What are the stamp duty land tax rates for residential property?
Answered 11 March 2026
SDLT Rates for Residential Property
What the law says
SDLT is charged on residential property under Finance Act 2003 (FA 2003), s.55, which contains two rate tables. Table A applies where the relevant land consists entirely of residential property; Table B applies where the land consists of or includes non-residential property (with lower rates).
The rates have changed several times through temporary relief legislation. The most recent temporary relief period ran from 23 September 2022 to 31 March 2025, during which the following Table A rates applied:
Standard Residential Rates (23 Sep 2022 – 31 Mar 2025)
| Part of relevant consideration | Rate |
|---|---|
| Up to £250,000 | 0% |
| £250,001 – £925,000 | 5% |
| £925,001 – £1,500,000 | 10% |
| Remainder above £1,500,000 | 12% |
Higher Rates for Additional Dwellings (23 Sep 2022 – 31 Mar 2025)
During this same period, Schedule 4ZA (additional dwellings/companies) applied a surcharge, giving:
| Part of relevant consideration | Rate |
|---|---|
| Up to £250,000 | 5% |
| £250,001 – £925,000 | 10% |
| £925,001 – £1,500,000 | 15% |
| Remainder above £1,500,000 | 17% |
First-Time Buyers (23 Sep 2022 – 31 Mar 2025)
Schedule 6ZA provided relief for first-time buyers, with a nil rate up to £425,000 and 5% on the remainder up to a maximum property value of £625,000.
⚠️ Important: The Finance Act 2025 (ss.50–51) introduced increased rates with effect from 1 April 2025, after the temporary relief period ended. The sources confirm these increased rates exist and are referenced in transitional provisions, but the full rate tables for the post-31 March 2025 permanent rates are not set out in the retrieved sources.
HMRC Guidance / Practice
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SDLT rates are different for residential and non-residential property. The HMRC manual notes that "the rates are different for residential property (see SDLTM00365) and non-residential property (see SDLTM00360)".
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The higher rates for additional dwellings (Schedule 4ZA) were increased from 3 to 5 percentage points above the standard residential rates for transactions with an effective date on or after 31 October 2024.
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Where a contract was entered into on or before 30 October 2024 but completes after that date, the higher rates apply at the pre-31 October 2024 rate of 3 percentage points above the standard residential rates (subject to exceptions for contract variations, etc.).
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A 2% non-resident surcharge applies from 1 April 2021 on top of all applicable residential rates for non-resident transactions under FA 2003, s.75ZA.
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HMRC notes that the old "slab" system (where the higher rate applied to the total consideration) has been replaced; under the current slice system, each rate applies only to the portion of consideration within that band.
Note on post-1 April 2025 rates: The sources confirm that Finance Act 2025 ss.50–51 introduced new permanent rates from 1 April 2025, but the specific rate tables for that period were not retrieved. For the current rates, please refer directly to FA 2003, s.55(1B) as amended by FA 2025 or HMRC's SDLT guidance at SDLTM00365.
Citation sources
The higher rates were increased for transactions with an effective date on or after 31 October 2024. Following the increase, the higher rates are 5 percentage points above the standard residential rates of SDLT. Contracts entered into before 31 October 2024 Where a contract was entered into on or before 30 October 2024 but completes or is substantially performed after that date, the higher rates will apply to that transaction at the pre-31 October 2024 rate of 3 percentage points above the stan
From 1 April 2021, where a chargeable transaction is identified as a “non-resident transaction”, a 2% surcharge is added to the SDLT rates in each band of the relevant rate-specifying provisions for residential property (section 75ZA(1)). Section 75ZA(2) sets out the relevant rate-specifying provisions: Standard residential rates – Table A, section 55(1B) FA03 Higher rates for additional dwellings and dwellings purchased by companies – Table A, para 1(2) Sch 4ZA FA03 (see SDLTM09730 onwards); Hi
Part 3 Other taxes Stamp duty land tax Contracts substantially performed before relevant rate change 52 1 The Stamp Duty Land Tax (Temporary Relief) Act 2020 is amended as follows. 2 In section 1 (reduced rates of SDLT in relation to land transactions the effective date of which falls in the period beginning with 8 July 2020 and ending with 30 June 2021)— a in subsection (6) (which provides an exception from section 44(8) of FA 2003 where the contract is completed after 30 June 2021), for the wo
Introduction 1. This appeal concerns the appellants’ liability to stamp duty land tax (“SDLT”) on the purchase of a property known as Hall Farm, near Congleton, Cheshire (“the Property”). The sole issue is whether the Property was wholly residential property for the purposes of SDLT. If so, SDLT was chargeable at the residential rate of tax. The appellants contend that several fields included in the Property were non-residential property. If that is right, SDLT was chargeable at the lower, non-r
This section sets out the rates at which Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) will be charged on the chargeable consideration for a transaction. Where a consideration exceeds a rate threshold, the higher rate applies to the total consideration not just the amount exceeding the threshold. This is often called the slab system. Generally, the tax payable will be a percentage of the chargeable consideration for the transaction but the rates are different for residential property (see SDLTM00365) and non-resid