Stamp Duty
In plain English: A tax buyers pay on UK property purchases above a threshold — with different rules in England, Scotland and Wales.
How it's calculated
Stamp duty in all three UK jurisdictions works on a "slice" basis: each band of the purchase price is taxed at a different rate, and you add them up. There is no single flat rate.
Three systems, one concept
| Jurisdiction | Tax name | Collected by |
|---|---|---|
| England and Northern Ireland | Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) | HMRC |
| Scotland | Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) | Revenue Scotland |
| Wales | Land Transaction Tax (LTT) | Welsh Revenue Authority |
Thresholds and rates move — always check the current HMRC, Revenue Scotland or WRA pages before exchange.
Surcharges to watch for
- Additional Dwelling Supplement (Scotland) / Higher Rates (England) / Higher Residential Rates (Wales) apply to second homes and buy-to-let purchases.
- Non-resident surcharge applies to buyers who have not been UK-resident for at least 183 days in the 12 months before purchase (England and NI).
Where Offrly fits
Try our free UK Stamp Duty Calculator to see the exact charge for any purchase price, including first-time-buyer relief and second-home surcharges.
Why Offrly? It's the free photo-aware AI valuation — the AI reads each comparable's photos the way a seasoned property analyst would, and a hyperlocal regression resolves prices down to the street rather than the postcode. Live comparables on every query. About 30 seconds, no signup, no email.
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Indicative market guidance — not a regulated valuation and not financial, tax or legal advice. Use a RICS-qualified surveyor for mortgage, insurance or probate purposes.
Related terms
- Completion — stamp duty is due within 14 days of completion
- Loan-to-value — stamp duty is calculated on the purchase price, not the mortgage
- Off-plan — stamp duty is still due on new-build purchases
Put the term into practice
Get a free UK house or rental valuation, or search live listings in plain English.
Open Offrly →FAQ: Stamp Duty
Who pays stamp duty?
The buyer, not the seller. It is due within 14 days of completion in England and Northern Ireland. Scotland uses LBTT, Wales uses LTT — same principle, different rates.
Is there stamp duty on rentals?
Only in very narrow cases where the total rent payable over the term of the lease exceeds a large threshold. Typical residential tenancies do not attract SDLT.
Do first-time buyers pay stamp duty?
First-time buyers get a reduced rate or nil band in all three jurisdictions, subject to a price cap. Check current thresholds before exchange — they change.
Is stamp duty the same in Scotland and Wales?
No. Scotland uses Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) and Wales uses Land Transaction Tax (LTT). The structure is similar — a progressive band system — but rates and thresholds differ.