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Used Tesla stamp duty: SA, ACT and Tasmania
Last checked: 4 November 2026 against RevenueSA, Service SA, the ACT Revenue Office, Access Canberra, the Tasmanian State Revenue Office and Transport Services Tasmania. Duty rates and fees change, so confirm them with the state before you pay.
Our first stamp duty guide covers NSW, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia. This one covers the other three places where used Teslas are listed on ev4sale.au: South Australia, the ACT and Tasmania. The three work very differently. The ACT gives zero-emission cars their own rate, South Australia has no EV rate at all, and Tasmania charges $11 per $100 on the slice of the price between $35,000 and $40,000.
Duty on a $40,000 used Tesla
| South Australia | ACT | Tasmania | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rate that applies to a used Tesla | $60 plus $4 per $100 over $3,000 | $2.50 per $100 under $45,000 (zero-emission rate) | $1,050 plus $11 per $100 from $35,000 to $40,000; $4 per $100 above $40,000 |
| Duty on $40,000 | $1,540 | $1,000 | $1,600 |
| Transfer fee | $33 | $51.70 | $35.28 |
| Duty plus transfer fee | $1,573 | $1,051.70 | $1,635.28 |
Duty is charged per $100 or part of $100, and each figure above is for a price of exactly $40,000. Transfer fees are the amounts the registries currently publish.
For comparison, the same $40,000 car costs about $800 in Queensland, $1,200 in NSW, $1,680 in Victoria and $2,000 in Western Australia on our first guide. Ranked on that $40,000 example across the seven states and territories in the two guides, Queensland is lowest, then the ACT, NSW, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.
Duty at other prices
| Dutiable value | South Australia | ACT | Tasmania |
|---|---|---|---|
| $30,000 | $1,140 | $750 | $900 |
| $35,000 | $1,340 | $875 | $1,050 |
| $40,000 | $1,540 | $1,000 | $1,600 |
| $45,000 | $1,740 | $1,125 | $1,800 |
| $50,000 | $1,940 | $1,325 | $2,000 |
| $60,000 | $2,340 | $1,725 | $2,400 |
These are worked from the official rate tables below. They are a guide, not a quote: use each state’s own calculator on the car you are actually buying.
South Australia
South Australia charges stamp duty on a used car when its registration is transferred into your name. The Stamp Duties Act 1923 sets the scale for a non-commercial vehicle such as a sedan, wagon, hatchback or four-wheel drive:
- Up to $1,000: $1 per $100 (minimum $5).
- $1,000 to $2,000: $10 plus $2 per $100 over $1,000.
- $2,000 to $3,000: $30 plus $3 per $100 over $2,000.
- Over $3,000: $60 plus $4 per $100 over $3,000.
A used Model 3, Model Y, Model S or Model X sits on the top line. At $40,000 that is $60 plus $4 × 370 = $1,540.
Three things matter in practice:
- There is no EV rate. The SA scale has no electric-vehicle line, and the exemptions listed on Service SA do not include electric cars. A Tesla pays the same duty as a petrol sedan of the same value.
- Duty is on the higher of the sale price and the market value. RevenueSA says trade-ins, dealer discounts and “mates rates” do not reduce the value you declare, and that interest and penalty tax apply if you undervalue a car.
- Moving to SA is different. There is no duty if you move to SA and register your interstate car in the same name as it was registered interstate, and you can show the interstate registration certificate.
Transfer the registration within 14 days. The transfer fee is $33. If you are late there is a $108 late fee, which Service SA puts at $141 in total.
Check: RevenueSA stamp duty on vehicles, RevenueSA calculator, Stamp Duties Act 1923, Schedule 2, Service SA: check stamp duty, Service SA: transfer a registration.
Australian Capital Territory
The ACT sets duty by tailpipe emissions. A battery-electric car has zero tailpipe CO2, so the ACT Revenue Office places it in the zero-emission (AAA) category. For a used car in that category, the rate is:
- Under $45,000: $2.50 per $100 or part of $100.
- $45,000 to $80,000: $1,125 plus $4 per $100 above $45,000.
- Over $80,000: $2,525 plus $8 per $100 above $80,000.
At $40,000 that is $2.50 × 400 = $1,000. At $50,000 it is $1,125 + $4 × 50 = $1,325.
Things to know:
- The used-EV exemption has ended. From 1 July 2024 to 31 August 2025 used zero-emission cars were exempt from duty. Since 1 September 2025 they pay the AAA rates above. The ACT Revenue Office’s table for 1 February 2027 lists the same used AAA rates. Older articles that say used EVs pay no duty are out of date.
- The value includes GST and luxury car tax, and duty is on the greater of the purchase price and the market value.
- Moving to the ACT. No duty is payable if you transfer a registration from another state or territory, the registration stays in the same name, you already paid motor vehicle duty on the car there, and the old registration has not expired.
- Transfer in person. You have 14 days to transfer at an Access Canberra service centre. The transfer fee is $51.70, plus a $139.50 late fee if you are past 14 days (it may not apply with evidence of extenuating circumstances).
Check: ACT Revenue Office motor vehicle duty, Access Canberra transfer fees, Access Canberra vehicle registration and transfer.
Tasmania
A Tesla Model 3, Model Y, Model S or Model X is a passenger vehicle for the State Revenue Office, which means:
- $0 to $600: $20.
- $600 to $35,000: $3 per $100 or part of $100.
- $35,000 to $40,000: $1,050 plus $11 per $100 or part of $100 above $35,000.
- Over $40,000: $4 per $100 or part of $100 of the whole dutiable value.
At $40,000 that is $1,050 + $11 × 50 = $1,600, which is the same as 4% of $40,000, so there is no jump at the $40,000 line. The step is the $35,000 to $40,000 band, where each extra $100 of price adds $11 of duty. If a car is $38,000 and you can get it for $36,000, you save $2,000 on the price and about $220 on duty.
Other points:
- The EV exemption has ended. Tasmania exempted new and second-hand electric cars registered from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2023. A used Tesla registered to you now pays the standard rate.
- Dutiable value for a used car is the greatest of the price paid (including any trade-in), the market value when you acquired it, and the market value when you apply to register it.
- Transfer within 14 days. Transport Services lists the transfer fee at $35.28. The seller must submit a notice of disposal within 7 days of the sale, which is free.
Check: State Revenue Office: rates of duty, dutiable value, Service Tasmania: transfer a vehicle registration, Transport Services: registration fees.
Buying a Tesla across a border
Duty is paid in the state or territory where the car will be registered to you, not where the seller lives. A Tesla advertised in Sydney and bought by someone in Hobart follows Tasmanian rules. The same-name interstate exemptions mentioned above are for people moving their own registered car, not for buying a car from someone else. Work out your home state’s duty before you compare asking prices, and read the private buying guide before you hand over money.
Before you pay
- Run a PPSR search on the VIN at ppsr.gov.au on the day you pay.
- Declare the real price. All three revenue offices charge duty on the market value when it is higher than the price, and penalties apply for under-declaring.
- Sign the transfer the same day and put the transfer in your diary: 14 days in all three places.
- Check the car itself with the inspection guide, and see which driver-assist package is active in the Autopilot, EAP and FSD guide.
- Move the car in the Tesla app to your own account once you own it. See transferring Tesla ownership.
Selling instead? Read how to sell a used Tesla in Australia.
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