Answers · UK 2025/26
What's the property transaction tax on the same £300,000 house in Scotland, Wales and England in 2026/27?
On a £300,000 main home bought in 2026/27, you'd pay £5,000 Stamp Duty Land Tax in England (and Northern Ireland), £4,600 Land and Buildings Transaction Tax in Scotland, and £4,500 Land Transaction Tax in Wales. Wales is cheapest, England dearest, for a non-first-time buyer.
Full answer
The same £300,000 purchase attracts a different tax depending on where the property sits, because each nation runs its own slice-based system charging each band only on the portion of price within it. In England and Northern Ireland, SDLT charges 0% to £125,000, 2% on £125,000–£250,000 and 5% on £250,000–£925,000. So you pay nothing on the first £125,000, £2,500 (2% of £125,000) on the next slice, and £2,500 (5% of £50,000) on the top slice — £5,000 in total. A first-time buyer pays nothing here, as FTB relief gives 0% up to £300,000. In Scotland, LBTT charges 0% to £145,000, 2% on £145,000–£250,000 and 5% on £250,000–£325,000. That is £2,100 (2% of £105,000) plus £2,500 (5% of £50,000) — £4,600 total. Scottish first-time buyers get a £175,000 nil-rate band, reducing the bill to £4,000. In Wales, LTT charges 0% to £225,000 and 6% on £225,000–£400,000. With no first-time buyer relief in Wales, everyone pays 6% of £75,000 — £4,500. So Wales is cheapest at £4,500, then Scotland at £4,600, with England and Northern Ireland dearest at £5,000 — a £500 spread on an identical price. Note that if this is an additional property (second home or buy-to-let), each nation adds a surcharge: SDLT's higher rates, Scotland's 8% Additional Dwelling Supplement (£24,000 here) and Wales's higher LTT rates, which change the picture substantially. The figures above assume a single, standard residential purchase completing in 2026/27.
Try the calculator
This answer is informational only and does not constitute financial, tax or legal advice. Figures are for the 2025/26 UK tax year. See our methodology and sources.