Stamp Duty Calculator: A Guide to Stamp Duty Land Tax Payments

For a buyer purchasing a single residential property in England or Northern Ireland in 2026:

• ●Up to £125,000: 0 percent
• ●£125,001 to £250,000: 2 percent
• ●£250,001 to £925,000: 5 percent
• ●£925,001 to £1,500,000: 10 percent
• ●Above £1,500,000: 12 percent

Each band is taxed at its own rate; you never pay the highest rate on the whole price. A £400,000 purchase is taxed: £0 on the first £125,000, plus £2,500 on the next £125,000 (2 percent), plus £7,500 on the next £150,000 (5 percent). Total: £10,000.

A first time buyer in 2026 gets a separate set of bands:

• ●Up to £300,000: 0 percent
• ●£300,001 to £500,000: 5 percent on the portion above £300,000

Above £500,000, the relief disappears entirely and standard rates apply. This creates a sharp cliff. A first time buyer at £499,999 pays £9,999.95 in SDLT. The same buyer at £505,000 pays £15,250. The extra £5,001 of property costs £5,250.05 in tax.

Strictly speaking, a first time buyer is someone who has never owned a freehold or leasehold residential property anywhere in the world, who intends to occupy the property as their main residence, and who is buying a property valued no higher than £500,000. Joint purchases: all buyers must meet the criteria. If your partner has owned property before, neither of you qualifies, even if they have not owned for years.

If you own any other residential property at the date of completion, you pay a five percent surcharge on every band, on top of standard residential rates. The surcharge was increased from three percent to five percent in October 2024.

The bands with the surcharge:

• ●Up to £125,000: 5 percent
• ●£125,001 to £250,000: 7 percent
• ●£250,001 to £925,000: 10 percent
• ●£925,001 to £1,500,000: 15 percent
• ●Above £1,500,000: 17 percent

Non UK residents pay a further two percent on every band in addition to any other surcharge that applies. UK residency for this purpose is broadly defined: you are UK resident for SDLT if you have spent at least 183 days in the UK in the year before completion.

SDLT: £0 on the first £300,000, plus 5% on £50,000 = £2,500. Total: £2,500.

SDLT: £0 on the first £125,000, plus 2% on £125,000 = £2,500, plus 5% on £250,000 = £12,500. Total: £15,000.

SDLT: £0 on £125,000, plus £2,500 on the next £125,000, plus 5% on £550,000 = £27,500. Total: £30,000.

SDLT with surcharge: 5% on £125,000 = £6,250, plus 7% on £125,000 = £8,750, plus 10% on £150,000 = £15,000. Total: £30,000.

They do not qualify for first time buyer relief (because they do not meet residency tests). Standard rates plus 2% surcharge. Standard SDLT: £12,500. Surcharge: 2% of £450,000 = £9,000. Total: £21,500.

Within fourteen days of completion. Your conveyancer files the SDLT return online and arranges payment from the completion funds. You do not pay anything to your solicitor for the tax itself; the money goes directly to HMRC. Your solicitor receives a unique transaction reference number (UTRN) confirming the filing.

Failure to file the SDLT return within fourteen days triggers an automatic £100 penalty, increasing if the delay continues. Failure to pay the tax accrues interest at the HMRC rate (currently around 7.5 percent annually) plus penalties. Your conveyancer files for you so late filing is rare, but if you are filing yourself for an unusual transaction (such as a transfer of equity), do not miss the deadline.

Most mortgage lenders will not lend you the SDLT amount. It must come from your own cash on completion, alongside the deposit and legal fees. Plan accordingly: on a £400,000 standard purchase you need roughly £40,000 deposit, £10,000 SDLT, £1,500 legal fees, and £500 disbursements. That is £52,000 in cash on completion day.

Wales has its own version (Land Transaction Tax, with different bands and no first time buyer relief above £225,000). Scotland uses Land and Buildings Transaction Tax with different bands again. If you are buying in Wales or Scotland, use the relevant Welsh Revenue Authority or Revenue Scotland calculator.

Things that catch buyers out:

• ●Buying with a partner who owns property abroad triggers the surcharge.
• ●Inheriting a small share of a property over £40,000 counts as ownership.
• ●Help to Buy equity loan repayment does not trigger additional SDLT.
• ●Mixed use properties may attract lower (mixed use) SDLT rates if there is a genuine commercial element.
• ●New build purchases are taxed on the price agreed, not the headline list price after developer incentives.

Our quote calculator includes a full SDLT figure based on your specific circumstances (first time buyer, additional property, residency). The figure shown on the quote matches what you will actually pay HMRC at completion.