Stamp Duty UK: SDLT, LBTT and LTT Rates Explained by Nation

Stamp duty is not one UK tax. England and Northern Ireland charge Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT), Scotland charges Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT), and Wales charges Land Transaction Tax (LTT), each set independently by its own government, with different nil rate thresholds, different first time buyer relief and different rates for additional properties.

Three separate taxes, not one stamp duty

England and Northern Ireland charge Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT), administered by HMRC. Scotland charges Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT), administered by Revenue Scotland since 2015. Wales charges Land Transaction Tax (LTT), administered by the Welsh Revenue Authority since April 2018. These are not one tax with three sets of numbers. Each is a separate statutory scheme that its own government can amend at its own budget, independently of the other two (gov.uk: Stamp Duty Land Tax; Revenue Scotland: Land and Buildings Transaction Tax; gov.wales: Land Transaction Tax guide).

SDLT: England and Northern Ireland

Standard rates, as of 28 September 2026

These figures have applied since 1 April 2025 (gov.uk: SDLT residential property rates). Before that date, a temporary higher nil rate band applied (£250,000 standard, £425,000 for first time buyers up to a £625,000 price cap), which reverted to the figures above when the temporary measure expired (gov.uk: SDLT rates, 23 September 2022 to 30 October 2024).

First time buyer relief

A first time buyer pays 0% up to £300,000, then 5% on the portion from £300,001 to £500,000. If the price is over £500,000, the relief is lost entirely and the standard rates above apply to the full price, not just the portion over £500,000 (gov.uk: SDLT residential property rates).

Additional dwellings and non resident buyers

Buying an additional residential property, a second home or a buy to let, adds 5 percentage points to every band of the standard table, up from 3 points before 31 October 2024:

Where contracts were exchanged before 31 October 2024 but completed on or after that date, transitional rules may keep the older 3 point surcharge (gov.uk: HMRC policy paper).

A buyer who is not UK resident, meaning they were not present in the UK for at least 183 days in the 12 months before the purchase, pays a further 2% surcharge on top of everything else. This has applied since 1 April 2021 and stacks with the additional dwelling surcharge, so a non resident buying a second home pays the standard rate plus 5 points plus 2 points, 7 percentage points above the standard table in total (same source). A buyer who paid the surcharge and has since become UK resident for SDLT purposes may be able to claim a refund of it (gov.uk: SDLT refunds).

A company or other non natural person buying a residential property costing more than £500,000 may pay a single 17% rate on the whole price, up from 15% before 31 October 2024 (gov.uk: HMRC policy paper on the higher rates and the non-natural persons rate). Reliefs, for example for a property used in a property rental business, can take the purchase out of the 17% rate, in which case the higher rates above apply instead (gov.uk: SDLT for corporate bodies; gov.uk: SDLT on an additional property). Multiple Dwellings Relief, which let a buyer of 2 or more dwellings in one transaction work out the tax on the average price per dwelling, was abolished for transactions with an effective date on or after 1 June 2024, with a transitional saving for some contracts entered into on or before 6 March 2024 (legislation.gov.uk: Finance (No. 2) Act 2024, section 7). A separate rule was not abolished: 6 or more dwellings bought in a single transaction are treated as non residential property, so the non residential rates apply; before 1 June 2024 such a buyer could instead choose the higher rates with Multiple Dwellings Relief (legislation.gov.uk: Finance Act 2003, section 116; gov.uk: SDLT on an additional property; gov.uk: SDLT residential property rates).

How the bands add up: worked examples

SDLT is charged band by band, not as a single rate on the whole price. Each example below shows the arithmetic for illustration only, not a promise of what a real purchase will cost. Always confirm your own figure with HMRC's calculator, linked below.

A £300,000 purchase, not a first time buyer, no surcharge:

• £0 to £125,000 at 0%: £0
• £125,001 to £250,000 (£125,000 of value) at 2%: £2,500
• £250,001 to £300,000 (£50,000 of value) at 5%: £2,500
• Total: £5,000

The same £300,000 purchase, as a first time buyer: the whole price falls within the £300,000 first time buyer nil rate band, so the total is £0.

The same £300,000 purchase, as an additional dwelling:

• £0 to £125,000 at 5%: £6,250
• £125,001 to £250,000 (£125,000 of value) at 7%: £8,750
• £250,001 to £300,000 (£50,000 of value) at 10%: £5,000
• Total: £20,000

LBTT: Scotland

Standard rates, as of 28 September 2026

These bands have applied since 1 April 2021 (Revenue Scotland: LBTT residential property). First time buyer relief raises the nil rate band to £175,000, worth up to £600 for a first time buyer (same source).

A £300,000 purchase, not a first time buyer, no ADS:

• £0 to £145,000 at 0%: £0
• £145,001 to £250,000 (£105,000 of value) at 2%: £2,100
• £250,001 to £300,000 (£50,000 of value) at 5%: £2,500
• Total: £4,600

The Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS)

Buying an additional property in Scotland adds a flat Additional Dwelling Supplement, charged as a separate calculation alongside LBTT rather than folded into a single blended table. The rate is 8% for transactions on or after 5 December 2024 (6% still applies where the contract was entered into on or before 4 December 2024), up from 6% since 16 December 2022, 4% since 25 January 2019, and 3% before that (Revenue Scotland: Additional Dwelling Supplement). ADS applies to most purchases of residential property by companies and certain trusts, even a first one, but not where the price is less than £40,000 (same source). Where a buyer later sells their previous main home, they can reclaim ADS within a repayment window of 36 months, extended from 18 months for transactions with an effective date on or after 1 April 2024 (same source).

Filing deadline

An LBTT return must be made within 30 days of the effective date of the transaction, confirmed directly in the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (Scotland) Act 2013 itself (legislation.gov.uk: LBTT Act 2013, section 29).

LTT: Wales

Standard rates, as of 28 September 2026

The nil rate threshold has applied since 10 October 2022 (gov.wales: LTT rates and bands, last updated 10 December 2024). There is no first time buyers' relief in Wales: Land Transaction Tax, which has applied in Wales since 1 April 2018, has none (gov.wales: LTT guide; gov.wales: LTT rates and bands). Every buyer, first time or not, uses the same table above.

A £300,000 purchase in Wales:

• £0 to £225,000 at 0%: £0
• £225,001 to £300,000 (£75,000 of value) at 6%: £4,500
• Total: £4,500

Higher rates for second homes

Rates for an additional residential property rose on 11 December 2024:

(gov.wales: LTT rates and bands)

Filing deadline

An LTT return must reach the Welsh Revenue Authority, with payment, within 30 days of completion or the other effective date of the transaction (gov.wales: LTT guide).

Comparing the same purchase across the three nations

This table illustrates how the same price is treated differently, not what a specific purchase will cost. Rates change at each nation's own budget.

Who pays, and when

The buyer is responsible for the tax, and in practice a solicitor or conveyancer usually files the return and arranges payment as part of completion. SDLT is due within 14 days of the effective date of the purchase, usually completion, the tightest of the three deadlines; both LBTT and LTT allow 30 days.

Check the official calculator before you buy

Rates and thresholds have moved in all three nations within the last two years, so a page like this can only state what was in force as of 28 September 2026. Before relying on a figure for a real purchase, use the government's own calculator: HMRC's SDLT calculator for England and Northern Ireland, Revenue Scotland's LBTT calculator linked from its residential property rates page, or the Welsh Revenue Authority's LTT calculator linked from its Land Transaction Tax guide.

For the wider set of property topics, see the UK property law hub.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is stamp duty the same across the whole UK?

No. England and Northern Ireland charge Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT), Scotland charges Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT), and Wales charges Land Transaction Tax (LTT). Each is a separate tax, set independently by its own government, with different thresholds, different first time buyer relief and different filing deadlines.

Does Wales have first time buyer relief for stamp duty?

No. Land Transaction Tax has no first time buyer relief. Every buyer in Wales, first time or not, pays the same standard rates. England, Northern Ireland (under SDLT) and Scotland (under LBTT) all still offer a first time buyer nil rate band.

How much extra do you pay for a second home?

SDLT adds 5 percentage points to every band of the standard table since 31 October 2024. LBTT adds a flat 8 percent Additional Dwelling Supplement since 5 December 2024, calculated separately from the standard tax. LTT's higher rates for second homes rose on 11 December 2024, from 5% on the lowest band up to 17% above £1,500,000.

How long do you have to pay stamp duty after completion?

SDLT must be filed and paid within 14 days of the effective date, usually completion. LBTT in Scotland and LTT in Wales both allow 30 days.

Do non UK residents pay more stamp duty?

Under SDLT, a non UK resident buying in England or Northern Ireland pays an extra 2 percent surcharge, which stacks with the additional dwelling surcharge if the property is a second home, for up to 7 percentage points above the standard rate in total.

Where can I calculate exactly what I will owe?

Use the official government calculator for your nation: HMRC's SDLT calculator for England and Northern Ireland, Revenue Scotland's LBTT calculator, or the Welsh Revenue Authority's LTT calculator. This page states the rates in force as of 28 September 2026, but only the official calculator reflects the current position at the time you buy.