If you’ve been searching for the ACT’s First Home Owner Grant, here’s the short version: it doesn’t exist anymore, and that’s good news. The ACT replaced a modest cash grant with something considerably more valuable. This guide explains what happened, what you get instead, and how the numbers actually compare.
What happened to the ACT First Home Owner Grant
The First Home Owner Grant was a cash payment to eligible first home buyers, worth $7,000 in the ACT before it ended. FHOG payments ceased in the ACT on 1 July 2019. To have been entitled to it, your transaction’s commencement date (the contract exchange date, not settlement) needed to be on or before 30 June 2019.
The scheme technically still exists on the ACT Revenue Office’s books with a limited function, purely to deal with historical transactions, but no new buyer today can access it. If you’re buying now, the FHOG is not part of your picture.
Why the ACT abolished it
The reasoning was straightforward. Universal cash grants that aren’t means-tested tend to push property prices up, because they increase every buyer’s purchasing power at once. The seller captures much of the benefit through a higher sale price.
Rather than continue that, the ACT Government redirected the funding into a targeted stamp duty concession, the Home Buyer Concession Scheme (HBCS), which delivers assistance at the point where the cost actually bites: the settlement bill.
What replaced it: the Home Buyer Concession Scheme
The HBCS removes or reduces conveyance duty (stamp duty) for eligible first home buyers. And as of 1 July 2026, it went considerably further: eligible ACT first home buyers now pay no stamp duty at all, with no income threshold and no property price cap.
That makes the ACT the first jurisdiction in Australia to abolish stamp duty entirely for first home buyers. For the full eligibility detail, see the ACT stamp duty guide for first home buyers.
The comparison: grant vs exemption
This is where the trade looks clearly favourable. The old FHOG was worth $7,000 as a one-off cash payment. The current stamp duty exemption scales with the property price:
- $600,000 property: roughly $16,000-$17,000 in duty, now waived
- $800,000 property: roughly $22,000-$24,000 in duty, now waived
- $1,000,000 property: roughly $30,000+ in duty, now waived
Even at the lower end of the Canberra market, the exemption is worth more than double the old grant. At typical Canberra prices, it’s worth three to four times as much. And because there’s no longer a price cap, higher-value purchases benefit most of all.
What ACT first home buyers can actually access in 2026
Putting the FHOG aside, here’s what genuinely applies:
- ACT stamp duty exemption (HBCS): zero conveyance duty for eligible first home buyers, no income or price limits
- First Home Guarantee (federal): buy with a 5% deposit and no LMI, with no income cap since October 2025 and an ACT property price cap of $1,000,000
- First Home Super Saver Scheme (federal): save for a deposit inside super with tax advantages
Used together, the first two are particularly powerful: a small deposit, no LMI, and no stamp duty. That combination didn’t exist under the old grant era.
Not sure which schemes you actually qualify for? A 15-minute call confirms your eligibility across the ACT and federal schemes, and what it means for the cash you need at settlement.
Book a 15-min call -> · 02 7245 4001
Don’t get caught out by outdated information
A practical warning. Because the FHOG ran for years and was abolished relatively quietly, plenty of older articles, forum posts, and even some finance websites still reference an “ACT First Home Owner Grant” as though it’s available. It isn’t, and hasn’t been since 2019.
Similarly, a lot of content still describes the ACT stamp duty concession as income-tested and capped by property value. That was true until 30 June 2026, and is now wrong. If a source doesn’t reflect the post-1 July 2026 position, treat its numbers with caution. When in doubt, the ACT Revenue Office is the authority, or check with a broker who works in the ACT daily.
The bottom line
There is no First Home Owner Grant in the ACT, and there hasn’t been since July 2019. What replaced it is significantly more valuable: a full stamp duty exemption that, since 1 July 2026, applies to eligible first home buyers regardless of income or property price. If you came here looking for a $7,000 grant, you’ll likely leave with something worth several times that.
To confirm what you qualify for, book a 15-minute call with Harbir, or explore our first home buyer loans.
Or call 02 7245 4001 | Email info@creditstar.com.au
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Is there a First Home Owner Grant in the ACT?
Ans. No. FHOG payments ceased in the ACT on 1 July 2019. The scheme retains only a limited function for transactions that commenced on or before 30 June 2019.
Q2. What replaced the ACT First Home Owner Grant?
Ans. The Home Buyer Concession Scheme, a stamp duty concession. From 1 July 2026 it gives eligible first home buyers zero conveyance duty with no income test and no property price cap.
Q3. How much was the ACT First Home Owner Grant worth?
Ans. It was $7,000 as a one-off cash payment before it ended in 2019. The current stamp duty exemption is typically worth $16,000 to $30,000+ depending on the property price.
Q4. Why did the ACT get rid of the grant?
Ans. Because universal cash grants tend to inflate property prices by lifting every buyer’s purchasing power. The ACT redirected the funding into a targeted stamp duty concession instead.
Q5. Am I worse off without a grant?
Ans. Almost certainly not. The stamp duty exemption is worth several times the old $7,000 grant at typical Canberra property prices, and there’s no longer any income or price cap on it.
Q6. Can I still claim the FHOG for an old purchase?
Ans. Only if your transaction commenced on or before 30 June 2019, and applications had to be made within one year of completing the transaction. For any current purchase, it doesn’t apply.
Q7. What ACT assistance is available to first home buyers in 2026?
Ans. The ACT stamp duty exemption, plus federal schemes: the First Home Guarantee (5% deposit, no LMI) and the First Home Super Saver Scheme for deposit saving.
Q8. Do other states still have a First Home Owner Grant?
Ans. Several do, in various forms. The ACT is unusual in having abolished its grant entirely in favour of a stamp duty concession, which for most ACT buyers delivers greater value.
Q9. Can I combine the stamp duty exemption with federal schemes?
Ans. Yes. The ACT stamp duty exemption stacks with the federal First Home Guarantee, meaning a small deposit, no LMI, and no stamp duty for eligible buyers.
Q10. Why do some websites still mention an ACT First Home Owner Grant?
Ans. Because the scheme ran for years and ended quietly in 2019. A lot of older content hasn’t been updated. Always check against the ACT Revenue Office or a broker working in the ACT.
This guide is general information only and doesn’t take into account your personal situation. Scheme rules and thresholds change, confirm current details with the ACT Revenue Office, Housing Australia, or a broker before relying on any specific figure. For advice specific to your circumstances, book a call with Harbir Hundal, Credit Representative 506564 of BLSSA Pty Ltd ACN 117 651 760, Australian Credit Licence 391237.