Queensland home ownership law in force: shared equity buyers keep duty concessions

What's happening

The Queensland Revenue Office has published its overview of the Home Ownership and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2026, confirming the changes are now in force. The Act received Royal Assent on 22 October 2026 and took effect from that date, after passing Parliament in October.

The headline change is that buyers who use a government shared equity scheme no longer miss out on state home buyer support. Participants in the Queensland Government's Boost to Buy scheme and the Commonwealth's Help to Buy scheme can now access the home concessions in transfer duty, the home owner grants, and the home exemption from land tax, in the same way as other eligible buyers.

The key details

The Act amends several taxing laws at once. The changes most relevant to property buyers are:

• Duties Act 2001: Boost to Buy and Help to Buy participants can access home concessions.
• First home vacant land concession: widened to cover land with certain existing structures.
• New home definition: extended to include homes previously sold under certain builders' terms arrangements, for both duty and grants.
• First Home Owner Grant: shared equity participants can now access home owner grants.
• Land Tax Act 2010: shared equity participants can access home exemptions.
• Build-to-rent: references in the reassessment provision of the foreign acquirer duty concession for eligible build-to-rent projects have been corrected.

Timeline and next steps

Because the changes commenced on 22 October 2026, they apply to eligible transactions from that date. The overview does not list new dollar thresholds or rates. Buyers and their conveyancers should check the Queensland Revenue Office guidance for each concession before settlement, as each still has its own eligibility rules.

What it means for Gold Coast property owners and developers

On the Gold Coast, where entry prices are high, shared equity can be the difference between buying and renting. Making sure those buyers keep access to duty concessions and the First Home Owner Grant removes a real barrier, and widens the pool of first home buyers able to purchase new apartments, townhouses and house and land packages.

For developers and builders, the wider new home definition and the change to the vacant land concession may help more sales qualify. This is general information only, not financial or legal advice; buyers should confirm their own eligibility.

Frequently asked questions

When did the new law start?

The Act received Royal Assent on 22 October 2026 and its changes took effect from that date.

Who benefits most?

Buyers using Boost to Buy or Help to Buy shared equity, who can now access Queensland home concessions, grants and land tax home exemptions.

Did any duty rates or thresholds change?

The Queensland Revenue Office overview does not list any new dollar amounts, rates or thresholds.

Source: Queensland Revenue Office: Home ownership and other legislation overview, published 6 November 2026. This article is an independent summary and commentary by GC Prestige based on the original report — read the source for full details.