Calculate the Stamp Duty Land Tax due when buying a home in England or Northern Ireland.
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What this calculator covers and how the numbers are worked out
This calculator estimates Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT), the tax charged when you buy a residential property in England or Northern Ireland. It is not relevant if the property you're buying is in Scotland, which has its own Land and Buildings Transaction Tax, or in Wales, which has Land Transaction Tax - both operate with different rates and bands, and this tool does not cover them.
SDLT is charged in slices, in a similar way to income tax: you don't pay one flat rate on the whole purchase price, only the rate for each band applies to the portion of the price that falls within it. The standard residential rates are 0% up to £125,000, 2% on the portion from £125,001 to £250,000, 5% on the portion from £250,001 to £925,000, 10% on the portion from £925,001 to £1.5 million, and 12% on anything above £1.5 million.
As a worked example, buying a home for £350,000 at standard rates breaks down like this: 0% on the first £125,000 (£0), 2% on the next £125,000 up to £250,000 (£2,500), and 5% on the remaining £100,000 up to £350,000 (£5,000). That's a total SDLT bill of £7,500.
First-time buyers get a better deal on properties up to £500,000: 0% up to £300,000, then 5% on the portion from £300,001 up to £500,000. Using the same £350,000 example, a first-time buyer would pay 0% on the first £300,000 and 5% on the remaining £50,000, which is £2,500 in total - a saving of £5,000 compared with the standard rates. Crucially, if the property costs more than £500,000, first-time buyer relief doesn't apply at all, and standard rates are charged on the whole price instead, so there's a cliff edge just above that threshold.
Buying an additional residential property - a second home or a buy-to-let, for example - adds a flat 5% surcharge on top of the standard rates, and that surcharge applies to the whole purchase price, not just the portion above any threshold. On the same £350,000 property, the surcharge alone would add 5% x £350,000 = £17,500, on top of the standard £7,500 SDLT, bringing the total to £25,000.
SDLT is paid by the buyer, and it's normally due within 14 days of completion - your solicitor or conveyancer usually handles the payment and filing as part of the purchase process.
A common mistake is assuming the top rate band applies to the entire purchase price rather than just the slice within it, which can make people overestimate their bill considerably, especially on properties priced just above a threshold.
At standard rates it works out to £7,500: nothing on the first £125,000, 2% (£2,500) on the next £125,000, and 5% (£5,000) on the remaining £100,000 up to £350,000.
It lets first-time buyers pay 0% up to £300,000 and 5% on the portion from £300,001 to £500,000. On a £350,000 purchase that comes to £2,500, £5,000 less than the standard rates.
First-time buyer relief stops applying entirely above £500,000, and standard rates are charged on the whole price instead - there's no partial relief above that threshold.
Not always. If you'll own more than one residential property at the end of the day of purchase, the 5% surcharge usually applies to the entire purchase price - but there are two common exceptions: it doesn't apply if you're replacing your main residence (selling your only or main home and buying a new one, even if the sale completes slightly after the purchase, subject to timing rules), and it doesn't apply to purchases under £40,000, which are treated as too low in value to count as an additional property for this purpose.
No. Scotland uses Land and Buildings Transaction Tax and Wales uses Land Transaction Tax, each with its own rates and bands, so this tool - which only covers England and Northern Ireland - won't give an accurate figure there.
The buyer pays it, normally within 14 days of completion, and it's usually handled by your solicitor or conveyancer as part of the purchase.
No - it's charged in slices, so each rate only applies to the portion of the price within that band, similar to how income tax bands work.
It can - if any buyer on the purchase will own an additional residential property once the purchase completes, the 5% surcharge is typically applied to the whole transaction, not just that person's share.
Not for SDLT purposes - both count as buying an additional residential property, so the 5% surcharge applies in the same way regardless of whether you intend to live in it or let it out.
These results are estimates for general guidance and are not financial advice. Always confirm important figures with an official source.
Rates last reviewed: 2 October 2026 · Built around the 2026/27 UK tax year
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