How do I apply for the NSW First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme?
How the NSW First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme duty concession works, who qualifies, and what to check before applying. Not the FHOG — a duty scheme.
How do I apply for the NSW First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme?
The FHBAS isn’t a standalone application you submit to Revenue NSW yourself — after you exchange contracts, you (or your conveyancer on your behalf) download and complete the First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme Application form — form ODA 066B for contracts exchanged on or after 1 July 2023, or ODA 066A for contracts exchanged on or before 30 June 2023 — together with a Purchaser/Transferee Declaration form (individual). Both forms, plus your proof-of-identity documents, are then lodged with your solicitor or conveyancer as part of the property transfer, not through a separate Revenue NSW portal.
The FHBAS is a duty concession, not a grant. It’s easy to conflate with the First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) — a separate $10,000 cash payment for new homes only — but the two are different schemes with different thresholds, and you may be eligible for both on the same purchase. This guide covers only the FHBAS.
What is the First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme?
The FHBAS reduces or removes the stamp duty (transfer duty) a first home buyer would otherwise pay in New South Wales. Unlike the FHOG, it applies to both new and existing homes — the same thresholds cover established houses, units and vacant land, which is a meaningful difference from most other states’ grant schemes.
As at July 2026, for contracts exchanged on or after 1 July 2023, the current table is:
| Property | Full exemption | Concessional rate applies | No relief |
|---|---|---|---|
| New or existing home | Value ≤ $800,000 | Above $800,000, below $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 or more |
| Vacant land | Value ≤ $350,000 | Above $350,000, below $450,000 | $450,000 or more |
Revenue NSW does not publish a phase-out formula for the concessional band — the actual amount payable comes from the FHBAS calculator on the Revenue NSW site rather than a fixed rate, so use the calculator for your own figure rather than estimating one.
Am I eligible for the FHBAS?
To qualify, verbatim from the current Revenue NSW conditions:
- You must be an individual — not a company or a trust.
- You must be at least 18 years old.
- The transfer must be for the whole property.
- You and your spouse or partner must never have owned or co-owned residential property anywhere in Australia.
- You must never have previously received a FHBAS exemption or concession.
- At least one of the first home buyers must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident (note: this is “at least one” in NSW — some other states require all buyers to hold that status, so don’t assume the same rule applies interstate).
Members of the permanent forces of the Australian Defence Force are exempt from the residence requirement below, provided all buyers are enrolled on the NSW electoral roll.
What’s the residence requirement?
For contracts exchanged on or after 1 July 2023, you need to move into the home within 12 months of settlement and live there as your principal place of residence for at least 12 continuous months. (Contracts from 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2023 carried a shorter 6-month requirement — check which window your contract falls into if it’s an older purchase.)
What do I need before applying?
Because the FHBAS is assessed as part of the property transfer, the groundwork happens well before settlement: confirming you and any co-buyer meet the ownership-history and citizenship conditions above, working out where your purchase price sits against the thresholds using the Revenue NSW calculator, and telling your conveyancer or solicitor early that you intend to claim the scheme so it can be factored into the settlement paperwork. At lodgement, Revenue NSW requires the completed FHBAS Application form (ODA 066B or ODA 066A, depending on your contract date), a Purchaser/Transferee Declaration form (individual), and proof-of-identity documents — all lodged with your solicitor or conveyancer. How long Revenue NSW typically takes to process a claim once it’s lodged isn’t detailed on the pages checked for this guide — check the Revenue NSW FHBAS page or contact Revenue NSW directly for current processing times.
What if my situation doesn’t fit neatly — do I still apply?
If you’re unsure whether you meet a condition — a previous part-share in a property, a co-buyer who isn’t a citizen or permanent resident, or a settlement date that’s slipped past the 12-month window — that’s a question for Revenue NSW or a licensed conveyancer before you exchange contracts, not something to guess at from a table. Getting it wrong after the fact can mean repaying the concession. The right next step depends on the specific circumstances of your purchase, which is exactly the kind of detail a conveyancer working on your file can check against the current rules.
As at July 2026. Duty thresholds above are confirmed current at time of writing but can change at any NSW Budget — check the Revenue NSW FHBAS page before relying on a figure.
The FHBAS is one of eight different state and territory stamp duty concessions — see how NSW compares in our guide to first home buyer stamp duty concessions by state. If you’re also checking whether a cash grant applies to your purchase, see our guide to First Home Owner Grant rules by state — a different scheme to the one covered here. For the deposit side of the equation, see our guide to how much deposit you need for a first home in Australia.
