In short: In England and Northern Ireland it runs from £0 for a first-time buyer to £26,000 for a non-UK resident buying an additional property. A home mover pays £5,000.
How much tax would you pay buying a £300,000 house in the UK?
According to the ONS, that's roughly the average house price in England.
The UK House Price Index, which is calculated by the Office for National Statistics and Land & Property Services Northern Ireland, put the average price of a property in England at £293,000 for July 2026.
When you buy a property, you pay Stamp Duty Land Tax, and the amount depends entirely on your circumstances.
Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is the tax for England and Northern Ireland. HMRC's guidance says the tax is different in Scotland, where you pay Land and Buildings Transaction Tax, and in Wales, where you pay Land Transaction Tax. The four cases below are:
- First-time buyer
- Moving home (already own and selling your current property)
- Buying an additional property (you already own another home or a rental)
- Non-UK resident buying an additional UK property
How much stamp duty does a first-time buyer pay on £300,000?
You'll pay no stamp duty at all on a £300,000 purchase, since first-time buyers pay nothing up to £300,000 (as long as the property's worth £500,000 or less).
HMRC's guidance says you can claim the relief if you and anyone else you are buying with are first-time buyers. You pay no SDLT up to £300,000 and 5% on the portion from £300,001 to £500,000. If the price is over £500,000 you cannot claim the relief, and you follow the rules for people who have bought a home before.
How much do you pay when you are moving home?
You'll pay £5,000, based on 0% on the first £125,000, then a mix of 2% and 5% on the remaining £175,000.
On HMRC's rates for a single property, that is 2% on the next £125,000 (£2,500) and 5% on the final £50,000 (£2,500).
HMRC's guidance says you will not pay the extra 5% if the property replaces your main residence and the previous one was sold within 36 months of completing the new purchase. If you have not sold it on the day you complete, you pay the higher rates, because you own 2 properties.
What is the surcharge on an additional property?
You'll pay £20,000, because HMRC adds a 5% surcharge on top of every band for anyone who'll own more than one residential property.
HMRC's guidance on the higher rates uses the same purchase as its example: 5% on the first £125,000 (£6,250), 7% on the next £125,000 (£8,750) and 10% on the final £50,000 (£5,000).
The test covers more than the buyer alone. The guidance says the rules apply to anyone you are married to or buying with as well as to you, and they count residential property worth £40,000 or more that you own or part own anywhere in the world.
What does a non-UK resident pay?
You'll pay £26,000, as a further 2% surcharge is added on top of every band.
HMRC's guidance says the rates for non-UK residents are 2 percentage points higher than those for UK residents, and that the surcharge applies to residential property in England and Northern Ireland. It applies on top of all other residential rates, including those for first-time buyers and for additional dwellings.
SDLT has its own residence test. An individual is non-UK resident for the transaction if they are not present in the UK for at least 183 days during the 12 months before the purchase, and HMRC says residence status under the Statutory Residence Test is not relevant for this purpose. Residence more generally is covered on our international tax page.
How do the four bills compare?
| Buyer | First £125,000 | Next £125,000 | Final £50,000 | SDLT on £300,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First-time buyer | 0% | 0% | 0% | £0 |
| Moving home | 0% | 2% | 5% | £5,000 |
| Additional property | 5% | 7% | 10% | £20,000 |
| Non-UK resident, additional property | 7% | 9% | 12% | £26,000 |
Stamp duty can get complicated and expensive fast, so it's worth speaking to a tax adviser before you buy, to see what planning can be done to bring your bill down.
If the purchase means letting or selling your current home, Private Residence Relief when you rent out your home before selling covers the Capital Gains Tax side.
SDLT rates, bands and reliefs change, and the amount due depends on who is buying and what they already own, so this is general information rather than advice on your own purchase. If you want a purchase looked at before you exchange, see how we work or talk to us.
Common questions
No. HMRC's guidance says first-time buyers pay no SDLT up to £300,000 and 5% on the portion from £300,001 to £500,000. If the price is over £500,000 the relief cannot be claimed. See [Stamp Duty Land Tax: residential property rates](https://www.gov.uk/stamp-duty-land-tax/residential-property-rates).
HMRC's higher rates are 5% on the first £125,000, 7% on the next £125,000 and 10% on the portion from £250,001 to £925,000, with 15% and 17% above that. Its own example of a £300,000 additional property comes to £20,000. See [Higher rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/stamp-duty-land-tax-buying-an-additional-residential-property).
Yes. HMRC's guidance says the rates for non-UK resident buyers of residential property in England and Northern Ireland are 2 percentage points higher than those for UK residents. An individual is non-UK resident for this purpose if they were not present in the UK for at least 183 days in the 12 months before the purchase. See [Rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax for non-UK residents](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rates-of-stamp-duty-land-tax-for-non-uk-residents).
No. HMRC's guidance says SDLT is paid on property or land in England and Northern Ireland. In Scotland you pay Land and Buildings Transaction Tax, and in Wales you pay Land Transaction Tax. See [Stamp Duty Land Tax](https://www.gov.uk/stamp-duty-land-tax).
Related reading
Simon Jacobs is a Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA · ACA) and PwC trained, founder of SRJ International. He advises UK business owners on tax, profit extraction and exit. Read his full profile →