England and Northern Ireland rates from 1 April 2025: 0% to £125,000, 2% to £250,000, 5% to £925,000, 10% to £1.5m, 12% above. First-time buyers pay 0% to £300,000 and 5% to £500,000, with no relief at all above £500,000 (standard rates apply to the full price). Additional properties carry a 5% surcharge on top of standard rates. Scotland (LBTT) and Wales (LTT) use different bands and aren't modeled here. Not tax advice.
How much stamp duty is due on a £400,000 house?
Under the April 2025 rates, a £400,000 purchase in England or Northern Ireland costs a home mover £10,000 in stamp duty, 2.50% of the price. On the same £400,000, a first-time buyer pays £5,000 after relief. As an additional property it costs £30,000, including £20,000 of 5% surcharge.
Stamp duty on £400,000 by buyer type
| Buyer type | Stamp duty | Effective rate | vs home mover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home mover / standard | £10,000 | 2.50% | same |
| First-time buyer | £5,000 (relief applied) | 1.25% | -£5,000 |
| Additional property | £30,000 | 7.50% | +£20,000 |
How £400,000 is taxed, band by band
| Band | Slice of the price | Home mover | Additional property |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to £125,000 | £125,000 | 0% = £0 | 5% = £6,250 |
| £125,001 to £250,000 | £125,000 | 2% = £2,500 | 7% = £8,750 |
| £250,001 to £925,000 | £150,000 | 5% = £7,500 | 10% = £15,000 |
| Total | £400,000 | £10,000 | £30,000 |
Of the £400,000 price, the first £125,000 is taxed at 0%, the next £125,000 at 2% (£2,500) and the remaining £150,000 at 5% (£7,500).
First-time buyer relief at £400,000
£5,000 is 5% of the £100,000 between £300,001 and £400,000; the first £300,000 is tax-free. The saving against a home mover is £5,000, available only if all buyers are first-time buyers moving in as their main home. Headroom before relief is lost: £100,000.
What changes around £400,000
- From £400,000 to £925,000, £525,000 of headroom, every £1,000 more adds £50 for a home mover; the 10% rate starts at £925,001.
- At £450,000 the home-mover bill would be £12,500, £2,500 more than at £400,000.
- At £350,000 the home-mover bill would be £7,500, so the £50,000 step up to £400,000 costs £2,500 in extra stamp duty.
£400,000 produces a home-mover bill of exactly 2.50% of the price, £10,000. A first-time buyer pays half that, £5,000, on the £100,000 slice above £300,000. An additional property costs £30,000, three times the home-mover figure, which is why the surcharge dominates buy-to-let budgets at this price.
Frequently asked questions
£10,000 at standard rates (a home mover), £5,000 for a first-time buyer, and £30,000 for a second home or buy-to-let.
Yes, £5,000 - the first £300,000 is 0%, and 5% applies to the £300,001–£400,000 portion. That is £5,000 less than a home mover pays.
£20,000 extra: 5% of £400,000, added to the £10,000 standard bill for £30,000 in total.
At £410,000 a home mover would pay £10,500 (£500 more), a first-time buyer £5,500 (£500 more) and an additional-property buyer £31,000 (£1,000 more).
Other property prices
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Reviewed by Raja Jahangir · Last reviewed: October 2026