Stamp duty rates in 2016
Stamp duty in England and Northern Ireland changed once in 2016. On 1 April 2016 the additional-property surcharge of 3 percentage points began. A £400,000 home cost a home mover £10,000 throughout 2016, against £10,000 under the rates in force today.
The bars are what a home mover paid on a £400,000 home, the price people ask about most, in each part of 2016.
Work out a purchase in 2016
Pick when it completed, then the price and who was buying.
Stamp duty to pay
£10,000
2.5% of the price
- Tax on the bands
- £10,000
- Stamp duty to pay
- £10,000
The rates in force during 2016
2 sets of rates applied during the year, each for its own dates. Each portion of the price was taxed at the rate for its band.
Rates in force 4 December 2014 to 31 March 2016
| Portion of the price | Home mover |
|---|---|
| Up to £125,000 | 0% |
| £125,001 to £250,000 | 2% |
| £250,001 to £925,000 | 5% |
| £925,001 to £1,500,000 | 10% |
| Above £1,500,000 | 12% |
First-time buyer relief did not exist yet, so first-time buyers paid the same as anyone else.
Rates in force 1 April 2016 to 21 November 2017
| Portion of the price | Home mover | Additional property |
|---|---|---|
| Up to £125,000 | 0% | 3% |
| £125,001 to £250,000 | 2% | 5% |
| £250,001 to £925,000 | 5% | 8% |
| £925,001 to £1,500,000 | 10% | 13% |
| Above £1,500,000 | 12% | 15% |
First-time buyer relief did not exist yet, so first-time buyers paid the same as anyone else.
What a £400,000 home cost in 2016
Worked out for a purchase completing in each part of the year, and under the rates in force today.
| Completing | Home mover | First-time buyer | Additional property |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January to 31 March 2016 | £10,000 | £10,000No relief | £10,000 |
| 1 April to 31 December 2016 | £10,000 | £10,000No relief | £22,000 |
| Today | £10,000 | £5,000 | £30,000 |
What changed in 2016
- On 1 April 2016 the additional-property surcharge of 3 percentage points began.
Contracts exchanged before a change
The completion date decides the bands and first-time buyer relief, even when contracts were exchanged under earlier rules. A contract entered into before 26 November 2015, and not varied, assigned or sub-sold on or after that date, was outside the additional-property surcharge altogether.
Stamp duty in other years
Each year has its own page with the rates in force, the dates they changed and what a home cost.
Where to go next
- The rates in force today
The current bands, thresholds and every price page.
- Full stamp duty calculator
A purchase completing today, with the band breakdown.
- Reclaiming the surcharge
Getting the higher rates back after selling the old home.
- Commercial and mixed-use property
The non-residential rates, which these pages do not cover.
Stamp duty in 2016: questions
What were the stamp duty rates in 2016?
From 1 January to 31 March 2016: nothing up to £125,000, 2% to £250,000, 5% to £925,000, 10% to £1,500,000 and 12% above £1,500,000. From 1 April to 31 December 2016: nothing up to £125,000, 2% to £250,000, 5% to £925,000, 10% to £1,500,000 and 12% above £1,500,000.
How much stamp duty was there on a £400,000 home in 2016?
From 1 January to 31 March 2016: £10,000 for a home mover, £10,000 for a first-time buyer and £10,000 for an additional property. From 1 April to 31 December 2016: £10,000 for a home mover, £10,000 for a first-time buyer and £22,000 for an additional property. The same price costs a home mover £10,000 today.
Did stamp duty change in 2016?
Yes, once. On 1 April 2016 the additional-property surcharge of 3 percentage points began.
Was there first-time buyer relief in 2016?
From 1 January to 31 March 2016: First-time buyer relief did not exist yet, so first-time buyers paid the same as anyone else. From 1 April to 31 December 2016: First-time buyer relief did not exist yet, so first-time buyers paid the same as anyone else.
What was the second home stamp duty surcharge in 2016?
From 1 January to 31 March 2016: there was no additional-property surcharge. From 1 April to 31 December 2016: 3 percentage points on top of every band, on purchases of £40,000 or more.
Did non-UK residents pay more stamp duty in 2016?
No. The non-UK resident surcharge began on 1 April 2021, after 2016.
Does the exchange date or the completion date decide the rates?
The completion date. The bands and first-time buyer relief in force on the day the purchase completes are the ones that apply, even when contracts were exchanged under earlier rules. The exception in 2016: A contract entered into before 26 November 2015, and not varied, assigned or sub-sold on or after that date, was outside the additional-property surcharge altogether.
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, each with its own bands and its own rules for companies, leases and shared ownership.
Where these figures come from
These figures are worked out from the rules in force on each completion date for a straightforward residential purchase; the facts of a particular purchase decide what was actually due.
The official rates for each period
- Stamp Duty Land Tax rates: 4 December 2014 to 7 July 2020 (higher rates from 1 April 2016) on GOV.UK, checked 12 September 2026