LTT Higher Rates Calculator (Wales)
Land Transaction Tax for Welsh purchases with investor defaults: the higher (additional-property) rates are on from the start, with a band-by-band breakdown and the extra cost of the higher rates shown separately.
Your numbers
You (or your company) will own more than one dwelling after completion. On by default for investors.
Companies usually pay the additional-property rates, even on a first purchase.
Your results
- LTT due
- £14,950
- Effective rate
- 5.98%
Land Transaction Tax
Band-by-band breakdown
| Band | Rate | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| £0 to £180,000 | 5% | £9,000 |
| £180,000 to £250,000 | 8.5% | £5,950 |
- Higher-rates elementportion of the bill from buying an additional dwelling
- £13,450
Free to use, no sign-up needed. Figures are estimates for guidance, not financial or tax advice.
How LTT higher rates work in 2026
Wales replaced stamp duty with Land Transaction Tax in April 2018, administered by the Welsh Revenue Authority. For investors the crucial difference from England is structural: instead of adding a surcharge to the standard bands, Wales uses a completely separate higher-rates table for additional dwellings.
The two rate tables
Main residential rates: 0% up to £225,000, 6% to £400,000, 7.5% to £750,000, 10% to £1.5 million and 12% above. Higher residential rates (since 11 December 2024): 5% up to £180,000, 8.5% to £250,000, 10% to £400,000, 12.5% to £750,000, 15% to £1.5 million and 17% above. The higher table has no nil band at all, so an investor pays LTT from the very first pound of the price.
Who pays the higher rates
The same test as the rest of the UK: buying a dwelling for £40,000 or more while ending the day with more than one dwelling, without replacing a main residence. Married couples and civil partners are assessed as one unit (unmarried partners are not), and companies pay the higher rates even on a first purchase unless the property has a lease on it with more than 21 years left. Wales has no first-time buyer relief and no non-resident surcharge, which keeps the calculation simpler than England's. For an investor, the higher rates cost no more than English SDLT with its surcharge up to about £400,000, and more above that.
How the calculation runs
The calculator picks the correct table for your buyer profile, slices the price across its bands and totals the tax. Figures are shown in whole pounds; the Welsh Revenue Authority asks you to pay the exact amount on your return, which can include pence. It also shows the higher-rates element: the difference between what you are paying and what the same purchase would cost at main rates, which is the true price of it being an additional property. The rate tables are dated and checked against the official Welsh Revenue Authority pages listed under Sources below, and the same engine powers the stamp duty figures in Dealist's deal packs.
Worked example
You buy a £250,000 buy-to-let in Cardiff as an individual who already owns a home. The higher rates apply:
| £0 to £180,000 at 5% | £9,000 |
| £180,000 to £250,000 at 8.5% | £5,950 |
| Total LTT | £14,950 |
The effective rate is 5.98%. At main rates the same purchase would cost just £1,500 (6% on the £25,000 above the £225,000 threshold), so the higher-rates element is £13,450, the real cost of this being an additional dwelling. An appraisal that budgets English SDLT for a Welsh property is using the wrong tax table.
Frequently asked questions
What are the LTT higher rates?
Wales taxes additional dwellings using an entirely separate band table rather than a surcharge on the standard one. Since 11 December 2024 the higher rates are: 5% up to £180,000, 8.5% to £250,000, 10% to £400,000, 12.5% to £750,000, 15% to £1.5 million and 17% above. Unlike the main rates, there is no 0% band: tax starts from the first pound.
When do the higher rates apply?
When you buy a residential property for £40,000 or more and will own more than one dwelling at the end of the completion day, unless you are replacing your main residence. Married couples and civil partners are counted together. Limited companies pay the higher rates even on a first purchase of £40,000 or more, unless the property they buy has a lease on it with more than 21 years left.
Is there first-time buyer relief in Wales?
No. Wales is the only UK nation without a first-time buyer relief. Its main rates have a 0% band up to £225,000, against £125,000 on England’s standard rates, though English first-time buyers pay nothing up to £300,000.
How do Welsh rates compare with England for investors?
It depends on price. At £150,000 an investor pays £7,500 in Wales against £8,000 in England; at £250,000 the two are nearly identical (£14,950 versus £15,000); by £600,000 Wales charges £54,950 against England’s £50,000. The tables cross over, so model the actual property in the actual nation rather than assuming they are equivalent.
Can I get a refund of the higher rates?
In two cases. First, if you bought a new main residence before selling the old one, you can claim a refund once you sell the former home within three years, a period that can be extended only where a fire-safety defect or an emergency restriction held up the sale. Second, for a dwelling bought between 13 February 2026 and 31 March 2031 for £400,000 or less, you can claim back the difference between the higher and main rates if, within 18 months of buying, you lease it to a Welsh local authority for 5 to 20 years at a rent no higher than the maximum local housing allowance. That claim must be made within 12 months of the lease’s effective date. Selling a buy-to-let never qualifies, so outside the local authority lease the higher rates on an investment purchase are a permanent cost.
What are the main LTT rates for comparison?
The main residential rates are 0% up to £225,000, 6% to £400,000, 7.5% to £750,000, 10% to £1.5 million and 12% above. This calculator can show them too: untick the additional-property toggle and the band table switches to the main rates, which is also how you can see exactly what owning that extra dwelling costs you.
When is LTT paid and to whom?
A return must be filed with the Welsh Revenue Authority and the tax paid within 30 days of completion. In practice your conveyancer handles both. LTT applies to properties in Wales regardless of where the buyer lives; there is no non-resident surcharge, unlike England.
Sources
The rates in this calculator come from the official pages below, which are the sources of record. The other rules this page describes come from the official pages listed under Other rules on this page. Last reviewed . Rates can change at a Budget, so confirm the current figure with the tax authority or your conveyancer before you commit to a purchase.
Wales (Land Transaction Tax)
- Land Transaction Tax rates and bands (opens in a new tab) · Welsh Revenue Authority, GOV.WALES
- Higher rates of Land Transaction Tax: overview (opens in a new tab) · Welsh Revenue Authority, GOV.WALES
Other rules on this page
- Higher rates for purchases of residential property: technical guidance (opens in a new tab) · Welsh Revenue Authority, GOV.WALES
- The Land Transaction Tax and Anti-avoidance of Devolved Taxes (Wales) Act 2017 (Amendments to Schedule 5) Regulations 2026 (opens in a new tab) · legislation.gov.uk
- Pay Land Transaction Tax (opens in a new tab) · Welsh Revenue Authority, GOV.WALES
- Stamp Duty Land Tax: residential property rates (the English comparison and first-time buyer relief) (opens in a new tab) · HMRC, GOV.UK
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