Stamp duty calculator

Find out how much stamp duty you’ll need to pay on a residential property, and learn more about how stamp duty is calculated.

Stamp duty calculator

It’s important to plan ahead and budget for additional costs like stamp duty before you purchase a new property. How much you’ll need to pay depends on your property price and whether you own other properties. Use our stamp duty calculator for guidance on how much you’ll need to pay when you buy a residential property.

Invalid input

Our stamp duty calculation is for guidance only. Tax rules can change and people's circumstances are different.

Stamp duty to pay

£0

Next steps

If you're ready to get a mortgage, the next step is to answer a few more questions. Then a Better.co.uk adviser will find the right mortgage deal for you.

Our stamp duty calculation is for guidance only. Tax rules can change and people's circumstances are different.

What is stamp duty?

Stamp duty, or stamp duty land tax (SDLT), is a tax you’ll pay when you buy a property in England or Northern Ireland. 

In Scotland, you'll pay Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT); in Wales, it's known as Land Transaction Tax (LTT).

Each is charged as a percentage of the property you’re purchasing. The amount you’ll have to pay will depend on the value of your property, whether you’re a first-time buyer or buying a second home.

How much stamp duty will I pay?

The amount you pay in stamp duty is proportional to the value of your property. 

The stamp duty system is divided into various bands (see tables below), and different rates apply to each portion of your property, depending on which band it falls into. We’ve provided a breakdown of the different stamp duty bands below.

Alternatively, you can use our stamp duty calculator to work out the exact amount you’ll be required to pay.

You’ll only pay these rates on the portion of the value of your property that falls within these bands. Let’s look at a couple of examples: 

Example 1: You're buying a new property in England worth £500,000. You won't pay any stamp duty on the first £250,000, but for the next £250,000, you'd pay 5%. So, the total you'd pay in this case would be £12,500.

Example 2: You’re purchasing a property in Wales for £800,000. You won’t pay any LTT on the first £225,000; you’d then pay: 6% on the next £175,000, 7.5% on the following £350,000 and 10% on the remaining £50,000, bringing your total LTT bill for a property worth £800,000 to £41,750.

Stamp duty for first-time buyers

You're eligible for stamp duty relief in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland if you’re a first-time buyer. The threshold before you need to pay stamp duty or LBTT is higher if you qualify as a first-time buyer. There is no first-time buyer relief for land transaction tax in Wales. 

Do I pay stamp duty as a first-time buyer?

If you’re a first-time buyer in England or Northern Ireland, you won’t pay anything unless you purchase a property for more than £425,000. 

If the property you’re purchasing as a first-time buyer is worth more than £625,000, you won’t qualify for any relief and will need to pay standard stamp duty rates. 

In Scotland, first-time buyer relief increases the nil rate to £175,000, though you’ll need to pay standard rates on anything above this. 

How much is stamp duty for first-time buyers?

First-time buyers in England and Northern Ireland won’t pay any stamp duty as long as their purchase price is less than £425,000. If you qualify as a first-time buyer and purchase a property between £425,000 and £625,000, you’ll pay 5% on the amount above £425,000. 

For example, if you buy your first home for £500,000, you won’t pay any stamp duty on the first £425,000 but will pay 5% on the remaining £75,000, meaning the total amount you’d pay would be £3,750.

You won’t pay any Land and Building Transaction Tax in Scotland if you buy a property for less than £175,000. However, if your property purchase price exceeds this, you’ll pay standard LBTT rates. 

Here’s an example: You’re buying your first property in Scotland for £350,000. You won’t pay any SDLT on the first £175,000, 2% on the next £75,000, 5% on the following £75,000 and 10% on the remaining £25,000, meaning your total LBTT bill would be £7,750.

Stamp duty for different property types

Calculating stamp duty on second homes is different.

For second homes, you'll have to pay an extra 3% on the standard stamp duty rates. This is for properties over £40,000 but does not include mobile homes, houseboats, and caravans.

If you’re buying a new home and selling your old one, you’ll only need to pay the standard stamp duty rates.

If you do not sell your main property when you complete your new home, you'll have to pay the higher rates. This is because you'll own two properties.

You can get a refund once you’ve sold your original home as long as it’s within 36 months of when you first bought it.

Stamp duty applies on both leasehold and freehold properties. It is dealt with exactly the same way on either property.

Calculating stamp duty on land and non-residential property is also different. This includes mixed-use land and property.

You’ll pay land tax on transactions over £150,000.

This is currently 2% of the property value from £150,000 to £250,000 and 5% on the value above £250,000.

If you’re a first-time buyer of a shared ownership home, you do not have to pay stamp duty on the first £425,000 of a home worth up to £625,000.

This means all first-time buyers with a first home worth up to £425,000 are now exempt from stamp duty.

Buying a buy to let or second property

Buying a leasehold property

Buying a commercial property

Joint ownership and stamp duty relief

Calculating stamp duty on second homes is different.

For second homes, you'll have to pay an extra 3% on the standard stamp duty rates. This is for properties over £40,000 but does not include mobile homes, houseboats, and caravans.

If you’re buying a new home and selling your old one, you’ll only need to pay the standard stamp duty rates.

If you do not sell your main property when you complete your new home, you'll have to pay the higher rates. This is because you'll own two properties.

You can get a refund once you’ve sold your original home as long as it’s within 36 months of when you first bought it.

Stamp duty FAQs

You’ll pay stamp duty if you’re buying a new home unless you qualify for first-time buyer relief or the property is under a certain threshold.

The stamp duty threshold differs depending on where you’re buying your property in the UK, whether you’re a first-time buyer or purchasing an additional property. 

In England and Northern Ireland, at the time of writing, the stamp duty thresholds are:

  • £250,000 if you’re moving home or have previously owned a property

  • £425,000 for first-time buyers

  • £0 on a property for less than £40,000 if it’s an additional property 

In Scotland, the LBTT thresholds are: 

  • £145,000 if you’re moving home or have previously owned a property 

  • £175,000 if you’re a first-time buyer

  • £0 on a property for less than £40,000 if it’s an additional property 

It’s worth noting that if you’re buying an additional property for less than £40,000, you won’t need to pay any stamp duty or LTT but will need to on the total amount if the property price is over £40,000.

In Wales, the LTT threshold is £180,000 unless you’re buying an additional property.

You pay stamp duty when you purchase a property, and your solicitor will typically deal with this for you as part of the process, although you can deal with it yourself if you wish. 

Your stamp duty land tax return should be filed and paid within 14 days of completion. (14 days after you’ve got the keys to your new property.)

In Scotland and Wales, you have 30 days to pay after completion.

No, you don’t need to pay stamp duty when you sell a property, only when you buy a new one. So if you’re moving home, you’ll pay SDLT on the new property you buy, not on the one you’re selling.

You won't need to pay stamp duty if you sell a property without buying a new one. If it’s an additional property you’re selling, you may need to pay capital gains tax if the property's value has increased since you bought it.

If you’re buying an additional property, you’ll typically have to pay a 3% surcharge. This surcharge applies to each band and applies to all properties worth more than £40,000. 

Stamp duty on second homes (England and Northern Ireland):

  • Up to £250,000 - 3%

  • £250,001 - £925,000 - 8%

  • £925,001 - £1.5 million - 13%

  • Over £1.5 million - 15%

As of August 2023, rates for second homes are slightly different in Scotland and Wales. In Scotland, you’ll pay the LBTT additional dwelling supplement (ADS), an extra 6% on each band; in Wales, you’ll pay higher residential tax rates, an additional 4%.

Land and buildings transaction tax with ADS (Scotland):

  • Up to £145,000 - 6%

  • £145,001 - £250,000 - 8%

  • £250,001 - £325,000 - 11%

  • £325,001 - £750,000 - 16%

  • Over £750,000 - 18%

Land transaction tax - higher residential tax rates (Wales):

  • Up to £180,000 - 4%

  • £180,001 - £250,000 - 7.5%

  • £250,001 - £400,000 - 9%

  • £400,001 - £750,000 - 11.5%

  • £750,001 - £1.5 million - 14%

  • Over £1.5 million - 16%

Yes, getting a refund on stamp duty when purchasing a second home is possible. One way to claim the stamp duty refund on a second property is by selling your primary residence within 36 months of buying the second property. Doing so demonstrates that the second property is your primary residence rather than an additional home.

You may then be entitled to a refund of the 3% surcharge that would have been paid if it were treated as a second home.

You must contact HMRC if you're entitled to a stamp duty refund.

Stamp duty for buy-to-let properties, LBTT or LTT, is equivalent to buying a second home. You’ll pay an additional 3% in England and Northern Ireland, 6% in Scotland and 4% in Wales.

Specific lenders might offer the option to increase your mortgage amount to cover the stamp duty you owe. However, it's crucial to keep in mind that this decision will influence your Loan-to-Value (LTV) ratio and result in interest being charged on the extra borrowed amount. Opting for this approach could lead to higher overall costs in the long run.

No, it’s not possible to pay for stamp duty using a credit card. In 2018, laws were introduced that prevent HMRC from accepting credit card payments, including stamp duty payments.

No, you only pay stamp duty when you purchase a new property. Remortgaging involves obtaining a new mortgage product, but since you’ve already paid stamp duty when you initially bought your property, there’s no need to pay it again when you remortgage.

Get a free Mortgage in Principle (MIP)

Get your MIP and start viewing homes

See how much you could borrow

Take a second to pop a few details into our calculator

Compare mortgage deals

We'll help you find the right deal.

What people are saying about Better.co.uk...

 
 
 
 

Get a mortgage with Better.co.uk today

  • Our remortgage customers saved an average of £290 a month in August 2023*

  • Better.co.uk is a fee-free mortgage broker

  • 5-star Trustpilot rating from over 5,000 reviews

  • Compare mortgage deals from over 100 lenders

  • Skip the paperwork: apply online any time

Important info & marketing claims

You may have to pay an early repayment charge to your existing lender if you remortgage. Your savings will depend on personal circumstances.

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

*The savings figure of £506 is based on Better.co.uk remortgage customers in December 2023. Read more on our marketing claims page.

We can't always guarantee we will be able to help you with your mortgage application depending on your credit history and circumstances.

Average mortgage decision and approval times are based on Better.co.uk's historic data for lenders we submit applications to.

Tracker rates are identified after comparing over 12,000 mortgage products from over 100 mortgage lenders.

As of January 2023, Better.co.uk has access to over 100 lenders. This number is subject to change.

For buy-to-let landlords, there's no guarantee that it will be possible to arrange continuous letting of a property, nor that rental income will be sufficient to meet the cost of the mortgage.