First Home Owner Grant Fact Sheet

Apply for the FHOG and/or FHOR of duty after a contract to purchase or build a home has been signed and dated by all parties to the contract and appropriately witnessed or, if the application is made as an owner builder, when the foundations have been laid.

Lodge the application through an Approved Agent or with RevenueWA within 12 months of completion of the eligible transaction. Most financial institutions are Approved Agents.

See the Lodgement Guide for information about applying for the grant.

Use the FHOG Application Portal to lodge your application online.

If you can’t apply online, apply using form F-FHOG 1 ‘FHOG Application and/or Pre-approval for the First Home Owner Rate of Duty’.

Please see the lodgement guide on our website for information about how to lodge an application form.

See the lodgement guide for further details about eligibility and making an application.

To be eligible for the FHOG, applications must satisfy the following criteria

• Each applicant must be a natural person (i.e. not a company or trust)
• Each applicant must be 18 years of age or over at the date of making an application
• At least one of the applicants must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident at the date of making an application
• Each applicant and/or their spouse cannot have previously received a FHOG or FHOR of duty under this scheme
• Each applicant and/or their spouse cannot have owned residential property anywhere in Australia before 1 July 2000
• Each applicant and/or their spouse cannot have previously owned residential property anywhere in Australia on or after 1 July 2000 and occupied that property as a place of residence before 1 July 2004
• Each applicant and/or their spouse cannot have previously owned residential property anywhere in Australia on or after 1 July 2000 and occupied that property as a place of residence for a continuous period of at least six months that began on or after 1 July 2004
• Each applicant must occupy the home as their principal place of residence for a continuous period of at least six months, commencing within 12 months of completion of the eligible transaction
• Each applicant must have entered into an eligible transaction on or after 1 July 2000. An eligible transaction is defined under section 14 of the First Home Owner Grant Act 2000, but is generally a contract for the purchase or construction of a home, or commencement of construction of a home as an owner builder.
• For eligible transactions commencing on or after 1 January 2010, the total value of the home must not exceed the cap amount. The cap amount is
  • $750,000 if the property is located south of the 26th parallel of south latitude or
  • $1,000,000 if located north of the 26th parallel of south latitude
• Each applicant must own the home in their own capacity and not as a trustee of a trust (except as a guardian who holds the interest on trust for a person with a legal disability).

Supporting documents

Each applicant and their spouse are required to submit proof of identity documents which include evidence that at least one applicant is an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

Each application must be accompanied by evidence of the eligible transaction. This may include a copy of the contract to purchase or build a home, or evidence of the costs incurred by an applicant to construct a home as an owner builder. In some cases the Commissioner may require a copy of a valuation of the home.

Residence requirement

Each applicant must occupy the home as their principal place of residence for a continuous period of at least six months, commencing within 12 months of completion of the eligible transaction.

If eligible, the FHOG and/or FHOR will be approved with the condition that the residence requirement is satisfied. If you are unable to satisfy the residence requirement you must notify the Commissioner in writing. If you can clearly demonstrate good reasons for being unable to satisfy the residence requirements, that are unforeseen or beyond your control, the Commissioner may consider a written application to

• reduce the time you are required to live in the home to a period of less than six months
• extend the time allowed for you to commence residing in the home to a period of longer than twelve months or
• where there are two or more joint applicants, exempt an applicant from the residence requirement.

Use form F-FHOG2 ‘Reduction or Extension Application: Residence Requirements’ or  F-FHOG3 ‘Joint Application Exemption: Residence Requirements’ to request the Commissioner make a determination and advise you whether you are required to repay the FHOG.

You must notify the Commissioner that you cannot satisfy the residence requirements within 30 days of the end of the 12 month take-up period, or the date it becomes apparent you will not be able to fulfil the requirement (whichever is the earlier). If you fail to do so, you may be required to repay the FHOG with penalties and may be ineligible for a future FHOG.

RevenueWA conducts investigations and compliance checks to ensure that the FHOG is only given to those applicants who are entitled to receive it, and to ensure that applicants satisfy the residency requirements.

If you are found to have knowingly made false or misleading statements in connection with an application for a FHOG or FHOR, you may be prosecuted and penalties of up to $20,000 may apply.

If you fail to reside in the property for six continuous months commencing within 12 months of completion of the eligible transaction, you may be required to repay the FHOG with penalties and other costs. This may also result in a duties tax liability as you may therefore not be eligible for the FHOR.

Where you are dissatisfied with the Commissioner’s decision on an application, you may lodge a formal objection against the decision.

A person who qualifies for a FHOG, or a person who would qualify for a FHOG had the transaction been an eligible transaction, or is an Indian Ocean Territory resident, may be entitled to a FHOR of duty on the transfer, or agreement to transfer (i.e. the contract for sale), in respect of the acquisition of the home or vacant land. For further information on the FHOR, please see the First Home Owner Rate of Duty fact sheet.