Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is charged band by band, not as one flat rate on the whole price. Each slice of the purchase price sits in its own band, and only the amount inside that band is taxed at that band's rate — the same method the calculator above uses.
Say you are buying a home for £300,000 as a standard, not first-time, buyer:
A first-time buyer pays 0% on that same £300,000 purchase — nothing at all — because the first-time buyer nil-rate band covers the whole price on any property up to £500,000. Above £300,000, a first-time buyer pays 5% on the portion between £300,001 and £500,000. Buy above £500,000 and the relief no longer applies; the standard bands are used instead.
A second home or buy-to-let carries a 5% surcharge on top of every standard band. The same £300,000 purchase becomes 5% on the first £125,000 (£6,250), 7% on the next £125,000 (£8,750) and 10% on the remaining £50,000 (£5,000) — £20,000 in total, four times the standard-buyer figure on the same price.
Enter your own price and buyer type in the calculator above for the exact band-by-band breakdown.
Stamp duty must be paid within 14 days of completion. Your solicitor usually handles this from the completion funds.
First-time buyers pay 0% on the first £300,000 of a property up to £500,000. Above that, standard rates apply.
Buying a second home or buy-to-let? A 5% surcharge is applied across all standard SDLT bands.
SDLT is worked out band by band: each slice of the purchase price is taxed at that band's own rate, and only the amount inside the band is taxed at it — not the whole price at one rate. Standard rates run 0% up to £125,000, 2% up to £250,000, 5% up to £925,000, 10% up to £1.5 million and 12% above that.
As a standard buyer: 0% on the first £125,000, 2% on the next £125,000 (£2,500) and 5% on the remaining £50,000 (£2,500) — £5,000 in total, an effective rate of 1.67%.
Nothing on the first £300,000 of any property priced up to £500,000 — the first-time buyer nil-rate band covers the whole amount, so a £300,000 purchase pays £0. Between £300,001 and £500,000 a first-time buyer pays 5% on the amount above £300,000. Above £500,000, the relief no longer applies and standard rates are used instead.
A 5% surcharge is added to every standard band. On a £300,000 purchase that is 5% on the first £125,000, 7% on the next £125,000 and 10% on the remaining £50,000 — £20,000 in total, against £5,000 for a standard buyer on the same price.
Within 14 days of completion. Your solicitor normally arranges payment from the completion funds and files the return, so it does not usually need action from you on the day.
It is a free estimating tool using the current published SDLT bands, not an official HMRC calculation. The figures should not be relied on as legal or financial advice — always confirm the exact amount with your solicitor before exchange.
Stamp duty in England is charged in bands. Since 1 April 2025 a home mover pays 0% on the first £125,000, 2% on £125,001 to £250,000, 5% on £250,001 to £925,000, 10% on £925,001 to £1.5 million and 12% above that. That is how to work out stamp duty on a house: add up the tax in each band, or let this calculator do it. If you are wondering how to calculate stamp duty for a quick figure, enter the price above.
First-time buyers pay no stamp duty on the first £300,000 and 5% on the part from £300,001 to £500,000. If the price is over £500,000 the relief does not apply and the normal rates are used. Tick first-time buyer in the calculator to see your figure.
Stamp duty is worked out on the price you pay for the property. A further 5% surcharge on every band applies if you will own more than one home after buying, for example a buy-to-let or second home.
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