How Much Stamp Duty Will I Pay? UK Calculator 2026/27

Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is a tiered tax charged on residential property purchases in England and Northern Ireland. Unlike a flat-rate tax, SDLT uses a progressive band system — you only pay the higher rate on the portion of the price that falls within each band, not on the entire purchase price. This means a property costing £300,000 is not taxed at a single rate; instead, each slice of the price is taxed at the rate that applies to that particular band.

Our calculator applies the current 2026/27 SDLT bands automatically. Enter the full purchase price of the property you are buying, then select your buyer type. The tool instantly splits the price across all relevant thresholds, calculates the tax due in each band and totals everything into a single figure. You will also see the effective tax rate — the total SDLT expressed as a percentage of the purchase price — which is useful for comparing the real cost across different property values.

If you are a first-time buyer purchasing a property priced at or below £500,000, select the "First-Time Buyer" option. First-time buyer relief raises the nil-rate threshold to £300,000, meaning you pay no stamp duty on the first £300,000 and just 5% on the portion between £300,001 and £500,000. This relief can save you thousands compared to standard rates. If the property costs more than £500,000, the relief does not apply and standard rates are used on the entire price.

For anyone purchasing an additional property — a second home, holiday let or buy-to-let investment — the calculator adds the 5% surcharge on top of every standard band. This surcharge applies from the very first pound and is calculated on the full purchase price, which significantly increases the total SDLT bill. Select "Additional Property" to see the combined standard-plus-surcharge rates broken down band by band.

Once you hit calculate, the results panel shows the total SDLT due, the effective rate and a full band-by-band breakdown table. Use this information alongside our moving costs calculator to build a complete picture of what your property purchase will cost from start to finish.

Stamp Duty Land Tax must be paid within 14 days of the completion date — the day ownership legally transfers to you. In practice, your solicitor or licensed conveyancer handles the entire process: they complete the SDLT return, submit it to HMRC electronically and arrange payment from the funds held on your behalf. You do not need to contact HMRC yourself, but you should confirm with your solicitor that the return has been filed on time, as late submissions attract automatic penalties and interest. Use our conveyancing costs calculator to estimate solicitor fees alongside your SDLT bill.

If you are buying through a shared ownership scheme, you can choose to pay SDLT on the full market value of the property upfront, or pay in stages — known as a market value election. Paying upfront means you will not owe additional SDLT when you staircase (buy further shares), but it does mean a larger bill on day one. Your solicitor can advise which option works best for your circumstances.

Transferring a share to a spouse or civil partner is not automatically exempt from SDLT. Cash paid or mortgage debt taken over can count as chargeable consideration. Qualifying transfers under divorce, dissolution or legal-separation arrangements have separate exemptions. This purchase-price calculator does not determine the treatment of a transfer; check HMRC transfer guidance with your conveyancer.

Certain corporate bodies buying residential property for more than £500,000 may be charged a special 17% SDLT rate; conditions and reliefs apply. This calculator does not calculate that corporate rate. Some corporate owners may also have a separate Annual Tax on Enveloped Dwellings (ATED) liability.

For first-time buyers, the relief available from April 2025 is worth up to £5,000 in savings compared to standard rates. To qualify, you must never have owned a freehold or leasehold interest in a residential property anywhere in the world, and the property must be priced at £500,000 or below. If you are buying jointly, all purchasers must be first-time buyers — if even one person has previously owned a property, the relief is lost for the entire purchase.

Beyond SDLT, buying a home involves several other costs that catch people off guard — solicitor fees, surveys, removal costs and arrangement fees all add up. Before committing to a property, use our moving costs calculator to get a full breakdown of the total cost of moving.