📊 UK Stamp Duty (SDLT) Calculator

UK Stamp Duty Land Tax applies in marginal bands like income tax. On a £350,000 standard residential purchase: 0 percent to £125,000, 2 percent on £125,001-£250,000 (£2,500), and 5 percent on £250,001-£350,000 (£5,000), for £7,500 total. First-time buyers pay nothing to £300,000 and 5 percent to £500,000. This calculator applies the 2026 bands exactly.

The marginal structure is the key insight: only the slice of price inside each band pays that band’s rate. A £350,000 buyer does not pay 5 percent on £350,000; they pay it on £100,000. Confusing marginal with flat rates overstates SDLT enormously.

How to Use This Calculator

Enter the purchase price and pick standard or first-time buyer. The calculator walks the bands and shows the tax slice by slice.

2026 SDLT Bands

These are the bands in force since the October 2024 changes, still current in 2026. Buyers of additional properties pay a 5 percent surcharge on top of these rates across the whole price. Scotland (LBTT) and Wales (LTT) run separate taxes with different bands; this calculator covers England and Northern Ireland SDLT.

Rates change at Budgets, so verify against gov.uk before exchanging contracts if a fiscal event is near. Transitional rules can apply to transactions straddling a change date.

Worked Example

£350,000 standard purchase. Band 1: £125,000 at 0% = £0. Band 2: £125,000 at 2% = £2,500. Band 3: £100,000 at 5% = £5,000. Total = £7,500. Effective rate: 2.14 percent.

First-time buyer version: £350,000 FTB purchase (under the £500,000 cap). Band 1: £300,000 at 0% = £0. Band 2: £50,000 at 5% = £2,500. Total = £2,500, saving £5,000 versus standard rates. Over £500,000 the relief vanishes entirely and standard rates apply to the whole price, which creates a sharp cliff worth planning around.

SDLT Planning Points

Joint buyers are only first-time buyers if neither has owned before, anywhere in the world. Married couples buying together face linked-transaction rules. And SDLT is only one moving cost: deposit, fees, and moving itself dwarf it on most purchases, so budget the whole move. For the US equivalent purchase math, our closing cost estimator totals American buyer costs.

Reliefs Worth Knowing

The multiple dwellings relief abolition in 2024 raised costs for portfolio buyers overnight: check any pre-2024 advice against current law. Shared ownership buyers can pay SDLT on just their share initially, or elect to pay on the full market value once; the election suits those who will staircase to 100 percent. Reliefs are claimed on the return, not granted automatically, so tell your solicitor which ones apply. Missed reliefs can sometimes be reclaimed within the amendment window, but prevention beats cure.

SDLT on Leaseholds

Leasehold purchases pay SDLT on the premium like freeholds, plus a separate calculation on the rent itself: 1 percent on the net present value of the rent above the £150,000 threshold for residential leases. Short leases at peppercorn rents owe nothing extra; long leases at high ground rents can add thousands. Most residential buyers barely notice the rent element, but it is computed on every leasehold return.

Your solicitor handles both calculations on the SDLT return, but understanding them prevents surprises at completion. Lease extensions and collective enfranchisement have their own SDLT treatments, generally more favorable. As with everything in UK property tax, the edge cases have edge cases: professional advice is not optional for anything unusual. Budget the standard case with this calculator; budget the advice for the rest.

SDLT and Shared Ownership Staircasing

Shared ownership buyers who elected to pay SDLT only on their initial share face SDLT on staircasing tranches only if a tranche exceeds the threshold, which is rare. Those who elected on the full market value upfront pay nothing more as they staircase. The election is a one-time choice with long consequences: model both paths before deciding, because the wrong election costs thousands.

Resales of shared ownership have their own wrinkles: the housing association’s nomination rights, valuation disputes, and the SDLT position of the incoming buyer. None of it is DIY. Specialist conveyancers handle shared ownership daily and earn their fees in avoided mistakes. Standard transactions use this calculator; shared ownership uses a specialist plus this calculator.

Estimates for planning only, not financial advice.