Stamp Duty Rates 2026: SDLT, LBTT and LTT Across the UK
Stamp duty is a tax you pay when you buy property or land in the UK. The rates you pay depend on four things: where the property is located, how much you are paying for it, what type of buyer you are, and whether you are a UK resident. Get any of those wrong and the figure you budget for will be off.
This article sets out all the current rates across England and Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, explains what each rate applies to, and covers the key reliefs and surcharges that can move the bill up or down significantly. If you want to check the figure for a specific purchase, the stamp duty calculator handles the calculation for all three UK jurisdictions.
Why the UK Has Three Different Stamp Duty Systems
Property purchase tax in the UK is a devolved matter, which means each nation sets its own rates and rules. The three systems are:
- Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) applies in England and Northern Ireland. It is administered by HMRC.
- Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) applies in Scotland. It is administered by Revenue Scotland.
- Land Transaction Tax (LTT) applies in Wales. It is administered by the Welsh Revenue Authority (WRA).
The tax you pay is always based on where the property is located, not where you live. A buyer based in Cardiff who purchases a flat in London pays SDLT. A buyer based in Edinburgh who buys a cottage in Pembrokeshire pays LTT. The rates and thresholds are different in each system, so it matters which one applies to your purchase.
All three systems use a banded, marginal structure. You do not pay one rate on the entire purchase price. You pay each rate only on the portion of the price that sits within that band, similar to how income tax bands work. The sections below set out each system in full.
SDLT Rates in England and Northern Ireland (2026)
The rates currently in force are those that took effect on 1 April 2025, when the temporary higher thresholds introduced in September 2022 expired. Those temporary rates had raised the nil-rate threshold from £125,000 to £250,000 for standard buyers. From April 2025 onwards, the threshold returned to £125,000.
Standard residential rates
Standard rates apply when you are buying a main or only home and are replacing a previous one, or when you own no other residential property.
| Purchase price band | SDLT rate |
|---|---|
| Up to £125,000 | 0% |
| £125,001 to £250,000 | 2% |
| £250,001 to £925,000 | 5% |
| £925,001 to £1,500,000 | 10% |
| Over £1,500,000 | 12% |
Source: HMRC, residential property rates. Effective 1 April 2025.
To give a quick example of how the banding works: on a £300,000 purchase, you pay 0% on the first £125,000 (£0), 2% on the next £125,000 (£2,500), and 5% on the remaining £50,000 (£2,500). The total is £5,000, not 5% of £300,000 which would be £15,000.
First-time buyer rates
First-time buyers in England and Northern Ireland pay no SDLT on the first £300,000, provided the property costs no more than £500,000. On the portion between £300,001 and £500,000, the rate is 5%. If the purchase price is above £500,000, the first-time buyer relief is removed entirely and standard rates apply from the first pound.
| Purchase price band | SDLT rate (first-time buyer) |
|---|---|
| Up to £300,000 | 0% |
| £300,001 to £500,000 | 5% |
| Over £500,000 | Standard rates apply, no relief |
Source: HMRC. Effective 1 April 2025.
To qualify, every buyer named on the purchase must be a first-time buyer. If you are buying jointly and your partner has previously owned a property, the relief does not apply. This includes property owned anywhere in the world, not just the UK. Inherited property counts as ownership even if it was sold immediately after receiving it.
The relief is defined under Section 57B of the Finance Act 2003. Use the England and Northern Ireland SDLT calculator to compare first-time buyer and standard rate figures for any purchase price.
Additional property rates
Anyone purchasing a second home, buy-to-let, or any additional residential property pays a surcharge on top of every standard SDLT band. Since 31 October 2024, the surcharge is 5 percentage points. It was raised from 3 percentage points by the Autumn Budget 2024 and applies to all transactions completing on or after that date.
The surcharge applies from a minimum purchase price of £40,000. Any residential property purchase below that threshold is exempt.
| Purchase price band | Standard rate | Additional property rate |
|---|---|---|
| Up to £125,000 | 0% | 5% |
| £125,001 to £250,000 | 2% | 7% |
| £250,001 to £925,000 | 5% | 10% |
| £925,001 to £1,500,000 | 10% | 15% |
| Over £1,500,000 | 12% | 17% |
Source: HMRC. Surcharge effective 31 October 2024.
The surcharge applies even to the nil-rate band. On a £200,000 second home in England, you pay 5% on the first £125,000 and 7% on the remaining £75,000. A standard buyer at the same price would pay nothing on the first £125,000.
If you are replacing your main residence but have not yet sold your previous home when you complete, you will pay the surcharge at completion. You can claim a refund if you sell the previous property within 36 months. See the stamp duty refund page for how that process works.
Non-UK resident surcharge
Buyers who are not resident in the UK pay an additional 2% surcharge on top of all applicable rates. This was introduced in April 2021. Residency for this purpose is assessed at the date of completion: a buyer must have spent at least 183 days in the UK during the 12-month period ending on the completion date to be treated as UK resident.
The 2% surcharge stacks with any other surcharge that applies. A non-UK resident purchasing an additional property pays the standard rate plus 5 percentage points (additional dwelling) plus 2 percentage points (non-resident). On the highest band, that means an effective rate of 19%.
LBTT Rates in Scotland (2026)
Scotland replaced SDLT with Land and Buildings Transaction Tax in April 2015. The bands and thresholds are different to England, and the system has its own reliefs and surcharges. The nil-rate threshold is £145,000, which is higher than England's £125,000.
Standard residential rates
| Purchase price band | LBTT rate |
|---|---|
| Up to £145,000 | 0% |
| £145,001 to £250,000 | 2% |
| £250,001 to £325,000 | 5% |
| £325,001 to £750,000 | 10% |
| Over £750,000 | 12% |
Source: Revenue Scotland, LBTT rates and bands.
The difference that catches most buyers out is the 10% band. In Scotland it begins at £325,001. In England it does not start until £925,001. That means buyers in Scotland pay significantly more on properties in the mid to upper price range, even though the lower bands are comparable or cheaper.
First-time buyer relief in Scotland
First-time buyers in Scotland benefit from a raised nil-rate threshold of £175,000 rather than £145,000. The maximum saving is £600. Unlike the English equivalent, there is no upper purchase price cap that removes the relief entirely. Above £175,000 the standard LBTT bands simply apply.
Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS)
Scotland's equivalent of the additional property surcharge is the Additional Dwelling Supplement. Since 5 December 2024, the ADS rate is 8%. It applies to any purchase where the buyer will own more than one residential property after completion, on purchases of £40,000 or more.
The ADS works differently to the English surcharge. Rather than adding percentage points to each band, it is calculated as 8% of the entire purchase price and added to the standard LBTT total. On a £300,000 second home in Scotland, the ADS alone is £24,000, on top of the standard LBTT of £4,600.
Use the Scotland LBTT calculator for a breakdown that includes the ADS where it applies.
LTT Rates in Wales (2026)
Wales replaced SDLT with Land Transaction Tax in April 2018. The WRA administers LTT under powers devolved by the Wales Act 2014. Wales has the highest nil-rate threshold in the UK at £225,000. There is no dedicated first-time buyer relief scheme, but the high threshold means most first-time buyers pay nothing anyway.
Standard residential rates
| Purchase price band | LTT rate |
|---|---|
| Up to £225,000 | 0% |
| £225,001 to £400,000 | 6% |
| £400,001 to £750,000 | 7.5% |
| £750,001 to £1,500,000 | 10% |
| Over £1,500,000 | 12% |
Source: Welsh Revenue Authority, LTT rates and bands.
The 6% rate that kicks in above £225,000 is steeper than England's 2% band above £125,000. For properties just above the nil-rate threshold, Wales can be more expensive despite the higher zero-rate band. The LTT return must be filed and payment made within 30 days of completion, compared to 14 days in England.
Higher residential rates for additional properties in Wales
Wales does not add a flat surcharge on top of standard rates the way England does. Instead, it uses a completely separate set of higher rate bands when the buyer already owns another dwelling. These rates were updated on 11 December 2024. Because they are an entirely different rate structure rather than a modification of the standard rates, you cannot work out the additional property figure by adding a percentage to the standard total.
| Purchase price band | Higher residential rate |
|---|---|
| Up to £180,000 | 5% |
| £180,001 to £250,000 | 7.5% |
| £250,001 to £400,000 | 10% |
| £400,001 to £750,000 | 12.5% |
| £750,001 to £1,500,000 | 15% |
| Over £1,500,000 | 17% |
Source: Welsh Revenue Authority. Effective 11 December 2024.
Use the Wales LTT calculator to get accurate figures for both standard and higher-rate Welsh purchases.
How the Rates Compare Across the UK
Because each nation uses different thresholds and bands, the tax on the same purchase price can vary considerably depending on where the property is. The table below shows the standard buyer bill at four common price points.
| Purchase price | England SDLT | Scotland LBTT | Wales LTT |
|---|---|---|---|
| £200,000 | £1,500 | £1,100 | £0 |
| £300,000 | £5,000 | £4,600 | £4,500 |
| £450,000 | £12,500 | £17,350 | £16,500 |
| £750,000 | £27,500 | £48,350 | £39,375 |
At lower price points Scotland and Wales are cheaper or comparable to England. Above £325,000, Scotland's earlier 10% band makes it significantly more expensive. Wales sits between the two at most mid-range prices. These differences can be a meaningful factor for buyers considering properties close to national borders, or investors comparing regional markets.
What Has Changed Recently
UK stamp duty rates have moved several times in the past few years. The key changes that affect purchases completing in 2026 are:
- September 2022: The then-government introduced temporary higher thresholds in England and Northern Ireland. The nil-rate band for standard buyers rose from £125,000 to £250,000. For first-time buyers it rose from £300,000 to £425,000, with the relief cap rising from £500,000 to £625,000. These were always intended to be temporary.
- October 2024: The Autumn Budget raised the additional dwelling surcharge in England and Northern Ireland from 3 percentage points to 5 percentage points. The change took effect on 31 October 2024.
- December 2024: Scotland raised the Additional Dwelling Supplement from 6% to 8%, effective 5 December 2024. Wales updated its higher residential LTT rates, effective 11 December 2024.
- April 2025: The temporary SDLT thresholds in England and Northern Ireland expired. The nil-rate band returned to £125,000 for standard buyers. The first-time buyer nil-rate threshold returned to £300,000 with a £500,000 purchase price cap. No further changes have been announced for 2026.
SDLT is calculated using the rates in force on the date your transaction completes, not the date you made an offer or exchanged contracts. If you are planning a purchase several months ahead, it is worth checking whether any changes have been announced closer to your completion date.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the stamp duty threshold in England in 2026?
The standard nil-rate threshold in England and Northern Ireland is £125,000. No SDLT is payable on the portion of the purchase price up to this amount. For first-time buyers the threshold is £300,000, but only where the property costs no more than £500,000. These thresholds have been in place since 1 April 2025.
Do stamp duty rates differ between England, Scotland, and Wales?
Yes, significantly. Each nation operates its own system with different bands, thresholds and reliefs. Scotland's nil-rate threshold is £145,000 and the top 10% band applies from £325,001. Wales has the highest nil-rate threshold at £225,000 but uses a 6% rate above it. England's 2% band sits between £125,001 and £250,000. The tax also applies to where the property is located, not where the buyer lives.
Why is stamp duty higher on a second home?
Buyers purchasing an additional residential property pay a surcharge on top of standard rates. In England and Northern Ireland, this is 5 percentage points on every band. In Scotland, the Additional Dwelling Supplement is 8% of the full purchase price. In Wales, a separate higher residential rate structure applies. The surcharges were introduced to make it less financially advantageous for investors to outcompete owner-occupiers, particularly first-time buyers.
Is there stamp duty relief for first-time buyers in Wales?
No. Wales does not have a dedicated first-time buyer relief scheme. However, the standard nil-rate threshold in Wales is £225,000, the highest in the UK. Most first-time buyers purchasing at or below that price will pay no LTT at all without needing a specific relief.
When did stamp duty rates last change?
The most recent changes were in April 2025, when the temporary SDLT thresholds in England and Northern Ireland expired. Before that, October 2024 saw the additional dwelling surcharge raised from 3% to 5%, and December 2024 saw changes in both Scotland (ADS raised to 8%) and Wales (higher residential rates updated). No further changes have been announced for 2026.
Does stamp duty apply to new-build properties?
Yes. The same SDLT, LBTT, and LTT rates apply regardless of whether the property is newly built or previously owned. The tax is calculated on the purchase price stated in the contract. For new-builds bought through a Help to Buy or shared ownership scheme, specific rules may apply to how the tax is calculated, and your solicitor will confirm the position.
Can stamp duty rates change before I complete?
Yes. SDLT is calculated using the rates in force on the date of completion. If the government announces a change between the time you exchange contracts and the time you complete, the new rates apply. This is what happened to buyers who exchanged during the temporary relief period but completed after April 2025. Keeping an eye on Budget announcements is sensible if your completion date is several months away.
Disclaimer: The rates in this article are based on official published guidance from HMRC, Revenue Scotland, and the Welsh Revenue Authority as at June 2026. They are provided for information purposes only and are not a substitute for legal or tax advice. Always confirm the stamp duty payable with your solicitor or licensed conveyancer before completing a purchase.
Written by Ali Walton. Last updated June 2026.
Ali Walton
Ali Walton writes clear, practical UK property tax guides for buyers, homeowners, and investors using current stamp duty, SDLT, LBTT, and LTT rules.