Stamp duty exemption on electric vehicle purchases

New or used light BEVs and FCEVs with a dutiable value up to and including $78,000 are exempt from stamp duty. Any NSW resident or business registering these vehicles on or after 1 September 2021 for personal or business use are exempt from stamp duty on that registration. You must have purchased the vehicle (or made a deposit payment) on or before 31 December 2023.  

Purchasers of eligible vehicles who registered between 1 September 2021 and 14 August 2022 and have not yet applied for a refund are still able to do so. Similarly, for registrations made starting from 1 January 2024, stamp duty will be payable but can be claimed back through the online portal. 

Registrations of eligible vehicles from 15 August 2022 to 31 December 2023 had the exemption applied automatically by Transport for NSW.

The stamp duty exemption applies to new and used light (weighing a gross vehicle mass (GVM) of 4.5 tonnes or less) BEVs and FCEVs with a dutiable value up to and including $78,000. BEVs and FCEVs with a dutiable value above $78,000 will continue to pay stamp duty. The vehicle must be registered on or after 1 September 2021, and purchases or deposits would need to have been made by 31 December 2023.

A BEV is a battery electric vehicle which uses only an electric motor for propulsion and runs entirely on battery power, requiring no petrol. 

A FCEV is a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle which uses only an electric motor for propulsion and is equipped with a fuel cell for converting hydrogen to electricity. 

The dutiable value of a vehicle is the total amount paid (including GST) for the vehicle, which includes delivery costs, accessories and options added to the vehicle (e.g. towbar, special wheels, paint protection etc) and any other charges or fees levied by the dealer on the purchaser.  

NSW Government charges administered by Transport for NSW, such as registration fees and vehicle weight tax, the cost of CTP insurance or the premium paid for any extended warranty insurance are not included in the dutiable value. 

The stamp duty exemption will be available for new and used light BEVs and FCEVs. This includes vehicles in the following categories:  

• passenger vehicles 

• sports utility vehicles 

• light trucks/light commercial vehicles 

• motorcycles. 

Vehicles that are not exempt from duty under this policy include:  

• hybrid electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles 

• heavy trucks and other types of heavy vehicles 

• trailers and caravans. 

Examples of BEVs and FCEVs that, subject to pricing and eligibility requirements, may qualify for this exemption can be found here. 

Stamp duty is ordinarily payable on the registration of a vehicle if the vehicle has not previously been registered, or a previously registered vehicle is being registered to a different person. This dutiable event must be on or after 1 September 2021 to be eligible for an exemption.  

When applying for a duty refund you must show proof of purchase of an eligible vehicle. Vehicles need to have been purchased, or at least had a deposit placed on them, by 31 December 2023 to be eligible (the exemption is removed for new contracts entered into from 1 January 2024). Vehicles purchased on or before 31 December 2023 and registered from 1 September 2021 are eligible for an exemption.

Stamp duty was payable when registering or transferring an eligible vehicle from 1 September 2021 to 14 August 2022. For these registrations, a stamp duty refund can be claimed through the NSW Government online application portal from 1 November 2021.

Similarly, for registrations made from 1 January 2024 stamp duty will be payable but can be claimed back through the online portal (purchases or deposits would need to have been made by 31 December 2023).

For eligible vehicles registered from 15 August 2022 to 31 December 2023, the stamp duty exemption has been automatically applied.

For eligible vehicle registrations or transfers between the following sets of dates, a stamp duty refund can be applied for from 1 November 2021 on the NSW Government online application portal:

• 1 September 2021 to 14 August 2022, and 

• 1 January 2024 onwards (purchases or deposits would need to have been made by 31 December 2023). 

From 15 August 2022 to 31 December 2023, the stamp duty exemption was automated, and you would not need to pay stamp duty and claim a refund.

Evidence required during the application process includes:

• Current and valid NSW Driver Licence (for individual or business contact person, which matches the registration details)
• Certificate of Registration (which shows a registration number, registration history, registered owner, vehicle use, Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), a duty paid amount)
• Contract to purchase the eligible vehicle indicating the sale price and deposit payment (where applicable). If the purchase was not completed by 31 December 2023, a deposit would be required prior to 1 January 2024.
• Deposit receipt (where applicable), dated on or before 31 December 2023.
• Tax invoice if it is an interstate purchase or purchase from Tesla, Polestar and Vyro.

Within 15 business days from the submission of a complete application, Revenue NSW will review the information provided and will notify applicants if they have been successful.  

If the stamp duty exemption is granted, Revenue NSW will proceed to transfer the stamp duty refund to the bank account nominated by the customer within 5 business days of notification of successful application.  

Separate applications for a rebate and a stamp duty refund for eligible vehicle purchases are required, however both applications will be available through a single online portal.

If you are applying as an individual, you will be required to provide: 

• Transport for NSW Customer Number  

• Copy of your NSW Driver Licence 

• Copy of your Certificate of Registration 

• Name 

• Date of birth 

• Mailing address 

• Email  

• Phone number. 

If you are applying as a business, you will be required to provide: 

• Transport for NSW Customer Number 

• Copy of the business contact person’s NSW Driver Licence 

• Copy of the Certificate of Registration 

• Company or business name 

• ABN, ACN or ABRN  

• Contact person name 

• Contact mailing address 

• Contact email

• Contact phone number.

The following vehicle details are required for a stamp duty exemption application: 

• Date of registration 

• Sale price and market value 

• Duty amount paid 

• Registration plate number of vehicle 

• Vehicle make 

• Vehicle model 

• VIN.