How much stamp duty will I pay? A guide for England and Wales

If you are buying a home, stamp duty is likely to be one of the higher costs on top of the price itself, and it is often the one people understand least. The good news is that the rules follow a clear pattern once you see how they fit together. This guide explains how stamp duty is worked out, what changes the figure, and what to expect along the way. When you want a number for your own purchase, you can try our stamp duty calculator, which uses the rates described below.

What stamp duty is, and which version applies to you

Stamp duty is a tax you pay when you buy a home above a certain price. In England it is called Stamp Duty Land Tax, or SDLT, and it goes to HMRC. In Wales it is called Land Transaction Tax, or LTT, and it goes to the Welsh Revenue Authority. Scotland has its own tax, Land and Buildings Transaction Tax, which this guide does not cover.

How the amount is worked out

Stamp duty is charged in slices of the price, and each slice is taxed at its own rate. You do not pay one rate on the whole price. That means a home that costs a little more than the one before it only adds tax on the extra slice, and the bill rises gradually rather than jumping.

In England, the standard rates for someone buying a single home are:

Take a home at £350,000. The first £125,000 carries no tax. The next £125,000 is taxed at 2%, which is £2,500. The remaining £100,000 is taxed at 5%, which is £5,000. The total is £7,500.

If you are a first-time buyer

First-time buyers in England pay no stamp duty on the first £300,000 and 5% on the part between £300,001 and £500,000. For that same £350,000 home, the bill would be 5% of £50,000, which is £2,500.

There are two things worth knowing. Everyone named on the purchase has to be a first-time buyer for the relief to apply. And if the price goes even slightly above £500,000, the relief falls away entirely and the standard rates apply to the whole price. A first-time buyer paying £500,000 would owe £10,000, while the same buyer paying £525,000 would owe £16,250. If you are close to that line, it is worth working the figures through before you make an offer.

Wales has no first-time buyer relief, but its main rates start higher, with nothing to pay on the first £225,000

If you are moving home

If the home you are buying will replace your current main home, the standard rates apply. You will not own two homes once the move is complete, so the higher rates described below do not normally come into play.

Timing matters here, because you often complete on your purchase before your sale has fully finished. If you have sold your old home within 36 months of buying the new one, you do not pay the extra amount. If your old home is not sold by the time you complete on the new one, you may need to pay the higher rates first and then claim a refund once the sale goes through. Your conveyancer can explain how this applies to your situation.

If you will own more than one property

If you will own another residential property after the purchase, such as a second home, a holiday home or a buy-to-let, an extra 5% is added to every slice of the price in England. Our £350,000 example would then cost £25,000 instead of £7,500. Companies buying homes can face different rules, including a flat rate above £500,000 in some cases, so anyone buying through a company should check with their conveyancer.

Wales uses a separate set of higher rates for additional homes, and they apply slice by slice in the same way.

If you are not resident in the UK

Buyers in England who have not been in the UK for at least 183 days in the 12 months before the purchase usually pay an extra 2% on top of the other rates. This is separate from the extra 5% for additional homes, and the two can apply together. Wales does not have this surcharge.

What happens in Wales

The main residential rates in Wales are:

Slice of the price	Rate
Up to £225,000	0%
£225,001 to £400,000	6%
£400,001 to £750,000	7.5%
£750,001 to £1.5 million	10%
Above £1.5 million	12%

For a £350,000 home, the first £225,000 is free of tax and the remaining £125,000 is taxed at 6%, which is £7,500. The higher rates for additional homes in Wales start at 5% on the first slice and rise to 17% at the top.

When you pay, and who deals with it

Your conveyancer normally handles stamp duty for you. They work out the amount, tell you how much to send and when, submit the return and pay the tax on your behalf. Because the money usually needs to be ready around completion, it is worth including stamp duty in your budget from the start rather than treating it as a final surprise.

What a calculator cannot tell you

A calculator is a good way to get a realistic figure early on, and it is useful for comparing homes at different prices. It will not cover every situation. Leasehold purchases with significant rent, shared ownership, linked purchases, mixed-use property and certain reliefs all follow their own rules, and these are worth raising with your conveyancer. Rates can also change, so it is sensible to confirm the current figures on GOV.UK before you commit to a budget.

If you would like to see how the numbers look for your own purchase, you can use our stamp duty calculator below. Your conveyancer will confirm the exact amount once the details of your purchase are settled.

Try our stamp duty calculator

Please note: This guide is for general information only. Nova is not a financial or tax adviser, and nothing here should be treated as financial or tax advice. Every purchase is different and rates can change, so please check the current position on GOV.UK and speak to a qualified adviser before making decisions based on this guide.

Sources

• Stamp Duty Land Tax: residential property rates, GOV.UK
• Land Transaction Tax rates and bands, GOV.WALES

Rates checked against the sources above on 14 October 2026.