UK Stamp Duty by Property Price — Standard vs First-Time Buyer
Understand what SDLT you'll pay on any UK property price, how the slice-based bands work, and where the first-time buyer relief cliff-edge sits.
How SDLT is actually calculated
Stamp Duty Land Tax is not a flat percentage of the price. It's charged in slices, similar to income tax. Each portion of the purchase price that falls within a band is taxed at that band's rate, and the total is the sum. That means the "effective rate" on a £500,000 property (around 3%) is very different from the "top-band rate" someone might quote (5%).
The standard bands for a main residence in England and Northern Ireland are: 0% to £250,000; 5% from £250,001 to £925,000; 10% from £925,001 to £1,500,000; and 12% above £1.5m. A 5% surcharge applies on top of these for second homes and buy-to-let purchases.
First-time buyer relief — and its cliff edge
First-time buyers get a much higher starting threshold: 0% on the first £425,000, 5% from £425,001 to £625,000. But if the purchase price exceeds £625,000, the relief disappears entirely — the buyer reverts to the standard bands. Many buyers near this threshold accidentally trigger thousands of pounds of extra tax by bidding just above it.
SDLT by price band
| Property price | Standard SDLT | First-time buyer | Calculators |
|---|---|---|---|
| £150,000 | £0 SDLT | £0 SDLT | Standard · FTB |
| £200,000 | £0 SDLT | £0 SDLT | Standard · FTB |
| £250,000 | £0 SDLT | £0 SDLT | Standard · FTB |
| £300,000 | £2,500 SDLT | £0 SDLT | Standard · FTB |
| £400,000 | £7,500 SDLT | £0 SDLT | Standard · FTB |
| £500,000 | £12,500 SDLT | £3,750 SDLT | Standard · FTB |
| £625,000 | — | — | |
| £750,000 | — | — | |
| £925,000 | £33,750 SDLT | £40,000 SDLT | Standard · FTB |
| £1,000,000 | £41,250 SDLT | £49,000 SDLT | Standard · FTB |
| £1,500,000 | £91,250 SDLT | £109,000 SDLT | Standard · FTB |
| £2,000,000 | £151,250 SDLT | £169,000 SDLT | Standard · FTB |
Things people commonly forget
- SDLT is due on completion day and cannot be added to the mortgage. Budget it as cash.
- Even if the property itself qualifies you for FTB relief, both buyers on a joint purchase must be first-time buyers to qualify.
- Scotland and Wales have their own equivalents (LBTT and LTT respectively) with different thresholds.
- The 5% second-home surcharge applies even if the second home is cheaper than the first.