Understanding stamp duty​

Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is a tax you might pay if you’re buying a house in England and Northern Ireland. Learn more about stamp duty and the first-time buyers’ relief.

What is stamp duty?​

If you’re buying a residential property, you may have to pay a government tax called stamp duty. It’s calculated on the price of the home you’re buying. There are exceptions if you’re a first-time buyer though.​

If you buy a property in Wales, you’ll have to pay Land Transaction Tax (LTT). ​

In Scotland, it is called Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT).

What does stamp duty cost?​

The amount you pay depends on the price of the property you buy.

It’s calculated on different bands of the house value.​ For example, if you bought a house valued at £350,000, you’d pay:​

0% on the first £250,000​

5% on the next £100,000​

= £5,000 in total.​

You can find more information on the government website to show you how the calculation works.

Who pays stamp duty?​

If your new house or land costs over the current threshold, you’ll pay stamp duty.

How much might I have to pay?​

There are rate bands for each type of tax. You pay stamp duty on the part of the property value that falls within each band.​

You can work out exactly what you might have to pay using the government calculators for your region:

First-time buyers’ relief​

First-time buyers pay no stamp duty on properties up to £300,000. 

They then will then pay 5% on the amount from £300,001 to £500,000.

How do you pay stamp duty?​

Once you complete on your house purchase, you’ll have to pay within 14 days in England and Northern Ireland. Your conveyancer will handle this for you.​

If you are arranging payment yourself, you can file a return directly with HMRC, Revenue Scotland or the Welsh Government.​

Even if you don’t owe anything, you may still need to file the return so be sure to check.

Buy to Let stamp duty​

If your Buy to Let property is worth £40,000 or more, in England and Northern Ireland, you'll pay a 5% stamp duty surcharge.​

There’s different rates for Buy to Let properties in Scotland and Wales.

Let’s look at the details

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