Finance · 6 min read

UK Stamp Duty Rates 2026/27 Explained

Stamp Duty Land Tax, usually just called stamp duty, is one of the biggest one-off costs of buying property in England or Northern Ireland. The structure is stable even though the exact numbers change with government policy, so understanding how it's calculated matters more than memorising a specific figure. For your exact current cost, use our stamp duty calculator.

Not just an England and Northern Ireland thing, but with different names elsewhere

SDLT applies to property and land purchases in England and Northern Ireland. If you're buying in Scotland, you'll pay Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) instead, and in Wales it's Land Transaction Tax (LTT). Both work on a similar banded principle to SDLT but have their own separate rates, thresholds and rules, so don't assume an SDLT figure applies if you're buying north of the border or in Wales.

How the bands actually work

The part that trips people up most is assuming stamp duty is charged as one flat rate on the whole purchase price. It isn't. SDLT works progressively, in bands, in a similar way to income tax: the portion of the price that falls in each band is taxed at that band's own rate, and only the portion above a threshold moves into the next band. So a higher band applying to your purchase doesn't mean your entire price is taxed at that rate, only the slice that sits within it.

First-time buyer relief

If you're buying your first home, you're likely to benefit from first-time buyer relief, which typically raises the nil-rate threshold compared with standard rates, meaning first-time buyers can pay less than someone buying the same property who has owned a home before. We're deliberately not stating a specific current threshold here, since these figures are set by the government and can change between tax years. Check gov.uk or run your numbers through our stamp duty calculator for the exact current relief.

The second-home and buy-to-let surcharge

If the property you're buying will be an additional property, a second home or a buy-to-let, an extra percentage is added on top of the standard SDLT rates across the same banded structure. This surcharge exists to cool demand from investors and second-home buyers relative to people buying their only or main residence. There are some exceptions and reliefs, for example around replacing your main residence, so if your situation is anything other than a straightforward single purchase, it's worth checking the detailed guidance on gov.uk.

Why the calculator matters more than a table of numbers

Because SDLT bands, thresholds, first-time buyer relief and the surcharge percentage are all set by government policy and reviewed periodically, any specific pound-and-pence table printed in an article can go stale within a tax year. Our stamp duty calculator is built to reflect the current rates, so rather than trying to do the banded maths by hand from a table that might be out of date, enter your purchase price and buyer situation and get an accurate number in seconds.

When stamp duty is due

SDLT is normally due within a set number of days of completion, and it's typically handled by your solicitor or conveyancer as part of the completion process, with the payment and return submitted to HMRC on your behalf. Budgeting for it separately from your deposit is important, since it's a cash cost on top of the purchase price and can't usually be added to your mortgage.

Building it into your overall home-buying budget

Stamp duty is just one line in the total cost of buying, alongside your deposit, legal fees, survey costs and moving costs. Once you have an SDLT figure from our calculator, it's worth checking your overall affordability with our mortgage calculator so you have a full picture of monthly repayments alongside the upfront costs.

Recap

Stamp duty is a progressive, banded tax on property purchases in England and Northern Ireland, with Scotland and Wales running their own separate systems. First-time buyers usually get a more generous threshold, and second homes usually attract a surcharge, but the exact figures move with policy. Get your precise number from our stamp duty calculator rather than relying on a table that may be out of date.

Frequently asked questions