Calculate exactly how much SDLT you'll pay — first-time buyer, home mover, or buy to let. Updated for the April 2025 threshold changes.
First-time buyer nil-rate threshold drops from £425,000 to £300,000 on 1 April 2025. Standard nil-rate drops from £250,000 to £125,000. If completing between £125K–£250K or as FTB between £300K–£425K — complete before 31 March 2025 to save money.
Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is calculated on a tiered basis — like income tax. You pay each rate only on the portion of the property price within that band, not on the full price. This means the rate shown for a £400,000 property is not applied to the entire £400,000.
Example for a home mover buying £400,000 (before April 2025): 0% on first £250,000 = £0. 5% on £250,001–£400,000 (£150,000) = £7,500. Total SDLT = £7,500.
First-time buyers in England and Northern Ireland currently (until 31 March 2025) pay no stamp duty on properties up to £425,000 — and 5% only on the portion between £425,001 and £625,000. Properties above £625,000 don't qualify for relief.
From 1 April 2025, the nil-rate threshold drops to £300,000, and the upper relief limit reduces to £500,000. If you're a first-time buyer purchasing between £300,001 and £425,000, completing before 31 March 2025 saves you up to £6,250.
Additional residential property purchases incur a 3% surcharge on top of standard SDLT rates across all bands. This applies to: buy to let investments, holiday homes, and any residential property purchased when you already own another. The surcharge applies even if the new property is purchased through a limited company.
If you sell your main residence after buying a new one, you can claim a refund of the 3% surcharge within 36 months of the purchase, provided you sell the original property within that window.
| Band | Standard (before Apr 25) | Standard (from Apr 25) | FTB (before Apr 25) | FTB (from Apr 25) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £0–£125K | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| £125K–£250K | 0% | 2% | 0% | 0% |
| £250K–£300K | 5% | 5% | 0% | 0% |
| £300K–£425K | 5% | 5% | 0% | 5% |
| £425K–£625K | 5% | 5% | 5% | 5% |
| £925K–£1.5M | 10% | 10% | 10% | 10% |
| Above £1.5M | 12% | 12% | 12% | 12% |
| Additional property surcharge | +3% | +3% | N/A | N/A |