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Stamp duty calculator

Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is a tax paid to the Government when land or property is bought or transferred in England and Northern Ireland. A tax equivalent to stamp duty applies in Scotland and Wales, with different rates and thresholds.

If you’re purchasing a property in England or Northern Ireland, use our free stamp duty calculator to easily work out how much stamp duty you may need to pay.

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Stamp Duty Calculator

Note

This calculator is intended to give an indication only and applies to England and Northern Ireland only. First-time buyers who are purchasing a buy-to-let property still pay stamp duty at the additional property rate and not the first-time buyer rate. Updated as at 06 November, 2024. 

 

What is stamp duty?

Stamp duty, or Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is a tax you may need to pay to HMRC when buying a property or a piece of land in England or Northern Ireland.

Instead of stamp duty, there is a Land and Buildings Transaction Tax in Scotland and a Land Transaction Tax in Wales.

These taxes are charged as a percentage of your property purchase price and apply whether you’re buying the property with a mortgage or outright.

The tax also applies to both freehold and leasehold properties.

How much stamp duty do I have to pay?

How much stamp duty you pay is dependent on several factors, including:

  • the purchase price of the property
  • whether you're a first-time buyer
  • whether you own a single property or multiple properties.

For example, those buying an additional property or buy-to-let property worth more than £40,000 will need to pay an additional 5% on top of the standard rate of stamp duty, while first-time buyers are exempt from paying stamp duty on properties up to £425,000 (£300,000 from 1 April 2025).

Bear in mind that stamp duty is a progressive tax which charges higher rates for more expensive properties. As a result, you may need to pay a certain rate on part of your property and a higher rate on the remaining value. See below for the different rate thresholds.

Stamp duty bands for England and Northern Ireland:

Not a first-time buyer, the property is not a second home and not a buy-to-let

Min property purchase price

Max property purchase price

Stamp duty rate (applies only to the part of the property price falling within that band)

£0

£250,000

0%

£250,001

£925,000

5%

£925,001

£1,500,000

10%

£1,500,000+

-

12%

Not a first-time buyer, but property IS a second home and/or IS a buy-to-let

Min property purchase price

Max property purchase price

Stamp duty rate (applies only to the part of the property price falling within that band)

£0

£250,000

5%

£250,001

£925,000

10%

£925,001

£1,500,000

15%

£1,500,000+

-

17%

Applies to purchases of £40,000 or over.

First-time buyer stamp duty rates for purchases up to £625,000 (and shared ownership mortgages)

Min property purchase price

Max property purchase price

Stamp duty rate (applies only to the part of the property price falling within that band)

£0

£425,000

0%

£425,001

£625,000

5%

£625,001+

-

N/A – Stamp duty is calculated as if you weren’t a first-time buyer as per the tables above

Changes to stamp duty in 2025

The current nil-rate thresholds on stamp duty for buyers in England and Northern Ireland will remain in place until 31 March 2025, after which they’re set to be lowered.

For first-time buyers, this will mean only properties priced below £300,000 are exempt from stamp duty (as opposed to £425,000), while those purchasing a property in excess of £500,000 will no longer be eligible for relief and must pay stamp duty at the normal rate.

As for other buyers, the nil-rate threshold will drop from £250,000 to £125,000.

Scotland – Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) – First Time Buyer:

Min property purchase price

Max property purchase price

LBTT rate (applies only to the part of the property price falling within that band)

£0

£175,000

0%

£175,001

£250,000

2%

£250,001

£325,000

5%

£325,001

£750,000

10%

£750,001+

-

12%

Scotland – Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) – Home Mover:

Min property purchase price

Max property purchase price

LBTT rate (applies only to the part of the property price falling within that band)

£0

£145,000

0%

£145,001

£250,000

2%

£250,001

£325,000

5%

£325,001

£750,000

10%

£750,001+

-

12%

Scotland – Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) – Additional Dwelling Supplement:

If you buy any additional properties (valued at £40,000 or above), you will need to pay an Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS) as well as the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax.

The ADS is a surcharge of 8% of your total property purchase price.

Wales – Land Transaction Tax (LTT) for residential transactions:

Note that there is no first-time buyer relief in Wales.

Min property purchase price

Max property purchase price

LTT rate (applies only to the part of the property price falling within that band)

£0

£225,000

0%

£225,001

£400,000

6%

£400,001

£750,000

7.5%

£750,001

£1,500,000

10%

£1,500,001+

-

12%

Wales – Land Transaction Tax (LTT) for second homes or buy-to-let transactions:

Min property purchase price

Max property purchase price

LTT rate (applies only to the part of the property price falling within that band)

£0

£180,000

5%

£180,001

£250,000

8.5%

£250,001

£400,000

10%

£400,001

£750,000

12.5%

£750,001

£1,500,000

15%

£1,500,001+

-

17%

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How is stamp duty calculated?

Stamp duty is calculated as a percentage of the property price.

Below are some examples of how to calculate stamp duty:

 

You purchase a residential property at £350,000 (not a first-time buyer).

You are allowed £250,000 with no stamp duty tax to pay.

You then pay stamp duty on the remaining £100,000. This is taxed at 5%.

The stamp duty to pay is £5,000.

 

You purchase a second property at £500,000.

You have to pay 5% tax on the first £250,000, which comes to £12,500.

You need to pay 10% tax on the remaining £250,000, which comes to £25,000.

The total amount of stamp duty to pay is £37,500.

 

You’re a first-time buyer purchasing a property worth £280,000.

This is below the minimum threshold that you need to start paying stamp duty.

You don’t need to pay any stamp duty.

 

When do you have to pay stamp duty?

You have to pay stamp duty whenever you buy a property worth more than the above thresholds.

You need to pay the required amount of stamp duty to HMRC within 14 days of completion.

In Scotland and Wales, you have 30 days after the purchase date to pay the relevant tax.

You can send the money directly to HMRC or, if you use a solicitor or conveyancer, they can handle the necessary paperwork and send the money on your behalf. However, it’s your responsibility to ensure it’s submitted on time.

You may face penalty charges if you fail to pay the required stamp duty within this timeframe.

Can stamp duty be refunded?

Stamp duty can be refunded in certain circumstances. For example, if you’re moving house but don’t sell your existing home before buying your new property, you’ll need to pay a higher rate of stamp duty as you’ll own more than one property.

But, if you sell your previous home within 36 months, you can apply for a refund of the additional stamp duty you paid. If it takes longer than 36 months to sell your home, you may still be able to get a refund in certain circumstances.

You will need to claim the refund within 12 months of selling your former main home or within 12 months of filing your stamp duty tax return, whichever is latest.

Can you add stamp duty to your mortgage?

A mortgage is completely separate to stamp duty, so you can’t automatically add the cost of stamp duty to your mortgage like you can with a mortgage product fee, for example.

However, it may be possible to borrow a larger sum on your mortgage to allow you to cover the cost of your stamp duty payments.

For example, you can reduce the amount you put down as a deposit and use this money to pay for stamp duty. You would then need to apply for a larger mortgage from the lender to make up this shortfall.

Bear in mind that borrowing more on your mortgage will mean you pay more in interest overall and will affect your loan-to-value (LTV).

You will also need to pass the lender’s affordability checks to make sure you can afford to repay the larger sum.

It may be worth speaking to a mortgage broker to discuss your options and help you work out if this is the right option for you.

Other mortgage calculators

If you need to work out your loan-to-value, use our LTV calculator.

To see how much you may be able to borrow with a mortgage, use our mortgage affordability calculator.

And, when you have an idea of the mortgage you need, you can see an estimate of your monthly payments by using our mortgage repayment calculator.

Stamp duty FAQs

Can you pay stamp duty in instalments?

No, you can’t pay stamp duty in instalments. You need to pay it to HMRC in full within 14 days of completing the property purchase. Note that you have to pay stamp duty outright; you can’t pay it with a credit card.

Who is exempt from paying stamp duty?

All land and property under £250,000 (£40,000 for a second home or buy-to-let property) is exempt from stamp duty.

First-time buyers won’t need to pay stamp duty on property costing less than £425,000 (£300,000 from 1 April 2025).

You won’t need to pay stamp duty if a property is being transferred due to divorce or separation or if you inherit a property in a will, for example.

Do you pay stamp duty on land?

Yes, you need to pay stamp duty when you purchase a piece of land, not just a property. However, you won’t need to pay stamp duty when purchasing caravans, mobile homes or houseboats, for example.

Is stamp duty rounded up or down?

When calculating stamp duty, this is rounded down to the nearest full pound.

How quickly do you have to pay stamp duty?

Stamp duty needs to be paid within 14 days of the effective transaction date. Often this is the completion date, but it may also be the earliest date the new owner can take possession of the property or where a substantial completion (at least 90% of the money owed is paid for the property) is made.

When might you have to pay a higher rate of stamp duty?

You need to pay a higher rate of stamp duty when purchasing a second home or additional property. The higher rate also applies when purchasing a buy-to-let property.

If you purchase a new property and then have a delay in selling your existing home, you will be classed as a second-home owner and will also need to pay the higher rate of stamp duty. But, if you sell or transfer your previous home within three years, you may be able to claim a refund of this higher rate.

What stamp duty do I pay if I’m not a UK resident?

Non-UK residents (those who aren’t in the UK for at least six months in the 12 months prior to purchasing the property) typically pay an additional 2% on top of the usual stamp duty rates. However, this surcharge may not apply in all circumstances, so it’s worth checking the Government rules and guidance for more information.

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