Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is one of the largest upfront costs of buying a home in England or Northern Ireland, and one of the most misunderstood. Many buyers get a nasty surprise at completion when they realise how much they owe — and some get caught by the cliff edges in the rules that can make a £5,000 difference in purchase price cost an extra £5,000 in tax. This guide explains exactly what you will pay in 2026, with worked examples, and covers the situations where the rules catch buyers out.
This is the stamp duty due on common purchase prices in England and Northern Ireland for 2026. A home mover pays £7,500 on a £350,000 house, £15,000 on £500,000 and £22,500 on £650,000; a first-time buyer pays £2,500, £10,000 and £22,500 for the same prices; a second-home or buy-to-let buyer pays £25,000, £40,000 and £55,000. Find your price below, or use our stamp duty calculator for an exact figure.
| Property price | Home mover | First-time buyer | Second home / buy-to-let |
|---|---|---|---|
| £150,000 | £500 | £0 | £8,000 |
| £200,000 | £1,500 | £0 | £11,500 |
| £250,000 | £2,500 | £0 | £15,000 |
| £300,000 | £5,000 | £0 | £20,000 |
| £350,000 | £7,500 | £2,500 | £25,000 |
| £400,000 | £10,000 | £5,000 | £30,000 |
| £425,000 | £11,250 | £6,250 | £32,500 |
| £450,000 | £12,500 | £7,500 | £35,000 |
| £500,000 | £15,000 | £10,000 | £40,000 |
| £550,000 | £17,500 | £17,500* | £45,000 |
| £600,000 | £20,000 | £20,000* | £50,000 |
| £650,000 | £22,500 | £22,500* | £55,000 |
| £750,000 | £27,500 | £27,500* | £65,000 |
| £1,000,000 | £43,750 | £43,750* | £93,750 |
*Above £500,000 first-time buyers lose the relief and pay the standard home-mover rate. Second-home and buy-to-let figures include the 5% surcharge on the whole price. Figures assume a standard freehold residential purchase — use the calculator for your exact circumstances.
Stamp Duty is charged on the purchase price of the property and is paid within 14 days of completion. It is calculated on a slice system — different rates apply to different portions of the price, not to the whole price at a single rate. This is the same principle as income tax bands, and it is important to understand because it means your effective rate is lower than it might appear from looking at the top band alone.
Use our stamp duty calculator to get the exact figure for any purchase price instantly. The guide below explains how that figure is calculated and the situations where the rules get more complex.
The following rates apply in England and Northern Ireland for residential property purchases from 1 April 2025 onwards. The temporary reliefs introduced in 2022 expired in March 2025, returning thresholds to their pre-pandemic levels.
| Portion of purchase price | Standard rate |
|---|---|
| Up to £125,000 | 0% |
| £125,001 – £250,000 | 2% |
| £250,001 – £925,000 | 5% |
| £925,001 – £1.5 million | 10% |
| Over £1.5 million | 12% |
Example: purchasing a property at £325,000 as a non-first-time buyer:
0% on the first £125,000 = £0
2% on £125,001–£250,000 = £2,500
5% on £250,001–£325,000 = £3,750
Total SDLT: £6,250
First-time buyers (those who have never previously owned a residential property anywhere in the world, including overseas) qualify for relief that reduces their SDLT bill:
| Portion of purchase price | First-time buyer rate |
|---|---|
| Up to £300,000 | 0% |
| £300,001 – £500,000 | 5% |
| Over £500,000 | Standard rates apply — no relief |
Example: first-time buyer purchasing at £350,000:
0% on the first £300,000 = £0
5% on £300,001–£350,000 = £2,500
Total SDLT: £2,500 (versus £7,500 at standard rates)
Both buyers must be first-time buyers if purchasing jointly. If one buyer has previously owned property, the couple loses the first-time buyer relief entirely and pays standard rates.
This is the rule that catches people out most often. First-time buyer relief applies only to properties priced up to £500,000. Cross that threshold — even by £1 — and the relief disappears completely. You pay standard rates on the full purchase price, not just the portion above £500,000.
| Purchase price | SDLT as first-time buyer |
|---|---|
| £499,000 | £9,950 |
| £500,000 | £10,000 |
| £501,000 | £15,050 (standard rates kick in) |
| £510,000 | £15,500 |
The difference between paying £500,000 and £501,000 is an extra £5,050 in stamp duty — significantly more than the extra £1,000 in purchase price. If you are a first-time buyer making an offer near the £500,000 mark, this cliff edge is worth building into your negotiations. There is nothing wrong with asking a seller to adjust their price to stay below it.
From October 2024, buyers of additional residential properties — second homes, buy-to-let investments, or any purchase where the buyer already owns another residential property — pay a 5% surcharge on top of the standard rates at every band. This increased from 3% in the Autumn 2024 Budget.
| Portion of purchase price | Additional property rate |
|---|---|
| Up to £125,000 | 5% |
| £125,001 – £250,000 | 7% |
| £250,001 – £925,000 | 10% |
| £925,001 – £1.5 million | 15% |
| Over £1.5 million | 17% |
If you own a home and are buying a new one before selling the old one, you will pay the additional property surcharge at completion. You can reclaim it within 12 months of selling your previous main residence, as long as the sale completes within that window. This is worth confirming with your solicitor early in the process.
SDLT must be paid within 14 days of completion. Your conveyancing solicitor will calculate the amount, file the SDLT return with HMRC, and arrange payment — typically from the same funds as the completion monies. You do not deal with HMRC directly. The solicitor will confirm the amount due before completion so there are no surprises on the day.
SDLT cannot be added to your mortgage. It must be paid in cash at completion, which is why it needs to be factored into your savings target alongside the deposit, rather than treated as an afterthought. See our full cost of buying a house guide for how stamp duty fits into the total upfront cost picture.
SDLT applies in England and Northern Ireland only. Scotland and Wales run their own systems with different names, thresholds and rates — so the figures above don't apply if you're buying there.
Scotland — Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT), 2026:
| Portion of purchase price | Standard 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 in Scotland get relief that raises the nil-rate band to £175,000. Second homes and buy-to-lets pay an Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS) of 8% on the full purchase price. For the full Scottish picture — worked examples by price, the ADS in detail, and how it compares to SDLT — see our LBTT Scotland guide, alongside Home Reports and buying a home in Scotland.
Wales — Land Transaction Tax (LTT), 2026:
| Portion of purchase price | Standard rate |
|---|---|
| Up to £225,000 | 0% |
| £225,001 – £400,000 | 6% |
| £400,001 – £750,000 | 7.5% |
| £750,001 – £1.5 million | 10% |
| Over £1.5 million | 12% |
Wales has the highest nil-rate band of the three systems (£225,000), but — unlike England and Scotland — offers no first-time buyer relief. Additional properties pay a higher-rate surcharge (broadly 5 percentage points more at each band). Always check the current rates with Revenue Scotland or the Welsh Revenue Authority, as devolved rates change independently of the Budget.
First-time buyers pay nothing up to £300,000. Home movers pay 0% to £125,000, 2% to £250,000 and 5% above — about £4,500 on a £290,000 home. Additional properties add a 5% surcharge. Use the stamp duty calculator for your exact figure.
Not up to £300,000. First-time buyers pay 0% to £300,000 and 5% from £300,001 to £500,000 — but above £500,000 the relief is lost entirely and standard rates apply to the whole price.
First-time buyer relief only applies up to £500,000. A £500,000 purchase costs a first-time buyer £10,000; £501,000 costs £15,050 — an extra £5,050 for £1,000 more house. Worth negotiating to stay below £500,000.
A 5% surcharge on top of standard rates at every band (up from 3% in October 2024). A £250,000 additional property pays £15,000; £400,000 pays £30,000. You can reclaim the surcharge if it was on a replacement main home and you sell the old one within 12 months.
No SDLT — Scotland uses LBTT (nil-rate to £145,000, first-time-buyer relief to £175,000, 8% second-home supplement) and Wales uses LTT (nil-rate to £225,000, no first-time-buyer relief). See the tables above.
Within 14 days of completion, handled by your solicitor from the completion funds. It can't be added to your mortgage, so budget for it in cash alongside your deposit — see the full cost of buying.