Stamp Duty Calculator

How Stamp Duty Works in the UK

Stamp duty is a tax paid when you buy a residential property above a certain price threshold. The name and rates differ depending on where in the UK you are buying:

• England & Northern Ireland: Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT)
• Scotland: Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT)
• Wales: Land Transaction Tax (LTT)

All three taxes work on a “slab” or “slice” basis: you only pay the higher rate on the portion of the price that falls within each band, not on the full purchase price. This is similar to how income tax works.

SDLT Rates (England & Northern Ireland)

Standard rates

For standard residential purchases, the current SDLT bands are:

• Up to £250,000: 0%
• £250,001 -- £925,000: 5%
• £925,001 -- £1,500,000: 10%
• Over £1,500,000: 12%

First-time buyer relief

First-time buyers pay no SDLT on the first £425,000 and 5% on the portion between £425,001 and £625,000. If the property costs more than £625,000, first-time buyer relief is not available and the standard rates apply.

Additional property surcharge

Buyers purchasing a second home or buy-to-let property pay a 5% surcharge on top of the standard rates, starting from the first pound. This means you pay 5% on the first £250,000, 10% on the next portion, and so on.

Non-UK resident surcharge

Non-UK residents pay an additional 2% surcharge on top of all other rates. This applies alongside the additional property surcharge if both conditions are met.

LBTT Rates (Scotland)

Scotland’s Land and Buildings Transaction Tax has its own rate bands:

• Up to £145,000: 0%
• £145,001 -- £250,000: 2%
• £250,001 -- £325,000: 5%
• £325,001 -- £750,000: 10%
• Over £750,000: 12%

First-time buyers in Scotland pay no LBTT on the first £175,000. Scotland’s Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS) is 6% for additional property purchases.

LTT Rates (Wales)

Wales’s Land Transaction Tax rates are:

• Up to £225,000: 0%
• £225,001 -- £400,000: 6%
• £400,001 -- £750,000: 7.5%
• £750,001 -- £1,500,000: 10%
• Over £1,500,000: 12%

There is no first-time buyer relief for LTT in Wales. The higher rate for additional properties in Wales is 4% on top of the standard rates.