Stamp Duty on a £400,000 House 2026
Quick answer: a standard buyer pays £10,000. A first-time buyer pays £5,000. A second-home buyer pays £30,000. The first price point where the FTB 5% slice meaningfully bites.
By buyer type at £400,000
| Buyer type | England + NI (SDLT) | Scotland (LBTT) | Wales (LTT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard buyer | £10,000 | £13,350 | £8,750 |
| First-time buyer | £5,000 | £10,850 | £8,750 |
| Second home / additional property | £30,000 | £45,350 | £24,750 |
| Non-UK resident (standard) | £18,000 | £13,350 | £8,750 |
Scotland FTB relief gives a £2,500 saving (LBTT FTB nil-rate is £175,000 not £145,000); Wales has no LTT FTB relief, hence FTB and standard are equal. Scotland second-home figure includes 8% ADS on the full £400,000 (£32,000) plus standard LBTT.
How the £10,000 standard SDLT is built
| Band | Rate | Taxable in this band | Tax due |
|---|---|---|---|
| £0 to £125,000 | 0% | £125,000 | £0 |
| £125,001 to £250,000 | 2% | £125,000 | £2,500 |
| £250,001 to £400,000 | 5% | £150,000 | £7,500 |
| Total | £10,000 | ||
Effective rate: 2.5%. The 5% band is doing most of the work now (£7,500 of the £10,000). Above £400k each additional pound costs 5% in SDLT, up to the £925k threshold where the 10% band starts.
The FTB schedule between £300k and £500k
From 1 April 2025 the FTB schedule under Schedule 6ZA FA 2003 is: 0% on the first £300,000, 5% on the slice from £300,001 to £500,000. At £400,000 the FTB pays 5% on £100,000 = £5,000. The standard buyer pays £10,000, so the FTB saving is exactly £5,000.
The FTB saving stays at £5,000 across the £300k to £500k range as a coincidence of the schedules: standard SDLT grows at 5% on every pound above £250k, while FTB SDLT grows at 5% on every pound above £300k. The £50,000 of FTB nil-rate band above £250,000 (where standard rate is 5%) generates exactly £2,500 of saving, and the lower 2% band saving on £125,000 (standard rate 2%, FTB rate 0%) generates the other £2,500.
See the full curve and cliff-edge analysis on the first-time buyer page and the cliff-edge worked example on the £500,000 page.
The £30,000 second-home figure
A £400,000 second home pays 5% on £125,000 (£6,250), 7% on £125,000 (£8,750), and 10% on £150,000 (£15,000), totalling £30,000. The standard buyer pays £10,000 at the same price, so the surcharge alone is £20,000. The October 2024 increase from 3% to 5% added £8,000 to this figure (the old rate was £22,000).
For a buy-to-let landlord, the £20,000 surcharge typically requires 5 to 7 years of net rental yield to recoup, depending on the property's yield and operating costs. The Office for National Statistics private rental price index suggests a typical 4-5% gross yield on residential property in 2025-26 outside London, so a £400,000 BTL might gross £16,000-£20,000 per year, leaving £8,000-£12,000 net after costs and tax.
For the surcharge mechanics and refund route see additional property and stamp duty refund.
£400,000 across UK nations
Scotland LBTT at £400,000 is £13,350: 2% on £105k (£2,100), 5% on £75k (£3,750), and 10% on £75k (£7,500). That is £3,350 more expensive than England. Wales LTT at £400,000 is £8,750 for a standard buyer, £1,250 cheaper than England. So the price-by-price comparison at £400k inverts the £150k or £200k pattern (where Wales was cheapest, Scotland slightly cheaper than England).
For Scotland FTBs there is a relief that gives 0% to £175,000 (instead of £145,000), saving £600 versus standard LBTT. At £400,000 a Scotland FTB pays £10,850. Wales LTT has no first-time buyer relief at all, per Section 24 of the Land Transaction Tax and Anti-avoidance of Devolved Taxes (Wales) Act 2017 - Welsh policy is that the higher nil-rate band (£225,000) provides general affordability support without targeting buyer status.
For deeper nation-by-nation analysis see LBTT vs SDLT, LTT vs SDLT, and the country-specific pages: Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland.
The non-UK resident £18,000 figure
A non-UK resident buying their first or only property pays 2% surcharge on top of standard rates, raising every band by 2 percentage points: 2% on £125k (£2,500), 4% on £125k (£5,000), 7% on £150k (£10,500), totalling £18,000. The £8,000 surcharge is reclaimable if the buyer becomes UK-resident under the Statutory Residence Test (183 days in any 365-day period straddling the effective date) within two years of completion, per paragraph 14 of Schedule 9A FA 2003.
For a non-UK resident buying a second home in England, both surcharges stack: 5% (additional dwellings) plus 2% (non-resident) gives 7% extra on every band. A £400,000 second home for a non-UK resident pays £30,000 + £8,000 = £38,000. This is the most expensive UK SDLT scenario at this price, short of corporate purchases above £500k.
See non-UK resident surcharge for full mechanics and reclaim process.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is stamp duty on a £400,000 house in 2026?
Standard £10,000, FTB £5,000, second home £30,000, non-UK resident £18,000. Scotland LBTT £13,350; Wales LTT £8,750.
Why does the FTB pay £5,000 not zero at £400k?
The FTB nil-rate band ends at £300k. The £100k slice from £300,001 to £400,000 is taxed at 5% under Schedule 6ZA FA 2003. 5% of £100k = £5,000. Still £5,000 cheaper than the standard buyer.
What is the FTB saving curve from £300k to £500k?
Constant £5,000 saving across the range. At £500k it tapers to zero. Above £500k FTB relief is lost entirely (the cliff).
Should I push to £499k or stay below £500k for FTB reasons?
FTBs absolutely should not exceed £500k. The cliff costs £5,000 for one extra pound. Negotiate to stay inside £500,000.
Is £400k expensive compared to Scotland or Wales?
Scotland LBTT £13,350 (more expensive). Wales LTT £8,750 (cheaper). England sits in the middle.
Can my mortgage cover the £10,000 SDLT?
Most lenders do not lend specifically for SDLT. Some allow you to borrow above the purchase price to fund all completion costs subject to LTV and affordability. In practice most buyers fund SDLT from savings or a deed-of-gift family contribution. See the how to pay page.
Related price points
Not tax advice. Always confirm with a qualified UK solicitor or chartered tax adviser before completing.