How This Tool Works
📋 Purpose
UK stamp duty rules changed in April 2025 — thresholds dropped, first-time buyer relief shrank, and the 2% non-resident surcharge kept biting. This tool calculates the right tax for your jurisdiction (SDLT, LBTT or LTT), applies all surcharges and reliefs automatically, and shows a band-by-band breakdown so you can see exactly where the money goes. Flip between buyer types to see how much first-time buyer status (or selling your current home first) actually saves you.
⚙️ How It Works
- 1Enter the agreed purchase price (£40k–£5m).
- 2Pick jurisdiction or type a postcode to auto-detect.
- 3Select buyer type: first-time, next home, or additional property.
- 4Confirm UK residence status (affects SDLT +2%).
- 5Calculate and compare across all three buyer tabs.
- 6Review band-by-band breakdown and regional context.
UK stamp duty · SDLT · LBTT · LTT — 2026
Calculate stamp duty across all UK jurisdictions
England & NI (SDLT), Scotland (LBTT), Wales (LTT) — first-time buyer, next home and additional-property bands in one place, with the 2% non-resident surcharge factored in.
Property details
Enter your property information to calculate the transaction tax.
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Complete Guide: UK Stamp Duty (2026)
Understand SDLT, LBTT and LTT — who pays what, when reliefs apply, and how to plan your transaction.
📅 Last updated: April 2026
Quick Tips
Jump-start your understanding with these essential tips
Below £250k, standard buyers pay 0%. At £250,001 you pay 5% on just £1 over. At £300k you already owe £2,500. Plan offers around thresholds carefully.
You only qualify if you've never owned any residential property anywhere in the world. A buy-to-let flat inherited ten years ago disqualifies you.
LBTT starts at £145k (not £250k). Average Scottish property prices often sit near that threshold, so stamp duty bites earlier north of the border.
The 3%/4%/6% surcharge applies from the first pound — not just on the band above £40k. A £200k BTL in England costs £6,000 in surcharge plus standard SDLT.
You're UK-resident for SDLT if you've spent 183+ days in the UK in the 12 months before completion. A British passport-holder abroad for 9+ months pays the surcharge.
Step-by-Step Guide
Follow these steps to get the most from this tool
Use the accepted offer, not the asking price. Exchange-date price is what counts for tax.
Type a postcode to auto-detect, or choose manually. The property's location — not your home address — determines which tax applies.
First-time buyer if you've never owned property anywhere. Next home if you're selling your current main residence. Additional property if you're keeping your current home or buying BTL.
UK resident = 183+ days in UK in last 12 months before completion. Non-UK resident pays +2% on SDLT only.
Flip between Standard / First-Time Buyer / Additional to see the total tax difference. This is especially useful when deciding whether to sell before buying.
Each band is taxed at its own rate — you pay the lower rates on the lower portion of the price, not the full price at the highest rate.
Advanced Topics
Deep dives for advanced users
If you're buying more than one property in the same transaction (e.g. a block of flats or a house with an annex), MDR can lower the effective rate by averaging across the dwellings. MDR was significantly restricted in 2024 for SDLT — now applies only where there are clear separate dwellings with own access and facilities. Consult a conveyancer.
A property with both residential and commercial elements (e.g. a shop with a flat above) is taxed at non-residential SDLT rates — which are generally lower. However, HMRC has tightened this since 2022 and now rejects claims where the non-residential element is incidental.
First staircasing transactions are exempt if you've already paid SDLT on the market value. You can also choose a one-off “market value” election at first purchase instead of paying on each staircasing transaction.
SDLT is payable within 14 days of completion; LBTT within 30; LTT within 30. Missing these triggers penalty interest. Your conveyancer normally files on your behalf but the legal liability is yours.
Use this alongside the Home-Buying Affordability Calculator to size total upfront cost, the Mortgage Reality Check for monthly affordability, and the Shared Ownership Staircasing tool if you're already in a part-buy scheme.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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