Stamp duty calculator 2026
Work out the SDLT on your purchase in seconds — as a home mover, first-time buyer or buy-to-let investor — using the bands in force for 2025/26.
How stamp duty works in 2026
SDLT is charged in bands: you pay each rate only on the slice of the price within that band, not the top rate on the whole price. The bands changed on 1 April 2025, lowering the nil-rate threshold to £125,000 and first-time buyer relief to £300,000.
| Portion of price | Standard rate |
|---|---|
| Up to £125,000 | 0% |
| £125,001 – £250,000 | 2% |
| £250,001 – £925,000 | 5% |
| £925,001 – £1.5m | 10% |
| Above £1.5m | 12% |
First-time buyers pay nothing up to £300,000 and 5% to £500,000 (no relief above that). Second homes and buy-to-let add a 5% surcharge to every band. These figures were last verified in June 2026 — always confirm the final figure on gov.uk, as rates change each Budget.
- It’s a banded tax — only the slice in each band is charged at that rate.
- First-time buyer relief: 0% to £300k, then 5% to £500k.
- Additional property / BTL: +5% on every band from £40k.
- Remortgaging your own home is generally SDLT-free.
When and how stamp duty is paid
Stamp duty is due on completion, not at exchange and not spread over the mortgage. In practice your conveyancer usually files the return and pays it on your behalf from funds you provide — so it needs to be sitting in cash alongside your deposit, not borrowed.
That cash-flow point catches buyers out more often than the rates themselves. It sits on top of the deposit, the legal fees, the survey and the moving costs, and unlike most of those it cannot be added to the loan. Work out the total upfront requirement early, before committing to a price bracket.
The surcharge, and when it applies unexpectedly
An additional rate applies where you end up owning more than one residential property — which is what makes it relevant to landlords and to anyone buying through a company. The point people miss is that it can catch a straightforward move if the sale and purchase do not complete on the same day, since you briefly own two homes.
Where the previous main residence is sold within the permitted window, a refund of the surcharge can usually be claimed. It is worth knowing before completion rather than discovering afterwards, because the claim has a deadline. If you are keeping the old property deliberately, let-to-buy covers that route and the surcharge is part of its arithmetic.
Where it changes the investment case
On a buy-to-let purchase the surcharge is a material acquisition cost, and it belongs in the yield calculation rather than being treated as a footnote. A property that looks attractive on rent alone can look ordinary once the full purchase cost is counted.
The rental yield calculator works from the property value, so run the numbers with the true all-in acquisition cost to see what the investment actually returns. Rules differ across Scotland and Wales, which operate their own land transaction taxes with their own thresholds — this calculator covers England and Northern Ireland.
Stamp duty, answered
What are the stamp duty bands in 2026?+
For England and Northern Ireland: 0% up to £125,000, 2% from £125,001 to £250,000, 5% from £250,001 to £925,000, 10% from £925,001 to £1.5m, and 12% above £1.5m. You pay each rate only on the portion of the price within that band.
How much stamp duty do first-time buyers pay?+
First-time buyers pay no SDLT up to £300,000 and 5% on the portion from £300,001 to £500,000. Above a £500,000 purchase price the relief is withdrawn and standard rates apply to the whole price.
What is the surcharge on a second home or buy-to-let?+
An additional 5% is added to every band on second homes and buy-to-let purchases of £40,000 or more, on top of the standard rates.
Do I pay stamp duty when I remortgage?+
No. A straight remortgage of a property you already own does not trigger SDLT because there is no change of ownership — one reason remortgaging is an efficient way to improve your rate or raise capital.
Do first-time buyers pay stamp duty?+
First-time buyers benefit from relief up to a threshold, above which duty becomes payable in the normal way. Both buyers must be first-time buyers for the relief to apply, and the property must be the one you intend to live in. The relief is one of the more valuable reliefs available, so it is worth confirming eligibility early.
Is stamp duty different in Scotland and Wales?+
Yes. Scotland operates Land and Buildings Transaction Tax and Wales operates Land Transaction Tax, each with its own bands, thresholds and rules. This calculator covers England and Northern Ireland, so use the relevant national calculator if you are buying elsewhere in the UK.