UK Stamp Duty Calculator

How UK Stamp Duty actually works

Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is a tax you pay when buying property over a certain price in England and Northern Ireland. It's banded — meaning different portions of the price are taxed at different rates, not the whole price at one rate. This is the same way income tax works.

Standard rates (residential, main home)

If you're replacing your main residence — moving home — these are the rates that apply:

• Up to £125,000 — 0%
• £125,001 to £250,000 — 2%
• £250,001 to £925,000 — 5%
• £925,001 to £1.5m — 10%
• Above £1.5m — 12%

First-time buyer relief

If you're buying your first property to live in, and the price is £500,000 or less, you get relief:

• Up to £300,000 — 0%
• £300,001 to £500,000 — 5%
• Above £500,000 — standard rates apply with no relief

To qualify, every buyer must be a first-time buyer (never owned property anywhere in the world, including inherited shares), and the property must be your main home.

Additional property surcharge

If you're buying a second home, a buy-to-let, or any property that won't be your only/main residence, an additional 5% is added to every band. This includes the 0% band — meaning you start paying tax from £1.

If you're replacing your main home but haven't sold your old one yet, you'll pay the surcharge upfront and can reclaim it within 36 months once the old home is sold.

Common surprises

• Helping a child buy: If a parent who already owns a home is named on the mortgage or deeds, the higher surcharge usually applies to the whole purchase. There are ways around this (gifts, guarantor mortgages, etc.) — worth speaking to a broker.
• Property abroad: Owning property anywhere in the world counts towards "additional property" rules. UK Stamp Duty doesn't care where your other home is.
• Mixed-use properties: Shops with flats above can sometimes be taxed at lower non-residential rates. Specialist advice required.

Scotland and Wales

This calculator only covers England and Northern Ireland. Scotland has its own version called LBTT (Land and Buildings Transaction Tax) and Wales has LTT (Land Transaction Tax). The bands and rates are different in each.