Stamp Duty Calculator for Buy to Let & Second Homes
SDLT for England and Northern Ireland with investor defaults: the 5% additional-property surcharge is on from the start, with a full band-by-band breakdown, first-time buyer relief edge cases, company purchases and the non-resident surcharge.
Your numbers
You (or your company) will own more than one dwelling after completion. On by default for investors.
All buyers are first-time buyers occupying it as their main home.
Companies usually pay the additional-property rates, even on a first purchase.
Adds the 2% non-resident surcharge.
Your results
- SDLT due
- £15,000
- Effective rate
- 6.00%
Stamp Duty Land Tax
Band-by-band breakdown
| Band | Rate | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| £0 to £125,000 | 5% | £6,250 |
| £125,000 to £250,000 | 7% | £8,750 |
- Additional-property surcharge (+5%)portion of the bill from buying an additional dwelling
- £12,500
Free to use, no sign-up needed. Figures are estimates for guidance, not financial or tax advice.
How stamp duty works for investors in 2026
Stamp Duty Land Tax applies to property purchases in England and Northern Ireland. It is a banded tax: each slice of the price is taxed at its own rate, like income tax. For investors the defining feature is the additional-dwellings surcharge, which adds 5 percentage points to every band, from the first pound.
The 2026 rates
Standard residential rates: 0% up to £125,000, 2% to £250,000, 5% to £925,000, 10% to £1.5 million and 12% above. Buying an additional dwelling turns those into 5%, 7%, 10%, 15% and 17%. The surcharge rose from 3% to 5% on 31 October 2024, and the temporary nil-rate band of £250,000 ended on 31 March 2025, so these are the rates from 1 April 2025.
Who pays the higher rates
The higher rates apply when the buyer will own two or more dwellings at the end of completion day and is not replacing a main residence, on any purchase of £40,000 or more. Married couples and civil partners are treated as one unit, so a property owned by either spouse counts. Limited companies pay the higher rates even on a first purchase, unless the price is under £40,000 or the interest they buy is subject to a lease with more than 21 years left to run.
First-time buyer relief and its edge cases
First-time buyer relief gives 0% to £300,000 and 5% on the portion to £500,000, but the edges are sharp. Every joint buyer must qualify: one previous owner on the deeds and the whole relief is lost. The buyer must intend to live there as a main home, so it never applies to a buy-to-let. And it vanishes completely above £500,000; a £500,001 purchase pays full standard rates on the entire price, not just the excess. This calculator applies those rules automatically and tells you when relief has been denied and why.
How the calculation runs
The calculator slices your price across the bands, applies the surcharges your buyer profile triggers, then rounds the total down to the whole pound, the same convention HMRC uses. The band table updates live so you can see exactly where every pound of tax comes from, and the engine behind it is the same one Dealist uses in investor deal packs, with dated rate tables checked against the official HMRC pages listed under Sources below.
Worked example
You buy a £250,000 buy-to-let in England as an individual who already owns a home. The higher rates apply to each band:
| £0 to £125,000 at 5% | £6,250 |
| £125,000 to £250,000 at 7% | £8,750 |
| Total SDLT | £15,000 |
The effective rate is 6% of the purchase price, and £12,500 of the £15,000 is attributable to the 5% surcharge. The same property as a main residence (replacing your old one) would cost £2,500 in SDLT; as a first-time buyer it would cost nothing.
Frequently asked questions
How much is stamp duty on a buy-to-let or second home in England?
Buyers of additional dwellings pay 5 percentage points on top of every standard SDLT band. Since 1 April 2025 that means 5% up to £125,000, 7% to £250,000, 10% to £925,000, 15% to £1.5 million and 17% above that; the surcharge itself rose from 3% to 5% on 31 October 2024. On a £250,000 buy-to-let that comes to £15,000, an effective rate of 6%.
When does the 5% surcharge apply?
When you (or your spouse or civil partner) will own more than one dwelling at the end of the day of completion and you are not replacing your main residence, provided the price is £40,000 or more. It catches buy-to-lets, second homes, holiday homes and most company purchases. Properties under £40,000 escape the surcharge entirely.
Do limited companies pay the surcharge?
Usually, yes. A company buying a dwelling for £40,000 or more pays the additional-property rates even on its first purchase, unless the interest it buys is subject to a lease with more than 21 years left to run. A company can never claim first-time buyer relief. Separately, companies buying dwellings for more than £500,000 that do not qualify as a property rental business can face a flat 17% rate; this calculator assumes a qualifying rental business.
Can first-time buyers avoid stamp duty?
First-time buyer relief gives 0% up to £300,000 and 5% between £300,000 and £500,000, but only if every buyer is a genuine first-time buyer and will live in the property as their main home. Pay more than £500,000 and the relief disappears entirely, standard rates apply to the whole price. It is never available for an investment purchase or through a company.
Can I reclaim the surcharge?
Only in one situation: you bought a new main residence before selling your old one, paid the surcharge, and then sell or give away the previous main residence within three years. If you bought on or after 1 January 2017, a later sale can still qualify where exceptional circumstances, such as government-imposed restrictions, prevented it. The refund must be claimed within 12 months of the later of the sale and the filing date of the SDLT return for the new home. Selling a buy-to-let or a flip does not qualify; the surcharge on an investment purchase is a permanent cost, which is why it belongs in your deal appraisal from the start.
Do non-UK residents pay more?
Yes. Buyers who are not UK resident pay a further 2% surcharge on top of whatever rates already apply. For an individual, the test is that they are not present in the UK for at least 183 days during the 12 months before their purchase. An overseas investor buying a £250,000 buy-to-let pays both the 5% additional-property surcharge and the 2% non-resident surcharge.
When and how is SDLT paid?
An SDLT return must be filed and the tax paid within 14 days of completion. In practice your conveyancer files it and collects the money as part of completion funds. Late filing brings automatic penalties and interest, so the figure needs to be right in your completion statement, not discovered afterwards.
Does this calculator work for Scotland and Wales?
Scotland and Wales have their own taxes with different bands and surcharges: LBTT with the 8% Additional Dwelling Supplement in Scotland, and LTT with a separate higher-rates table in Wales. Use the dedicated calculators linked below; using an SDLT calculator for a Scottish or Welsh purchase can misstate the bill by thousands.
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.
England and Northern Ireland (Stamp Duty Land Tax)
- Stamp Duty Land Tax: residential property rates (opens in a new tab) · HMRC, GOV.UK
- Higher rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax (opens in a new tab) · HMRC, GOV.UK
- Rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax for non-UK residents (opens in a new tab) · HMRC, GOV.UK
- Stamp Duty Land Tax: corporate bodies (opens in a new tab) · HMRC, GOV.UK
Other rules on this page
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