Stamp duty calculator
England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland all tax property purchases differently. Put in the price and your situation and see exactly what you owe, band by band.
Last updated July 2026 · built by working UK builders
Rates current for the 2026/27 tax year. This is a guide, not tax advice — reliefs for shared ownership, multiple dwellings, mixed-use property, companies, trusts and non-residential purchases are not covered. Your conveyancer files the return and is responsible for the figure.
The three UK property taxes, side by side
Devolution means a £400,000 house is taxed three different ways depending on which side of a border it sits. Wales starts taxing later than anywhere else but rises steeply. Scotland starts earliest. England sits in between and is the only nation with a meaningful first-time buyer relief.
England & Northern Ireland — Stamp Duty Land Tax
| Portion of price | Standard rate |
|---|---|
| £0 – £125,000 | 0% |
| £125,000 – £250,000 | 2% |
| £250,000 – £925,000 | 5% |
| £925,000 – £1,500,000 | 10% |
| Above £1,500,000 | 12% |
Additional properties pay 5 percentage points more in every band, and non-UK residents a further 2 points, where the price is £40,000 or more.
Wales — Land Transaction Tax
| Portion of price | Standard rate |
|---|---|
| £0 – £225,000 | 0% |
| £225,000 – £400,000 | 6% |
| £400,000 – £750,000 | 7.5% |
| £750,000 – £1,500,000 | 10% |
| Above £1,500,000 | 12% |
Additional properties pay percentage points more in every band, where the price is £40,000 or more.
Scotland — Land and Buildings Transaction Tax
| Portion of price | Standard rate |
|---|---|
| £0 – £145,000 | 0% |
| £145,000 – £250,000 | 2% |
| £250,000 – £325,000 | 5% |
| £325,000 – £750,000 | 10% |
| Above £750,000 | 12% |
Additional properties pay a flat 8% Additional Dwelling Supplement on the whole price on top of the rates above, where the price is £40,000 or more.
The traps that catch people out
You own a share of something you forgot about
An inherited quarter share of a relative's house, a flat abroad, a property held in trust for you — all can trigger the additional-property rate on what feels like your first purchase. The test looks at your interest in any dwelling anywhere in the world worth £40,000 or more.
You have not sold the old house yet
If your sale falls through and you complete on the new house while still owning the old one, you pay the surcharge. You can reclaim it if you sell the previous main residence within three years — but you have to pay it first, in cash, and remember to claim it back.
The £500,000 first-time buyer cliff edge
In England and Northern Ireland, first-time buyer relief vanishes completely above £500,000 — it does not taper. At £500,000 a first-time buyer pays £10,000. At £500,001 they pay £15,000. If you are negotiating near that line, the £1 matters.
Fixtures, fittings and the price on the contract
Genuinely separate chattels — carpets, curtains, white goods — can be apportioned out of the purchase price, which occasionally drops you into a lower band. It has to be a real, justifiable value for real moveable items. HMRC takes a dim view of a £20,000 curtain.
What to budget alongside the tax
Stamp duty is usually the largest single upfront cost after the deposit, but it is not the only one. Conveyancing, searches, survey, mortgage arrangement fee, removals and the repairs you find on completion day all come out of the same pot. Ourtrue cost of buying calculator puts the whole lot together, and thesurvey repair calculator handles the part most buyers underestimate.
Frequently asked questions
How much stamp duty will I pay on a £300,000 house?
In England and Northern Ireland, a home mover pays £5,000 on a £300,000 purchase. A first-time buyer pays nothing. Someone buying an additional property pays £20,000. In Wales the same purchase costs £4,500 in Land Transaction Tax, and in Scotland £4,600 in LBTT.
When do I have to pay it?
Within 14 days of completion in England and Northern Ireland, and within 30 days in Wales and Scotland. In practice your conveyancer files the return and pays it out of the completion funds, so you need the money available at completion — it cannot be added to the mortgage.
Do first-time buyers pay stamp duty?
In England and Northern Ireland, first-time buyers pay nothing up to £300,000 and 5% between £300,000 and £500,000. Above £500,000 the relief disappears entirely and normal rates apply to the whole price. Scotland gives first-time buyers a nil band up to £175,000. Wales has no first-time buyer relief at all, but its starting threshold of £225,000 is the highest in the UK.
Why am I being charged the higher rate when this is my only home?
The additional-property surcharge applies if you own any interest in another dwelling worth £40,000 or more anywhere in the world at the end of the day of completion — including an inherited share, a buy-to-let, or a property abroad. If you are replacing your main residence and the old one has not sold yet, you pay the surcharge and can reclaim it if you sell within three years.
Can I add stamp duty to my mortgage?
Not directly. It must be paid in cash at completion. Some buyers borrow slightly more against the property to free up cash elsewhere, but lenders assess affordability on the total loan and the valuation still has to support it. Budget for it as cash you will not get back.