Calculate exactly how much stamp duty land tax (SDLT) you'll pay on your property purchase in England or Northern Ireland.
Standard Rates
| £0 – £250,000 | 0% |
| £250,001 – £925,000 | 5% |
| £925,001 – £1,500,000 | 10% |
| Over £1,500,000 | 12% |
Available if property is under £625,000 and you haven't owned property before.
| £0 – £425,000 | 0% |
| £425,001 – £625,000 | 5% |
Additional Property: +5% on all bands (increased from 3% in April 2025)
Non-UK Resident: +2% on all bands
Stamp duty land tax (SDLT) is a tax you must pay when buying a property or land in England and Northern Ireland. Scotland has its own tax (Land and Buildings Transaction Tax) and Wales has Land Transaction Tax — but this calculator covers SDLT which applies to England and Northern Ireland.
calculated onSDLT is a tiered system, meaning you only pay the higher rate on the portion of the property price that falls into each band. This is sometimes called a "marginal" tax system, which is good news for buyers as it means you don't pay the top rate on the entire property value.
For example, if you buy a house for £500,000, you won't pay 5% on the entire amount. Instead, you'll pay 0% on the first £250,000 and 5% only on the remaining £250,000 — which works out to £12,500 in total.
First-time buyers get significant relief under the current rules. If you've never owned a property anywhere in the world and are buying a property under £625,000, you can claim first-time buyer rates. This raises the nil-rate threshold to £425,000 and means you only pay 5% on the portion between £425,001 and £625,000.
However, if the property costs more than £625,000, you can't claim first-time buyer relief at all — you'd pay standard rates on the full purchase price. This threshold was reduced from £500,000 in 2022, so it's worth checking carefully if you're looking at properties near this limit.
If you already own a property and are buying an additional one, you'll pay a 5% surcharge on all SDLT bands. This surcharge was increased from 3% in April 2025 as part of efforts to discourage multiple property ownership. The surcharge applies even if you're replacing your main residence — if the sale of your previous home hasn't completed before you complete on the new one, you may still be liable.
There are some exemptions: if you're buying a new main residence while selling your previous one, you can typically claim a refund of the surcharge if the sale completes within 36 months. Married couples and civil partners are treated as one unit for this purpose, meaning if one spouse owns a property, the other can't claim first-time buyer rates.
Since April 2021, non-UK residents purchasing property in England must pay an additional 2% surcharge on top of all SDLT rates. You're considered a UK resident if you spend at least 183 days in the UK in the 12 months before the property purchase. This rule applies to both buyers and, in some cases, to corporate entities purchasing property.
SDLT must be paid within 14 days of completing on your property purchase. Your solicitor or conveyancer will usually handle this on your behalf and include it in their fees. If you fail to pay within the deadline, you may face interest charges and penalties — so it's important to factor this into your moving costs.
Stamp duty can represent a significant cost — often tens of thousands of pounds on average-priced properties. Using this calculator before making an offer helps you understand the true cost of your purchase and budget accordingly. Remember that stamp duty is on top of your deposit, mortgage fees, legal costs, and any renovation budget.
For buy-to-let properties, you'll pay the standard rates plus the 5% additional property surcharge, making it even more expensive. Some investors factor this into their rental yield calculations or look at properties below the higher-rate threshold to minimize the impact.