STAMP DUTY

Stamp Duty is the tax you pay when you buy property or shares. You pay 'Stamp Duty Land Tax' when you buy property like houses, flats, other buildings and land. If the purchase price is £125,000 or less you don't pay any Stamp Duty Land Tax at all. If it's more than £125,000, you pay a percentage of the purchase price.

From 4 December 2014, SDLT for residential property is charged at different rates depending on the portion of the purchase price that falls within each rate band. There is no change to how SDLT is calculated on purchases of non-residential property or on the rent payable when a new lease is granted. The changes will apply to residential properties completed on or after 4 December 2014. Where contracts have been exchanged on or before 3 December 2014, and the transaction is completed on 4 December or later, you can choose whether to use the old or the new rules.

RATES OF STAMP DUTY LAND TAX

Residential property - purchase price	Rate of Stamp Duty Land Tax
up to £250,000	0%
The next £675,000 (the portion from £250,001 to £925,000)	5%
The next £575,000 (the portion from £925,001 to £1.5 million)	10%
The remaining amount (the portion above £1.5 million)	12%

You should check current rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax on the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) website, here.