Stamp Duty Rates 2025-26: SDLT Thresholds After March 2025 Changes
The temporary Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) reductions expired on 31 March 2025. From 1 April 2025, thresholds reverted to pre-September 2022 levels. The standard nil-rate band is now £125,000 and the first-time buyer nil-rate band is £300,000.
What Changed on 1 April 2025?
The government introduced a temporary SDLT reduction in September 2022, raising the nil-rate threshold from £125,000 to £250,000, and the first-time buyer relief threshold from £300,000 to £425,000. These temporary thresholds expired on 31 March 2025. Any property purchase that completed from 1 April 2025 onwards is subject to the new (reverted) rates shown below.
Standard SDLT Rates from 1 April 2025 (England and Northern Ireland)
| Purchase Price | SDLT Rate |
|---|---|
| £0 to £125,000 | 0% |
| £125,001 to £250,000 | 2% |
| £250,001 to £925,000 | 5% |
| £925,001 to £1,500,000 | 10% |
| Above £1,500,000 | 12% |
SDLT is applied on a marginal basis — you pay each rate only on the slice of the purchase price within that band, not on the full amount.
First-Time Buyer Relief (from 1 April 2025)
First-time buyers purchasing a property for their main home benefit from a reduced SDLT rate:
| Purchase Price | First-Time Buyer Rate |
|---|---|
| £0 to £300,000 | 0% |
| £300,001 to £500,000 | 5% |
| Above £500,000 | Standard rates apply — no FTB relief |
First-time buyer relief is only available if the purchase price is no more than £500,000. Above that threshold, standard rates apply in full from £0 upwards — you lose all benefit of the relief.
SDLT at Common Property Prices
| Purchase Price | Standard SDLT | First-Time Buyer SDLT | Additional Property SDLT |
|---|---|---|---|
| £200,000 | £1,500 | £0 | £11,500 |
| £250,000 | £2,500 | £0 | £15,000 |
| £300,000 | £5,000 | £0 | £20,000 |
| £350,000 | £7,500 | £2,500 | £25,000 |
| £400,000 | £10,000 | £5,000 | £30,000 |
| £500,000 | £15,000 | £10,000 | £40,000 |
| £600,000 | £20,000 | £20,000 (no relief) | £50,000 |
| £750,000 | £27,500 | £27,500 (no relief) | £65,000 |
| £1,000,000 | £43,750 | £43,750 (no relief) | £93,750 |
Note: the Additional Property column includes the 5% surcharge on top of standard SDLT across all bands.
Additional Property Surcharge
An extra 5% surcharge applies to every band of the purchase price when buying an additional residential property — a buy-to-let, a second home, or any property you will not occupy as your main residence. This surcharge was increased from 3% to 5% with immediate effect from 31 October 2024.
The surcharge applies to the full purchase price, not just the amount above a threshold. For example, on a £300,000 additional property, you pay standard SDLT of £5,000 plus a surcharge of £15,000 (5% of £300,000), for a total of £20,000.
Scotland — Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT)
Scotland operates its own property tax under the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) regime, administered by Revenue Scotland. The rates are:
| Purchase Price | LBTT Rate |
|---|---|
| £0 to £145,000 | 0% |
| £145,001 to £250,000 | 2% |
| £250,001 to £325,000 | 5% |
| £325,001 to £750,000 | 10% |
| Above £750,000 | 12% |
First-time buyers in Scotland benefit from nil-rate LBTT up to £175,000. An Additional Dwellings Supplement of 8% also applies to additional property purchases in Scotland.
Wales — Land Transaction Tax (LTT)
Wales has its own Land Transaction Tax (LTT), administered by the Welsh Revenue Authority. LTT rates differ from both SDLT and LBTT. The main residential rates in Wales start at 0% up to £225,000, then 6% up to £400,000, 7.5% up to £750,000, 10% up to £1,500,000, and 12% above that. There is no first-time buyer relief in Wales, but the higher nil-rate threshold (£225,000) provides some benefit to lower-value purchases.
When to Pay Stamp Duty
SDLT must be paid and the return submitted to HMRC within 14 days of the completion date of the property purchase. Your solicitor or conveyancer typically handles this on your behalf. Failure to pay within 14 days can result in penalties and interest charges.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are stamp duty rates after April 2025?
From 1 April 2025, standard SDLT in England and Northern Ireland is: 0% up to £125,000; 2% on £125,001–£250,000; 5% on £250,001–£925,000; 10% on £925,001–£1,500,000; and 12% above £1,500,000. These are the pre-September 2022 rates, restored after the temporary reduction expired.
Do I qualify as a first-time buyer?
You qualify if you have never previously owned a residential property anywhere in the world and you are buying the property as your main home. If you are buying jointly, all purchasers must be first-time buyers. You cannot claim first-time buyer relief if the purchase price exceeds £500,000.
Is there stamp duty in Scotland?
Scotland does not use SDLT. Instead it has Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT), with a nil-rate band of £145,000 (£175,000 for first-time buyers). The rates differ from England and are administered by Revenue Scotland, not HMRC.
Use our Stamp Duty calculator to calculate the exact SDLT on your property purchase.