Hacker News Reader

Not sure how Belgiums works, but Australias stamp duty is a lump sum you pay alongside your deposit when buying the property.

Correction: I double checked and it looks like it can be added to your mortgage, which isn't as bad up front.

View on HN

That's rough, although paying it once and being done with it is certainly preferable (long term, if you have the funds) to wrapping it into the mortgage and paying 3-4x over the life of the loan.

Functionally it is wrapped into the loan because without that, you would have had more down payment.

That is not quite correct. Stamp duty is payable at the time of settlement but it is normally added as a lump sum to the mortgage.

I've added an addendum! I must have misremembered that bit of info.

Thanks!

Reply on news.ycombinator.com