Stamp duty for first-time buyers
A first-time buyer in England and Northern Ireland pays no stamp duty on the first £300,000 of the price and 5% on the portion above it, up to a price of £500,000. At £500,000 the bill is £10,000; one pound more and the relief goes entirely, so the bill becomes £15,000.05. Rates in force from 1 April 2025, checked 12 September 2026.
Work out your own figure
Opens as a first-time buyer. Switch to see what a home mover would pay on the same property.
Stamp duty to pay
£0
No stamp duty at this price, £300,000 in total
- Purchase price
- £300,000
- Stamp duty (first-time buyer)
- £0
- Total to find
- £300,000
What a first-time buyer pays at every price
The relief against the ordinary rates, and the row where the relief disappears.
| Purchase price | First-time buyer | Home mover | Saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| £250,000 | £0 | £2,500 | £2,500 less |
| £300,000 | £0 | £5,000 | £5,000 less |
| £350,000 | £2,500 | £7,500 | £5,000 less |
| £400,000 | £5,000 | £10,000 | £5,000 less |
| £450,000 | £7,500 | £12,500 | £5,000 less |
| £500,000 | £10,000 | £15,000 | £5,000 less |
| £500,001Relief lost | £15,000.05 | £15,000.05 | The same |
| £550,000 | £17,500 | £17,500 | The same |
What the relief does, and where it stops
The cliff edge, in figures
At £500,000 an eligible first-time buyer pays £10,000. At £500,001 the relief is gone entirely and the bill is £15,000.05, which is £5,000.05 more for one pound of purchase price.
Nowhere else in the stamp duty table does a single pound cost that much, and it is the one place where holding a negotiation at a round number is worth real money rather than pride. If an offer is creeping over the limit, the tax is a reason to stop rather than a rounding error.
Who counts as a first-time buyer
The test is stricter than most people expect, and it is not about whether you have had a mortgage before.
- You have never owned a home, or a share of one, anywhere in the world.
- That includes a property you inherited or were given, and a property owned abroad.
- Everyone named on the purchase has to qualify, so buying with someone who has owned before loses the relief for both of you.
- The property has to be bought to live in, not to let out.
- A company cannot claim the relief.
What the relief is worth
Below the nil-rate top of £300,000 a first-time buyer and a home mover can end up paying the same, because neither pays anything on the first £125,000 and the relief has nothing left to save. The relief is worth the most just under the limit: at £500,000 it saves £5,000.
Above the nil-rate top, a first-time buyer pays 5% on the portion between £300,001 and £500,000, and nothing on the part below.
Prices in first-time buyer territory
Each of these has its own page with the first-time buyer figure, the home mover figure and the saving.
Where to go next
- First-time buyers
The relief, the cliff edge and who counts as a first-time buyer.
- Second home and buy-to-let
The higher rates, the floor and when they do not apply.
- Reclaiming the surcharge
What comes back when you sell the old home, and by when.
- All stamp duty rates
The bands, the thresholds and every price page in one place.
- Full stamp duty calculator
Any price, with the band breakdown and the worked detail.
- Rental income calculator
What a rental property earns you after tax.
- Capital gains calculator
The tax when you sell a property that is not your main home.
First-time buyer questions
How much can a first-time buyer spend before paying stamp duty?
£300,000. Above that, a first-time buyer pays 5% on the portion between £300,001 and £500,000, which is at most £10,000.
What happens if the price is over £500,000?
The relief goes entirely, not gradually. At £500,000 a first-time buyer pays £10,000; at £500,001 the ordinary rates apply to the whole price and the bill is £15,000.05, a jump of £5,000.05 for one pound of price. It is the one point in the whole table where paying less for the house is worth real money.
Who counts as a first-time buyer?
Someone who has never owned a home, or a share of one, anywhere in the world, including a property that was inherited or given to them and one owned abroad. Everyone named on the purchase has to qualify, so buying with someone who has owned before loses the relief for both of you, and the property has to be bought to live in rather than to let out.
Does this cover Scotland and Wales?
No. These are Stamp Duty Land Tax rules, which apply in England and Northern Ireland only. Scotland charges Land and Buildings Transaction Tax and Wales charges Land Transaction Tax, both with their own bands and their own additional-property charge.
Where these figures come from
SDLT rates in force from 1 April 2025, checked against GOV.UK on 12 September 2026.
These figures are estimates for a straightforward residential purchase, and your own circumstances decide the final bill. Your conveyancer files the return, and GOV.UK publishes the official rates and calculator.