Small facts can change the answer, so check with HMRC's calculator or your conveyancer.
Gifts, divorce and inheritance
- Inheritance: property received under a will or intestacy
- Gifts: only when nothing is paid and no mortgage or debt is taken over. If you take on part of a mortgage, that amount is treated as the price.
- Divorce or separation: transfers under a court order or formal agreement
- Charities: relief for qualifying charitable purchases
Shared ownership
You can choose to pay stamp duty on the full market value upfront (a "market value election"), or pay on each share as you buy it. If you don't elect, tax can still be due now on your first share's price and on the rent; later shares are only taxed once a purchase takes your total above 80%. The share price alone isn't enough to work out the right answer.
Buying several homes at once
Multiple Dwellings Relief was abolished for purchases completing on or after 1 June 2024 (with limited transitional exceptions). If you buy six or more homes in one transaction, you can choose non-residential rates instead.
Linked purchases
Purchases from the same seller, or connected sellers, can be "linked", so the tax is worked out on the combined price.
Right to Buy
Stamp duty is worked out on the price you actually pay after the discount.
Things that can change your rate
- Replacing your main home: see refunds
- Inheriting part of a home before buying another, which can trigger the higher rates
- Buying jointly with someone who already owns a home