statement to the effect that you do not live together and there is no likelihood of cohabitation resuming.
In addition, you may provide any of the following as supporting evidence (if relevant):
- applications for divorce
- orders of a court
- financial agreements made under the Family Law Act 1975 (Cwlth)
- binding financial agreements
- separation agreements
- mediation agreements
- family dispute resolution agreements.
This evidence must be available for the ACT Revenue Office to review, if requested.
Related party transactions – evidence of value
A full property valuation report by a certified valuer may be requested by the ACT Revenue Office for conveyance duty purposes. If requested, it must have a valuation date within 3 months of the property transaction date.
Claim for the pensioner duty concession
Once you have checked you meet all the PDC requirements, you can make a claim.
Next steps
Your PDC claim does not go through an assessment process. We will issue you with a notice of assessment for duty, based on your self-assessed claim. This will have the conveyance duty concession applied.
You do not have to take any further action unless your circumstances change, then you need to notify us.
After you’ve received your assessment, we may contact you to verify your eligibility for the concession. For example, we may require you to give us copies of any documents that support your eligibility (as explained under the evidence sections). We may also ask you to prove you have met your residence requirements at the home. Due to this, you need to keep copies of your supporting documents for at least 5 years after the transaction date of buying your property or land.
Late applications
If you do not claim for the PDC using the Buyer Verification Declaration form before you register your transfer, you can submit a late application. This must be done within 12 months of the date you lodged your transfer of the eligible property with ACT Land Titles.
When we receive your application, we may contact you to verify your eligibility for the concession. We will then advise you of the outcome of your application.
Note: You cannot make a late application to defer your duty.
Your obligations and responsibilities
All concession and exemption applications through the ACT Revenue Office are self-assessed. You are obligated to make sure you can meet (or will meet) all the requirements before claiming for the PDC. This may include seeking independent financial or legal advice.
The notice of assessment you receive will be based on the information you provide. The ACT Revenue Office will not confirm whether that information is correct at that time.
The ACT Revenue Office conducts compliance checks on eligibility for claimed concessions. If it is determined that you have not met all the requirements, a reassessment may be issued. Penalty tax and/or interest may apply. The default rate for penalty tax is 25 per cent, though the imposed rate can vary depending on your conduct.
It is important that you remember to meet all the requirements, this is both before and after you receive your notice of assessment. This includes meeting the residence requirement (eligibility requirement 4) to live in your new home continuously for one year. If you have purchased vacant land, you must reside on it within one year from the date you receive your certificate of occupancy.
If you have any concerns about meeting your requirements, you should contact us as early as possible.
You need to keep copies of your supporting documents for at least 5 years after the transaction date of buying your property. Due to the nature of the requirements, compliance checks may occur over 2 years or more after the assessment.
Contact us
Duties Operations Team:
- Phone: (02) 6207 0028, option 3
- Email: duties@act.gov.au