Stamp Duty calculator (UK)

If you did want to check the rates, or our maths – we’ve run through everything below. 

Nuts About Money tip: if you’re not sure how much you can borrow for a mortgage, or your repayments, check out our mortgage calculator.

What is Stamp Duty Land Tax?

When purchasing property in the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), there are some taxes involved unfortunately…

In England and Northern Ireland, it’s called Stamp Duty Land Tax, or Stamp Duty, or even SDLT, for short.

In Scotland it’s called Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT), and in Wales it’s called Land Transaction Tax (LTT).

What you’ll pay depends on the property value (the price paid), and your personal circumstances – for instance if you’re a first-time buyer (buying your first home to live in), or a buy-to-let investor (buying a home to rent out), and even if you’re a non-UK resident (we’ll cover the rates for each below).

Scotland and Wales have their own rates for how much you’ll pay, and England and Northern Ireland share the same.

Here’s how much you’ll pay within each country:

Note: an additional property is either a buy-to-let investment property, or a second home.

England and Northern Ireland

In England and Northern Ireland you’ll pay:

Note: you’ll pay the tax rates that apply to the property price range, it’s not the rate for the whole property price. So, if it’s £300,000, you’ll only pay 5% on £50,000 if it’s your main home.

First-time buyer?

If you’re a first-time buyer in England or Northern Ireland, your tax free limit rises to £425,000, unless the property is over £625,000, in which case your limit falls back to £250,000.

Additional properties

If you’re buying an additional property, such as for a buy-to-let investment, or a second home, the higher rate only applies if the property is worth more than £40,000.

Not a UK resident?

You’ll pay an extra 2% on top of the rates above (even if you’re a first-time buyer).

Scotland

In Scotland, the tax is called Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT). Here’s what you’ll pay:

First-time buyer?

If you’re a first-time buyer in Scotland, your tax free limit rises to £175,000 from £145,000.

Additional properties

If you’re buying an additional property, such as for a buy-to-let investment, or a second home, the higher rate only applies if the property is worth more than £40,000.

Not a UK resident?

Lucky you, you won’t pay anything different.

Wales

In Wales, this is called Land Transaction Tax (LTT), and here’s what you’ll pay:

First-time buyer?

Unfortunately, there’s no first-time buyer tax relief in Wales.

Additional properties

If you’re buying an additional property, such as for a buy-to-let investment, or a second home, the higher rate only applies if the property is worth more than £40,000.

Not a UK resident?

Lucky you, you won’t pay anything different.

Do you pay the higher rate if you’re moving home?

Nope. If you’re moving home and selling your old home, you’ll pay the standard, lower rate for your main home. 

Your home is your ‘main residence’, and even if you have two homes temporarily, you’ll still pay the lower rate, but you would pay the higher rate when you buy the new property initially. You would then claim a refund of the extra tax paid when you sell your existing home (you can do this online via the GOV.UK website). 

However, you will need to sell your old home within three years, and will have 12 months to claim the tax refund after it’s sold.

When do you pay Stamp Duty?

You pay Stamp Duty when you purchase your home, and the solicitor or conveyancer (a property solicitor), will handle the payment for you. You have 14 days to pay the Stamp Duty after you complete your purchase.

When don’t you pay Stamp Duty?

You’ll only typically pay Stamp Duty when you purchase a property, and money actually changes hands.

So, you won’t pay Stamp Duty if you had a property left to you in a will, or if you divorced and got the house.

Stamp Duty for first-time buyers

A first-time buyer, which is someone who hasn’t purchased a property before (typically meaning their own home) will benefit from a higher limit before they need to pay Stamp Duty, in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland, although not in Wales.

In England and Northern Ireland, this is £425,000, up from £250,000. So no Stamp Duty to pay unless your property is above £425,000.

However, if your property is above £625,000, you lose the benefit, and you’ll pay regular Stamp Duty rates, so your tax-free limit is £250,000.

In Scotland, this is £175,000, up from £125,000.

In Wales, there’s no benefit for first-time buyers.

Stamp Duty for non-residents

If you’re not a UK resident, unfortunately, you’ll need to pay a fair bit extra if you’re buying in England and Northern Ireland – you’ll pay an extra 2% on the rates above. Ouch!

In Wales and Scotland, there’s nothing extra to pay.

As a general rule, you’ll need to spend at least 183 days in the UK to be a resident, although it all depends on your personal circumstances.