Stamp duty calculator

England, Northern Ireland and Wales charge different taxes on different bands. This handles both.

Stamp duty is the largest cost most buyers forget to budget for, and it is not one tax. Purchases in England and Northern Ireland pay Stamp Duty Land Tax. Purchases in Wales pay Land Transaction Tax, which has entirely different thresholds and no first-time buyer relief at all.

Since we act across Southall, Reading and South Wales, the calculator covers both.

Stamp duty calculator

How the bands work

The tax is charged in slices, not as a single rate on the whole price. A buyer paying £300,000 in England does not pay one rate on £300,000. They pay nothing on the first £125,000, 2% on the next £125,000, and 5% on the remaining £50,000. That is why the effective rate is always lower than the top band you fall into.

The main variations

First-time buyers

In England and Northern Ireland, first-time buyers pay nothing up to £300,000 and 5% between £300,000 and £500,000. Above £500,000 the relief is withdrawn entirely, so a purchase at £505,000 is taxed on the standard rates from the first pound. Wales has no equivalent relief.

Additional properties

Buying a second home or a buy-to-let adds a surcharge on top of every band: 5% in England and Northern Ireland, and a separate set of higher rates in Wales starting at 5% from the first pound. Neither applies below £40,000.

If you are replacing your main residence and your previous home has been sold, the surcharge should not apply. If the sale has not yet completed you may have to pay it and reclaim it later, subject to the time limits, which is worth raising with your conveyancer early rather than discovering at completion.

Non-UK residents

A further 2% applies to residential purchases in England and Northern Ireland by buyers who have not been present in the UK for at least 183 days in the preceding 12 months. There is no equivalent surcharge under Welsh Land Transaction Tax.

What the calculator cannot cover

Residential purchases only, and the mainstream cases. It cannot handle multiple dwellings, mixed-use or non-residential rates, linked transactions, purchases by companies or trusts, shared ownership, annexes, or the various reliefs that apply in narrower circumstances.

Rates are transcribed from GOV.UK and GOV.WALES and are correct as at August 2026. This is a guide, not tax advice, and Sable and Stone Real Estate is not a tax adviser. Your conveyancer is responsible for calculating and submitting the return. Confirm the figure with them before you commit.

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