Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is one of the biggest upfront costs when buying property in England and Northern Ireland. Here’s how much you’ll pay.
Stamp Duty Rates 2026 (England & Northern Ireland)
Standard Rates (Residential Property)
| Property Price Band |
SDLT Rate |
| Up to £125,000 |
0% |
| £125,001–£250,000 |
2% |
| £250,001–£925,000 |
5% |
| £925,001–£1,500,000 |
10% |
| Over £1,500,000 |
12% |
SDLT is charged at each rate on the portion of the purchase price within that band (similar to income tax brackets — not on the entire price).
Example Calculations
| Purchase Price |
SDLT Calculation |
Total SDLT |
| £200,000 |
£0 + (£75,000 × 2%) |
£1,500 |
| £300,000 |
£0 + (£125,000 × 2%) + (£50,000 × 5%) |
£5,000 |
| £450,000 |
£0 + (£125,000 × 2%) + (£200,000 × 5%) |
£12,500 |
| £600,000 |
£0 + (£125,000 × 2%) + (£350,000 × 5%) |
£20,000 |
| £1,000,000 |
£0 + (£125,000 × 2%) + (£675,000 × 5%) + (£75,000 × 10%) |
£43,750 |
First-Time Buyer Relief
First-time buyers receive a Stamp Duty discount:
| Property Price |
First-Time Buyer Rate |
Standard Rate |
| Up to £300,000 |
0% |
0% on first £125K, 2% on rest |
| £300,001–£500,000 |
0% on first £300K, 5% on remainder |
Standard rates |
| Over £500,000 |
No relief — standard rates apply |
Standard rates |
First-Time Buyer Examples
| Purchase Price |
SDLT (First-Time Buyer) |
SDLT (Standard) |
Savings |
| £250,000 |
£0 |
£2,500 |
£2,500 |
| £300,000 |
£0 |
£5,000 |
£5,000 |
| £400,000 |
£5,000 |
£10,000 |
£5,000 |
| £500,000 |
£10,000 |
£15,000 |
£5,000 |
| £550,000 |
£17,500 (no relief) |
£17,500 |
£0 |
To qualify as a first-time buyer:
- You must never have owned or had an interest in a residential property
- This applies anywhere in the world, not just the UK
- Both buyers in a joint purchase must be first-time buyers
Additional Property Surcharge
Buying a second home, buy-to-let, or additional property incurs a 5% surcharge on top of standard rates:
| Property Price Band |
Standard Rate |
Additional Property Rate |
| Up to £125,000 |
0% |
5% |
| £125,001–£250,000 |
2% |
7% |
| £250,001–£925,000 |
5% |
10% |
| £925,001–£1,500,000 |
10% |
15% |
| Over £1,500,000 |
12% |
17% |
Additional Property Examples
| Purchase Price |
Standard SDLT |
Additional Property SDLT |
Extra Cost |
| £200,000 |
£1,500 |
£11,500 |
+£10,000 |
| £300,000 |
£5,000 |
£20,000 |
+£15,000 |
| £500,000 |
£15,000 |
£40,000 |
+£25,000 |
For buy-to-let calculations, see our buy-to-let mortgage calculator.
Non-UK Resident Surcharge
Non-UK residents pay an additional 2% surcharge on top of all other applicable rates:
| Buyer Type |
£300,000 Property SDLT |
| UK resident, first-time buyer |
£0 |
| UK resident, standard |
£5,000 |
| UK resident, additional property |
£20,000 |
| Non-UK resident, standard |
£11,000 |
| Non-UK resident, additional |
£26,000 |
Stamp Duty in Scotland and Wales
Scotland and Wales have their own property transaction taxes:
Scotland: Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT)
| Purchase Price Band |
LBTT Rate |
| 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: £0 on properties up to £175,000.
Wales: Land Transaction Tax (LTT)
| Purchase Price Band |
LTT Rate |
| 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% |
Wales does not offer first-time buyer relief.
When Is Stamp Duty Due?
| Event |
Deadline |
| Payment due |
Within 14 days of completion |
| Filing return |
Within 14 days of completion |
| How to pay |
Usually handled by your solicitor |
| Late filing penalty |
£100 (plus interest on unpaid tax) |
Stamp Duty vs. Other Purchase Costs
| Cost |
Typical Amount (£300K property) |
| Stamp Duty |
£5,000 (£0 if first-time buyer) |
| Solicitor/conveyancer fees |
£1,000–£2,000 |
| Survey/valuation |
£300–£1,000 |
| Mortgage arrangement fee |
£0–£2,000 |
| Removal costs |
£500–£1,500 |
| Total purchase costs |
£7,000–£12,000 |
Key Takeaways
- First-time buyers pay no SDLT on properties up to £300,000 — a saving of up to £5,000
- SDLT is progressive — you only pay the higher rate on the portion above each threshold
- Buy-to-let and second homes attract a 5% surcharge, making the tax significantly more expensive
- Budget 1-5% of the property price for Stamp Duty, depending on price and buyer status
- Scotland and Wales have their own systems with different rates and thresholds