The short answer
On a £400,000 property, a home mover in England pays £10,000 in stamp duty, a first-time buyer pays £5,000, and a second-home buyer pays £30,000. Full breakdown for all three nations below.
Stamp duty on £400,000 — all buyer types, all nations
| Buyer type | England & NI | Scotland | Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-time buyer | £5,000 | £12,750 | £10,500 |
| Moving home | £10,000 | £13,350 | £10,500 |
| Second home / buy-to-let | £30,000 | £45,350 | £29,950 |
Scotland charges LBTT and Wales charges LTT — different names, same idea. Wales has no first-time buyer relief; its figures above use the main residential rates.
First-time buyer? Read this
As a first-time buyer in England or Northern Ireland you pay 5% on the £100,000 above £300,000. Buy above £500,000 and the relief disappears entirely — standard rates apply to the whole price.
Second home or buy-to-let?
Buying a £400,000 second home in England adds the 5% additional-dwelling surcharge on top of every band — that’s why the figure jumps to £30,000. In Scotland the 8% Additional Dwelling Supplement applies to the full price (£45,350 total). Wales uses a separate, higher rate table (£29,950).
Questions about stamp duty on £400,000
How is stamp duty calculated on £400,000?
It’s charged in bands — you pay the rate for each portion of the price that falls in a band, not a single rate on the whole price. Our free calculator shows the exact band-by-band maths.
When do I pay it?
Within 14 days of completion. Your conveyancer or solicitor normally files the return and pays HMRC (or Revenue Scotland / the Welsh Revenue Authority) for you.
Could the amount change?
Rates are set by each nation’s government and can change at Budgets. Figures above use rates verified in October 2026.
Buying at a different price?
Get your exact figure in seconds — every buyer type, all three nations.