UK Stamp Duty Calculator

How does this tool calculate stamp duty?

It runs the purchase price through a list of bands. For each band it takes the part of the price that falls inside it, multiplies by that band’s rate and adds the results. The bands depend on the location and buyer type you select. Nothing is rounded until the final figure is shown to the nearest pound.

Which tax year and rates does the tool use for England?

The England and Northern Ireland figures built into this tool are labelled 2026-27, as are the Scotland and Wales figures. For a home mover they are 0% up to £125,000, 2% to £250,000, 5% to £925,000, 10% to £1.5 million and 12% above. First-time buyers pay 0% to £300,000 and 5% on the part between £300,000 and £500,000, and the additional-property option adds 5 percentage points to every band, starting from the first pound. These are not presented as current law.

What happens just above the first-time buyer ceiling?

The relief is all-or-nothing in this tool. At a price of £500,000 a first-time buyer is charged £10,000, but at £500,001 the tool switches to the standard bands and the charge becomes £15,000. This step is built into the calculation, so check prices close to the threshold with care.

How are Scotland and Wales handled?

Scotland uses LBTT bands of 0% to £145,000 (£175,000 for first-time buyers), 2% to £250,000, 5% to £325,000, 10% to £750,000 and 12% above. The additional-property option adds an 8% supplement on the whole price on top. Wales uses LTT main bands of 0% to £225,000, 6% to £400,000, 7.5% to £750,000, 10% to £1.5 million and 12% above, with a separate higher table for additional properties of 5% to £180,000, 8.5% to £250,000, 10% to £400,000, 12.5% to £750,000, 15% to £1.5 million and 17% above (the higher rates rose by one percentage point on 11 December 2024). Wales has no first-time buyer relief in this tool, so first-time buyers get the home-mover result there.

What is not included?

Surcharges for non-UK residents, purchases by companies, mixed-use and non-residential property, leasehold rent calculations, multiple-dwelling relief, refunds for replacing a main home, filing deadlines, penalties and legal or survey fees are not modelled. Only the price, buyer type and location feed the result.

What does “effective tax rate” show?

It is the tax divided by the price, as a percentage with two decimals. A £300,000 England home mover pays £5,000, which is 1.67% of the price, even though the highest band they touch is 5%. The “total cost” line is simply price plus tax, with no other purchase costs.

Are the thresholds kept up to date?

No. Land tax rates and thresholds change, sometimes in the middle of a year, and the tables in this tool are not updated automatically. Duty schedules change, and the relevant authority (HMRC, Revenue Scotland or the Welsh Revenue Authority) governs what applies to a specific purchase.