Stamp Duty Calculator UK 2025/26
Stamp duty is often one of the biggest costs in a property purchase — and one of the most misunderstood. The rules differ between England, Scotland, and Wales, and the reliefs for first-time buyers and surcharges for additional properties mean the same purchase price can result in very different tax bills depending on your situation.
Stamp duty (SDLT in England and Northern Ireland, LBTT in Scotland, LTT in Wales) is calculated on a tiered basis, exactly like income tax. You do not pay the headline rate on the whole purchase price — you pay each rate only on the slice of the price that falls within that band.
In England in 2026/27, a home mover buying at £400,000 pays: 0% on the first £125,000 (£0), 2% on the next £125,000 from £125k to £250k (£2,500), and 5% on the remaining £150,000 from £250k to £400k (£7,500). Total: £10,000. The effective rate is 2.5% — not the 5% that the top band might imply. The band breakdown shown in the calculator results makes this visible.
First-time buyers in England receive significant relief. From April 2025, first-time buyers pay no SDLT on the first £300,000 of the purchase price, and 5% on the portion between £300,001 and £500,000. Above £500,000, no first-time buyer relief applies and standard mover rates are used in full.
This relief is substantial. A first-time buyer purchasing at £350,000 pays £2,500 in SDLT (5% on the £50,000 above £300k). The same purchase as a home mover would cost £7,500. The saving is £5,000. Both parties must be genuine first-time buyers — if one partner has previously owned a property anywhere in the world, the relief does not apply to the joint purchase.
Since October 2024, buyers of additional residential properties in England pay a 5% surcharge on top of the standard SDLT rates. This applies to second homes, buy-to-let properties, and any purchase where the buyer already owns residential property anywhere in the world. The surcharge applies from the first pound — there is no zero-rate band for additional dwellings.
The practical impact is significant. A buy-to-let purchase at £250,000 carries standard SDLT of £2,500 plus the 5% surcharge of £12,500 — a total of £15,000 compared with £2,500 for a home mover. Scotland's equivalent (ADS) is 6%, and Wales charges 4%. These surcharges have substantially changed the economics of property investment and are a key reason why many small landlords have exited the market since 2016.
For shared ownership purchases, there are two approaches to calculating SDLT. The default is to pay SDLT only on the share being purchased (the market value method) — so if you are buying a 40% share of a £300,000 property, you pay SDLT on £120,000. Alternatively, you can elect to pay SDLT on the full market value upfront, which means no further SDLT when you later staircase to 100%.
For most buyers, the market value method (paying on the share only) is lower upfront and the right choice unless you are confident you will staircase to full ownership quickly and the full SDLT now would be lower than the cumulative total through multiple staircasing transactions. The calculator models the share-only method by default.
SDLT must be paid and a return filed within 14 days of completion in England and Northern Ireland. Your solicitor or conveyancer handles this as part of the completion process and will collect the amount from you ahead of completion day. It is not possible to add stamp duty to the mortgage — it must be paid from cash at completion, which is why it is a significant part of the upfront cash needed when buying.
In Scotland, LBTT returns must be filed within 30 days. In Wales, LTT is also due within 30 days of the effective date of the transaction. Penalties apply for late filing and late payment, so it is handled as a standard part of the conveyancing process.