SA · Motor vehicles · FY 2026-27
SA car stamp duty calculator
South Australia's schedule starts with brackets so small they only matter for paddock bombs — 1% to $1,000, 2% to $2,000, 3% to $3,000 — and then splits: a passenger car pays 4% on everything above $3,000, while a commercial vehicle stops climbing at 3%. Past about $3,000, the ute is cheaper. By law.
Rates verified against the official sources — how we check.
Your tally
That's 3.80% of the price, on top of the sticker.
Duty only — rego transfer fees (typically $20–$50) are extra, and exemptions vary. Confirm with RevenueSA before relying on it.
How SA charges vehicle duty
The bottom brackets are marginal — each slice of value pays its own rate, so there are no cliffs anywhere in the SA schedule. For any real car the arithmetic collapses to roughly 4% minus $60 for passenger vehicles and 3% minus $30 for commercial ones.
The passenger/commercial split is the schedule's one big decision. "Commercial" means a vehicle constructed mainly for carrying goods — utes, vans, trucks. On a $60,000 vehicle the difference is real money: the ute saves close to $600 against the sedan, and the gap widens with every extra dollar of price.
SA has no luxury bands, no emissions categories and no cylinder counts — after the first $3,000 the rate never changes again. It ends up mid-pack nationally: dearer than QLD or the NT for everyday cars, far kinder than WA above $50,000.
SA motor vehicle duty
| Value / vehicle | Duty |
|---|---|
| Up to $1,000 | 1% (minimum $5) |
| $1,001 – $2,000 | $10 + 2% of the excess over $1,000 |
| $2,001 – $3,000 | $30 + 3% of the excess over $2,000 |
| Over $3,000 — passenger | $60 + 4% of the excess over $3,000 |
| Over $2,000 — commercial | $30 + 3% of the excess over $2,000 |
Commercial vehicles never reach the 4% band — the schedules diverge from $3,000 up.
Worked examples
- $30,000 sedan: $1,140 of duty. $60 + 4% of $27,000.
- $60,000 dual-cab ute: $1,770 of duty. The commercial schedule — 3% territory.
- $60,000 SUV: $2,340 of duty. Same price as the ute, 4% band instead.
SA duty at a glance
| Price | Passenger car | Ute, van or truck |
|---|---|---|
| $20,000 | $740 | $570 |
| $30,000 | $1,140 | $870 |
| $45,000 | $1,740 | $1,320 |
| $60,000 | $2,340 | $1,770 |
| $80,000 | $3,140 | $2,370 |
Every figure comes from the same tested engine as the calculator above — the published schedule, not a percentage approximation.
The same $40,000 car, everywhere else
| Jurisdiction | Duty at $40,000 | Typical case |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | $1,200 | passenger car |
| VIC | $1,680 | petrol passenger car |
| QLD | $1,200 | 1–4 cylinder car |
| WA | $2,000 | light vehicle |
| SA — this page | $1,540 | passenger car |
| TAS | $1,600 | passenger car |
| ACT | $1,200 | new category-B car |
| NT | $1,200 | any vehicle |
Exemptions in South Australia
Spouse/domestic-partner transfers and deceased estates are exempt; so are some primary-producer and charity vehicles. No general family-gift exemption — market value applies.
Frequently asked questions
How much is stamp duty on a car in SA?
Why does a ute pay less duty than a sedan in South Australia?
Does SA give EVs a stamp duty discount?
Is a car transferred between spouses dutiable in SA?
Keep tallying
Sources
Rates last verified 2026-08-28 for FY 2026-27. General information only — not financial or tax advice.