How much stamp duty does a first-time buyer pay?

First-time buyers pay no SDLT on the first £300,000 and 5% on the portion from £300,001 to £500,000. Relief is only available on purchases up to £500,000: buy above that and standard rates apply to the whole price with no relief. A first-time buyer purchasing at exactly £500,000 pays £10,000 (5% of £200,000).

What is the additional property surcharge?

Buying a second home, buy-to-let or any additional property adds a 5% surcharge on top of the standard rates, calculated on the whole purchase price. It was increased from 3% to 5% on 31 October 2024. If you sell your previous main residence within 36 months of the purchase, HMRC refunds the surcharge.

Do overseas buyers pay more stamp duty?

Yes. Non-UK residents pay an extra 2% of the purchase price on top of the standard rates (and on top of the 5% additional property surcharge if applicable). Combined, a non-resident buying an additional property pays the standard band rates plus 7% of the price in surcharges.

Does stamp duty apply in Scotland and Wales?

No. This calculator covers Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT), which applies in England and Northern Ireland. Scotland uses Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) and Wales uses Land Transaction Tax (LTT), each with different bands and thresholds set by their own governments.

When do I have to pay stamp duty?

SDLT must be paid to HMRC within 14 days of completion, and your conveyancer usually files the return and pays it on your behalf as part of the process. Late payment attracts interest and penalties, so the amount is normally collected with your completion funds rather than billed separately.

Updated 1 April 2025

Stamp Duty Calculator · England & NI 2026

Calculate SDLT instantly at the current rates: main homes from £125,000, first-time buyer relief to £500,000, and the 5% additional property surcharge.

✓ Free to use✓ First-time buyer relief✓ 5% surcharge included✓ Band breakdown

Stamp Duty Calculator

Enter the price below, and the band breakdown updates instantly

Property price

Buyer type

I'm an overseas (non-resident) buyer

Stamp duty due (SDLT)

£11,250.00

2.65% effective rate on the purchase price

£0–£125,000 @ 0%

£0.00

£125,000–£250,000 @ 2%

£2,500.00

£250,000–£425,000 @ 5%

£8,750.00

SDLT rates for England and Northern Ireland, in force from 1 April 2025. Scotland (LBTT) and Wales (LTT) have separate systems. If you are replacing your main residence, the additional property surcharge may be refundable if you sell your previous home within 36 months. Figures are estimates: confirm with HMRC or your conveyancer.

How Stamp Duty Works

Quick Answer: Stamp Duty Land Tax is charged on property purchases in England and Northern Ireland on a sliding band system, like income tax. Since 1 April 2025, main-home buyers pay nothing on the first £125,000, and the top rate is 12% above £1.5 million. First-time buyers get relief up to £500,000, and additional properties carry a 5% surcharge on the whole price.

Current SDLT bands (2026)

SDLT is charged only on the portion of the price that falls inside each band, not on the whole price at the top rate. The bands below have applied since 1 April 2025, when the temporary post-pandemic thresholds ended.

SDLT residential rates: England & Northern Ireland

Up to £125,000	0%
£125,001 – £250,000	2%
£250,001 – £925,000	5%
£925,001 – £1,500,000	10%
Above £1,500,000	12%

Source: HMRC SDLT rates, gov.uk (from 1 April 2025)

First-time buyer relief

First-time buyers pay nothing up to £300,000 and 5% between £300,001 and £500,000. The relief has a hard ceiling: purchase above £500,000 and you pay standard rates on the entire price with no relief at all. The relief also requires that no buyer in the transaction has previously owned residential property anywhere in the world.

Formula

SDLT = Σ (band slice × band rate) + 5% surcharge (additional property) + 2% surcharge (non-resident)

£500,000 first-time buyer: 0% × £300,000 + 5% × £200,000 = £10,000

Worked Example: Main home at £425,000

First £125,000 @ 0%£0

£125,001–£250,000 @ 2%£2,500

£250,001–£425,000 @ 5%£8,750

Total SDLT due£11,250

Effective rate2.65%

The 5% rate applies only to the slice of the price inside that band, never to the whole price.

Second homes and buy-to-let

The additional property surcharge adds 5% of the whole purchase price on top of the banded calculation. On a £300,000 buy-to-let, the standard SDLT of £5,000 becomes £20,000 once the £15,000 surcharge is included, an effective rate of 6.67%. If the property replaces a main residence, you have 36 months from completion to sell the old home and claim the surcharge back from HMRC.

Frequently Asked Questions

For England and Northern Ireland, the residential SDLT bands in force since 1 April 2025 are: 0% up to £125,000, 2% from £125,001 to £250,000, 5% to £925,000, 10% to £1.5 million and 12% above that. The temporary £250,000 nil-rate band ended on 31 March 2025, so the threshold for main homes is £125,000 again. These rates are unchanged for 2026.