Stamp Duty Calculator
Use our guide to work out how much you'll need to pay
Stamp Duty is a tax you'll need to pay if you buy a property in the UK, though only if the price of the property reaches a certain threshold. Our calculator below shows how much Stamp Duty you would need to pay. Plus, our full guide explains exactly how Stamp Duty works in the different parts of the UK.
What is Stamp Duty?
When you buy a property or land in the UK, you usually pay tax on it. In England and Northern Ireland this is called 'Stamp Duty Land Tax', in Wales it's 'Land Transaction Tax' and in Scotland 'Land and Buildings Transaction Tax' (for simplicity we'll call it Stamp Duty).
While the names differ, each nation operates a similar, progressive system of Stamp Duty. This means that instead of paying a single rate of Stamp Duty on the entire property price, you might pay one rate on a certain portion of the price and a different rate on another.
Still, Stamp Duty can be expensive – possibly £1,000s. In 2024/25, homebuyers in England and Northern Ireland handed over more than £10.3 billion in Stamp Duty between them.
Below we explain how Stamp Duty works and our calculator shows how much you'll pay.
Stamp Duty rates across the UK nations
Here's how Stamp Duty differs across the UK nations.
England and Northern Ireland
In England and Northern Ireland, no Stamp Duty is due on the first £125,000 of a main residential property – though that threshold is £300,000 if you're a first-time buyer.
Above these thresholds, the following rates of Stamp Duty apply:
PURCHASE PRICE | NORMAL RATE STAMP DUTY |
|---|---|
£0 to £125,000 (£300,000 for first-time buyers) (1) | 0% |
£125,001 – £250,000 | 2% |
£250,001 – £925,000 | 5% |
£925,001 – £1,500,000 | 10% |
£1,500,001 + | 12% |
(1) The £300,000 threshold does not apply if you're buying a home which costs more than £500,000 – in this scenario, the £125,000 threshold applies.
So let's imagine you're selling your current home and buying a bigger one for £450,000. You'd pay no Stamp Duty on the first £125,000, 2% on the bit between £125,000 and £250,000, and 5% on the bit between £250,000 and £450,000 – a total of £12,500.
Quick question:
What is the Stamp Duty rate for non-UK residents?
If you're buying a home in England or Northern Ireland you will pay a higher rate of Stamp Duty if you're a non-UK resident.
Non-resident status will apply if you don't spend at least 183 days in the UK (which can include Scotland or Wales) in the 12 months prior to purchasing the property. The rules are more complex if you're married.
Where you have to pay the higher rate, it'll be equivalent to an extra two percentage points on top of normal Stamp Duty rates. For example, on a £500,000 home a first-time buyer who is a non-UK resident would pay:
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2% on the property price up to £300,000 (rather than 0%).
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7% on the property price between £300,000 and £500,000 (rather than 5%).
For more information on how it works see the Gov.uk website.
Scotland
The Stamp Duty rates and thresholds in Scotland are different to those in England and Northern Ireland – though, similarly, Scotland has a higher threshold for first-time buyers.
Here are the current Stamp Duty threshold and rates:
PURCHASE PRICE | NORMAL RATE STAMP DUTY |
|---|---|
£0 to £145,000 (£175,000 for first-time buyers) | 0% |
£145,001 – £250,000 | 2% |
£250,001 – £325,000 | 5% |
£325,001 – £750,000 | 10% |
£750,001 + | 12% |
So let's imagine you're selling your current home and buying a bigger one for £300,000. You'd pay no Stamp Duty on the first £145,000, 2% on the bit between £145,000 and £250,000, and 5% on the bit between £250,000 and £300,000 – a total of £4,600.
Wales
The Stamp Duty thresholds and rates in Wales are different to those in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Unlike the other countries, there is no extra relief for first-time buyers.
Here are the current Stamp Duty rates and thresholds:
PURCHASE PRICE | NORMAL RATE STAMP DUTY |
|---|---|
£0 to £225,000 | 0% |
£225,001 – £400,000 | 6% |
£400,001 – £750,000 | 7.5% |
£750,001 – £1,500,000 | 10% |
£1,500,001 + | 12% |
So let's imagine you're selling your current home and buying a bigger one for £420,000. You'd pay no Stamp Duty on the first £225,000, 6% on the bit between £225,000 and £400,000, and 7.5% on the bit between £400,000 and £420,000 – a total of £12,000.
Stamp Duty for first-time buyers
If you're a first-time buyer it can be a bit more confusing to work out how much Stamp Duty you'll need to pay, as most first-time buyers get extra stamp duty 'relief' (though not in Wales).
The simplest thing to do is select first-time buyer in our Stamp Duty calculator to see how much you'll pay. Crucially, though, you should note that...
You won't be considered a first-time buyer if you've ever owned, or part-owned, a property in the UK or abroad – this includes inheriting a property (even if you sold it immediately).
England and Northern Ireland
First-time buyers pay no Stamp Duty on the first £300,000 of a main residential property, provided it costs £500,000 or less. Where the property costs more than this, you'll pay no Stamp Duty on the first £125,000 of the purchase price instead. So on a...
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£300,000 home – a first-time buyer would pay no Stamp Duty.
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£400,000 home – a first-time buyer would pay £5,000 in Stamp Duty.
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£510,000 home – a first-time buyer would pay £15,500 in Stamp Duty.
Scotland
First-time buyers pay no Stamp Duty on the first £175,000 of a property. So on a...
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£160,000 home – a first-time buyer would pay no Stamp Duty.
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£200,000 home – a first-time buyer would pay £500 in Stamp Duty.
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£250,000 home – a first-time buyer would pay £1,500 in Stamp Duty.
Wales
In Wales, there is no special Stamp Duty relief for first-time buyers, so what you pay will be the same as someone who isn't a first-time time buyer.
Stamp Duty for buy-to-let and second homes
If you already own a home and buy another property in addition to your current place – a second, third home etc – you'll need to pay a higher rate of Stamp Duty. This higher rate also applies if you buy the property with the intention of renting it out (known as buy-to-let).
The higher rate of Stamp Duty varies across the UK nations:
England and Northern Ireland
In England and Northern Ireland, higher rate Stamp Duty is equivalent to an extra five percentage points on top of the rate of Stamp Duty charged on a main residence.
PURCHASE PRICE | HIGHER RATE STAMP DUTY |
|---|---|
£0 to £125,000 | 5% |
£125,001 – £250,000 | 7% |
£250,001 – £925,000 | 10% |
£925,001 – £1,500,000 | 15% |
£1,500,001 + | 17% |
So, if you were buying a second home for £300,000, you would pay £20,000 in Stamp Duty.
Scotland
In Scotland, higher rate Stamp Duty is equivalent to an extra eight percentage points on top of the rate of Stamp Duty charged on a main residence.
PURCHASE PRICE | HIGHER RATE STAMP DUTY |
|---|---|
£0 to £145,000 | 8% |
£145,001 – £250,000 | 10% |
£250,001 – £325,000 | 13% |
£325,001 – £750,000 | 18% |
£750,001 + | 20% |
So, if you were buying a second home for £300,000, you'd pay £27,100 in Stamp Duty.
Wales
In Wales, higher rate Stamp Duty is equivalent to an extra five percentage points on top of the rate of Stamp Duty charged on a main residence.
PURCHASE PRICE | HIGHER RATE STAMP DUTY |
|---|---|
£0 to £180,000 | 5% |
£180,001 to £250,000 | 8.5% |
£250,001 – £400,000 | 10% |
£400,001 – £750,000 | 12.5% |
£750,001 + | 15% |
£1,500,001 + | 17% |
So, if you were buying a second home for £300,000, you'd pay £20,375 in Stamp Duty.
Quick question:
What if I buy a new home but struggle to sell my current one?
If you own one home and plan to sell it to buy a buy a new one, you'll pay the higher rate of Stamp Duty if your current home isn't sold by the time you complete the purchase of the new one. So if you buy a new home in January but struggle to sell your current one until July, you'll have to pay the higher rate.
However you can apply for a refund if you sell your 'old' home within three years of buying the new one. This rule applies in all UK nations.
See Gov.uk (Eng or NI), Revenue Scotland or Gov.wales for more information.
When is the deadline to pay Stamp Duty?
In England and Northern Ireland, you have 14 days from the date of completion to pay any Stamp Duty (this is when contracts have been exchanged and you've got the keys).
In Scotland and Wales, you've 30 days from completion.
Take longer, and you could face a fine and possibly interest on top, so don't.
Legally it's your responsibility to ensure Stamp Duty is paid. But in reality, your solicitor will probably sort this out for you – in fact, most tend to want the Stamp Duty money sent to them before completing the property purchase for you.
If your solicitor isn't paying Stamp Duty for you, familiarise yourself with the process:
How to pay Stamp Duty in England and Northern Ireland
Stamp Duty is paid to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
If you're not using a solicitor to pay Stamp Duty on your behalf, you'll first need to submit a paper version of the SDLT1 form.
Then you'll need to find your unique transaction reference number (this is 11 characters, found on your SDLT1 form) and use this to pay your Stamp Duty, either online, by bank transfer, or by debit or corporate credit card.
How to pay Stamp Duty in Scotland
Stamp Duty (Land and Buildings Transaction Tax) is paid to Revenue Scotland.
If you're not using a solicitor to pay Stamp Duty on your behalf, you'll need to submit a paper LBTT form. To get an LBTT form you should contact Revenue Scotland – at the same time, ask Revenue Scotland for its payment details.
How to pay Stamp Duty in Wales
Stamp Duty (Land Transaction Tax) is paid to the Welsh Revenue Authority
If you're not using a solicitor to pay Stamp Duty on your behalf, you'll need to submit a paper LTT form – contact the Welsh Revenue Authority for this form.
Once you've submitted the LTT form, you'll need to pay your Stamp Duty via bank transfer, CHAPS or BACS payment. As your payment reference, use "postcode of land/surname of buyer" (for example, CF379EH/Bloggs).
Full details can be found on the Welsh Revenue Authority website.
Adding Stamp Duty to a mortgage
The simple answer is that it's best you don't, but many people find they have to.
Let's say you need to borrow £150,000 to buy a £200,000 home. If you don't want to pay the Stamp Duty up front (say this costs £3,000), you could request a £153,000 mortgage from a lender instead and use that extra £3,000 to cover the Stamp Duty.
But there are two major things to consider here...
1) As mortgages tend to be taken out over a long period (25, 30, 35 years), that's normally how long the Stamp Duty borrowing will last too. Over a 25-year term at a rate of 5% interest, that extra £3,000 borrowing will cost about £2,500 in interest alone.
2) This could increase your loan-to-value (LTV – how much of a property's value you are borrowing), which may mean you can only access more more expensive interest rates.
So be careful and speak to a mortgage broker to see if this is the right decision.
Looking for more mortgage help?
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