What Is LTT / Stamp Duty in Wales?
In Wales, stamp duty is officially called Land Transaction Tax, usually shortened to LTT. It replaced Stamp Duty Land Tax in Wales in April 2018 and is administered by the Welsh Revenue Authority, not HMRC. The buyer pays LTT when purchasing Welsh property or land above the relevant threshold; the seller does not pay stamp duty in a standard sale.
Land Transaction Tax applies to residential property, land, commercial property, mixed-use property, and leases in Wales. Scotland and Wales both have devolved property taxes, while England and Northern Ireland still use SDLT. Most buyers search for stamp duty Wales or Welsh stamp duty, but the tax you are calculating on this page is LTT. There is also no first time buyer LTT relief in Wales, which makes the Welsh rules different from both England and Scotland.
Current LTT Rates for Wales (2026)
The current stamp duty Wales rates are set by the Welsh Government and collected by the Welsh Revenue Authority. Standard residential LTT is tiered, so each rate applies only to the portion of the price in that band. Higher residential rates apply to second homes and buy-to-let purchases using a separate band structure. Use the stamp duty calculator Wales tool above for an exact LTT figure.
Standard Residential LTT Rates (2026)
| Property value | 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% |
Higher Rate LTT for Second Homes & Buy-to-Let
| Property value | LTT rate |
|---|---|
| Up to £180,000 | 5% |
| £180,001 to £250,000 | 8.5% |
| £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% |
How Is LTT Calculated?
LTT is calculated in bands, which means you only pay the relevant rate on the slice of the purchase price within each band. For a standard £300,000 property in Wales, you pay 0% on the first £225,000 and 6% on the remaining £75,000, giving total LTT of £4,500. This LTT calculator does the same stamp duty calculation automatically.
For a £300,000 second home in Wales under the current higher residential rates, the calculation is 5% on the first £180,000 (£9,000), 8.5% on the next £70,000 (£5,950), and 10% on the final £50,000 (£5,000). Total LTT is therefore £19,950. LTT is calculated from the effective date of the transaction, which is usually completion.
LTT for First Time Buyers
There is no first time buyer stamp duty Wales relief. First time buyers in Wales pay the same standard LTT rates as any other standard buyer, with no separate exemption or special band. The £225,000 nil-rate threshold can still mean a first time buyer pays no LTT when buying below that price, but that is the standard threshold for everyone, not a dedicated first time buyer relief.
This differs from England and Northern Ireland, where first time buyer SDLT relief can apply on qualifying homes up to £500,000, and from Scotland, where first time buyer LBTT relief raises the nil-rate threshold to £175,000. Use the LTT calculator above and select standard residential purchase for a first home in Wales.
LTT on Second Homes & Buy-to-Let
Second homes and buy-to-let properties in Wales attract higher rate LTT. Wales does not simply add a flat surcharge to standard rates; it has its own higher-rate band structure, so a Welsh second home calculation can be materially different from the equivalent SDLT calculation in England.
Use our second home stamp duty calculator to compare Wales higher residential rates with the England and Scotland additional-property rules. Professional legal advice is essential before relying on any ownership structure or relief.
How Much Is Stamp Duty in Wales?
"Stamp duty" in Wales is officially called LTT, but most people still search for stamp duty Wales, stamp duty calculator Wales, or Welsh stamp duty calculator. Wales has its own rates set independently by the Welsh Government, so the answer is different to England and Scotland. The standard nil-rate threshold in Wales is £225,000, higher than England's £125,000 standard SDLT threshold and Scotland's £145,000 standard LBTT threshold.
Use the LTT calculator at the top of this page as a stamp duty estimator for any Welsh property purchase. For England and Northern Ireland use the SDLT calculator, and for Scotland use the LBTT calculator.
When Do You Pay LTT in Wales?
LTT must be paid within 30 days of the effective date of the transaction, which is usually completion. That is the same 30-day window used in Scotland and different from England's 14-day SDLT deadline. Your solicitor or conveyancer usually files the LTT return and makes payment to the Welsh Revenue Authority.
Buyers can also file and pay directly through the Welsh Revenue Authority online portal, but most residential buyers let their solicitor handle it. Late payment can trigger penalties and interest. Who pays stamp duty in Wales? Always the buyer, never the seller, and an LTT return must usually be submitted even when no tax is due.
Is Stamp Duty Changing in Wales?
LTT rates are set by the Welsh Government independently of UK Budget decisions. The April 2025 stamp duty changes in England did not apply to Wales, and no further LTT changes have been announced as of May 2026. Wales has changed rates independently of England in the past and can do so again. This Welsh stamp duty calculator is updated if any Welsh Government changes are announced.
For England stamp duty changes, use the SDLT calculator for England & NI. For a UK-wide overview, return to the stamp duty calculator for all UK regions.
FAQ Section: Questions You Might Have
What is stamp duty in Wales?+−
In Wales, stamp duty is called Land Transaction Tax (LTT). It replaced Stamp Duty Land Tax in Wales in April 2018 and is administered by the Welsh Revenue Authority. It is paid by the buyer on residential property, land, and commercial property purchases in Wales.
What does LTT stand for?+−
LTT stands for Land Transaction Tax. It is the Welsh equivalent of Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) in England and Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) in Scotland.
How much is stamp duty in Wales?+−
In Wales, LTT rates for a standard residential buyer are: 0% up to £225,000; 6% on £225,001 to £400,000; 7.5% on £400,001 to £750,000; 10% on £750,001 to £1.5 million; and 12% above that. Use the LTT calculator above for an exact figure.
Do first time buyers get stamp duty relief in Wales?+−
No. Unlike England and Scotland, Wales does not have a specific first time buyer LTT relief. First time buyers pay the same standard LTT rates as any other buyer. The standard nil-rate threshold of £225,000 applies to everyone.
How much is stamp duty on a second home in Wales?+−
Second homes and buy-to-let properties in Wales attract higher rate LTT. The current higher rates are: 5% up to £180,000; 8.5% on £180,001 to £250,000; 10% on £250,001 to £400,000; 12.5% on £400,001 to £750,000; 15% on £750,001 to £1.5 million; and 17% above that.
When do you pay LTT in Wales?+−
LTT must be paid within 30 days of the effective date of the transaction, which is usually the completion date. Your solicitor files the return and makes the payment to the Welsh Revenue Authority as part of the conveyancing process.
Who pays stamp duty in Wales — the buyer or the seller?+−
The buyer always pays LTT. The seller has no LTT liability in a standard property sale in Wales.
How does LTT in Wales differ from stamp duty in England?+−
Wales uses LTT with its own rate bands, administered by the Welsh Revenue Authority. England uses SDLT administered by HMRC. Wales has no first time buyer relief, a £225,000 standard nil-rate threshold, a different higher-rate structure for second homes, and a 30-day payment deadline rather than England's 14 days.
Is stamp duty changing in Wales in 2026?+−
No further changes to LTT rates have been announced by the Welsh Government as of May 2026. LTT is set independently of UK Budget decisions so changes to stamp duty in England do not automatically affect LTT in Wales. This calculator is updated if any changes are announced.
Can I use this calculator for a property on the England-Wales border?+−
LTT applies to any property located in Wales, regardless of where the buyer lives. If a property is located in Wales, LTT applies. If it is in England, SDLT applies. The location of the property, not the buyer, determines which tax applies.