A Guide to Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) in 2026

Stamp Duty Land Tax is payable on the purchase of property or land in England and Northern Ireland above certain value thresholds. Scotland and Wales operate their own separate regimes (LBTT and LTT respectively), calculated differently.

Standard residential rates (2026)

0% up to £125,000; 2% on the portion from £125,001 to £250,000; 5% from £250,001 to £925,000; 10% from £925,001 to £1.5 million; and 12% above £1.5 million.

First-time buyer relief

Qualifying first-time buyers pay 0% up to £300,000 and 5% on the portion from £300,001 to £500,000. Importantly, this relief is lost entirely if the purchase price exceeds £500,000 — there is no partial or tapered relief above that threshold, and standard rates apply to the whole price instead.

Additional property surcharge

An extra 5 percentage points is added on top of the standard rates for purchases of additional residential property, including most buy-to-let purchases.

Other factors

Non-UK resident buyers may face a further 2% surcharge, and different rates apply to mixed-use and commercial property. Company purchases and certain corporate structures can also be treated differently.