Stamp Duty in Wales 2026: LTT Rates, Bands and Worked Examples

A £300,000 home in Wales attracts £4,500 in Land Transaction Tax (LTT) — £500 less than the £5,000 an English buyer pays, because Wales has the highest nil-rate band in the UK at £225,000 (Welsh Revenue Authority; HMRC). The trade-off is sharp: Wales offers no first-time buyer relief at all, and its first taxable rate is 6% rather than England's 2%. The Welsh Budget 2026-27 left every residential rate and band unchanged (Welsh Government, October 2025).

This guide sets out the LTT bands in force for 2026/27, works through the sums at common price points, and shows exactly where the Welsh regime beats England's — and where it costs more.

Quick summary

• Main rates: 0% to £225,000, then 6%, 7.5%, 10%, 12% on the slices above
• First-time buyers: no relief — the high nil-rate band is the substitute
• Higher rates (second homes and buy-to-lets): standalone bands from 5% to 17%
• Filing deadline: 30 days from the day after completion, not England's 14
• Administered by: the Welsh Revenue Authority (WRA), not HMRC

What is Land Transaction Tax?

Land Transaction Tax replaced SDLT in Wales on 1 April 2018 under the Land Transaction Tax and Anti-avoidance of Devolved Taxes (Wales) Act 2017. It is collected by the Welsh Revenue Authority and applies to property and land purchases in Wales.

LTT is banded like SDLT: each rate applies only to the slice of the price inside its band. The distinctive features are the £225,000 nil-rate band — £100,000 higher than England's — and the 6% rate that follows it, three times England's first taxable rate.

LTT main residential rates 2026/27

These bands have applied since 10 October 2022 and were confirmed unchanged for 2026-27 in the Welsh Budget (Welsh Revenue Authority; Welsh Government).

Purchase price band	Rate
£0 – £225,000	0%
£225,001 – £400,000	6%
£400,001 – £750,000	7.5%
£750,001 – £1,500,000	10%
£1,500,001+	12%

Example: £212,000 home (the Welsh average — HM Land Registry, April 2026)

• Entire price is inside the nil-rate band
• Total LTT: £0 (an English buyer pays £1,740 at this price)

Example: £300,000 home

• First £225,000: 0% = £0
• Remaining £75,000 (£225,001–£300,000): 6% = £4,500
• Total LTT: £4,500

Calculate Your LTT →

No first-time buyer relief in Wales

Wales is the only UK nation without a first-time buyer scheme. The Welsh Government's position is that the £225,000 nil-rate band already exempts the typical first purchase — and at the £212,000 Welsh average price (HM Land Registry, April 2026) that holds: most Welsh first-time buyers pay nothing anyway.

The gap appears at higher prices. At £300,000:

Nation	First-time buyer pays
England	£0
Scotland	£4,000
Wales	£4,500

A first-time buyer in Cardiff at £300,000 pays £4,500 more than one in Manchester at the same price (Welsh Revenue Authority; HMRC, 2026/27 rates).

Wales vs England: the £350,000 crossover

The £100,000-larger nil-rate band and the steeper 6% rate pull in opposite directions, and they balance at exactly £350,000. Below that price Wales charges less; above it, England does.

Purchase price	Wales (LTT)	England (SDLT)	Difference
£212,000	£0	£1,740	−£1,740
£225,000	£0	£2,000	−£2,000
£250,000	£1,500	£2,500	−£1,000
£300,000	£4,500	£5,000	−£500
£350,000	£7,500	£7,500	£0
£400,000	£10,500	£10,000	+£500
£500,000	£18,000	£15,000	+£3,000
£750,000	£36,750	£27,500	+£9,250
£1,000,000	£61,750	£43,750	+£18,000

Home-mover rates, 2026/27 (Welsh Revenue Authority; HMRC).

Higher rates: standalone bands from 5% to 17%

Second homes, buy-to-lets, and holiday homes in Wales pay the higher residential rates. These are not the main rates plus a fixed surcharge — they are a separate rate schedule with their own band boundaries, in force since 11 December 2024 (Welsh Revenue Authority):

Purchase price band	Higher rate
£0 – £180,000	5%
£180,001 – £250,000	8.5%
£250,001 – £400,000	10%
£400,001 – £750,000	12.5%
£750,001 – £1,500,000	15%
£1,500,001+	17%

Note the first band boundary: £180,000, not the £225,000 of the main rates. Tax starts from the first pound on any additional property costing £40,000 or more.

Example: £300,000 buy-to-let

• First £180,000: 5% = £9,000
• Next £70,000 (£180,001–£250,000): 8.5% = £5,950
• Remaining £50,000 (£250,001–£300,000): 10% = £5,000
• Total LTT: £19,950 (England: £20,000; Scotland: £28,600)

Refunds: a buyer who pays the higher rates because their previous main residence has not yet sold can reclaim the difference if the old home sells within 3 years of the new purchase (WRA). From 2026-27 a new refund route also applies where a landlord leases a dwelling to a local authority through Leasing Scheme Wales (Welsh Government, Draft Budget 2026-27).

Compare Second-Home Costs →

Filing and paying LTT

The LTT return is due within 30 days of the day after completion (Welsh Revenue Authority), with any tax paid in the same window. The buyer's solicitor normally files through the WRA's online portal as part of the conveyancing. A return is required even when the tax due is £0 — a nil-band purchase at £220,000 still generates a filing obligation. Missing the deadline triggers penalties under the Tax Collection and Management (Wales) Act 2016.

One structural change lands in 2026-27, aimed at investors rather than home movers: the Multiple Dwellings Relief minimum rate rises from 1% to 3%, with an equalisation rule to align per-dwelling tax between multiple-dwelling and single-dwelling higher-rate purchases (Welsh Government, Draft Budget 2026-27).

Frequently asked questions

Is there stamp duty in Wales?

Not since 1 April 2018. Wales charges Land Transaction Tax (LTT), collected by the Welsh Revenue Authority. It is banded like stamp duty but with different rates — including the UK's highest nil-rate band at £225,000 and no first-time buyer relief.

How much LTT do I pay on a £250,000 house?

£1,500 for any buyer of a main residence: 0% on the first £225,000 and 6% on the remaining £25,000. In England a home mover pays £2,500 and a first-time buyer £0 at the same price.

Do first-time buyers pay stamp duty in Wales?

They pay LTT at the same rates as everyone else — Wales has no first-time buyer relief. Below £225,000 that means £0 regardless. Above it, a Welsh first-time buyer pays the full main rates while an English one pays nothing up to £300,000.

What are the higher rates for second homes in Wales?

Standalone bands from 5% to 17%, in force since 11 December 2024 (WRA). A £300,000 second home attracts £19,950. Unlike the main rates, tax starts from the first pound once the price reaches £40,000.

Is LTT cheaper than English stamp duty?

Below £350,000, yes — Welsh home movers save up to £2,000 thanks to the £225,000 nil-rate band. At exactly £350,000 the two nations charge the same £7,500. Above that, Wales costs more: £3,000 more at £500,000 and £18,000 more at £1,000,000.

When are LTT rates next reviewed?

At the annual Welsh Budget. The 2026-27 Budget (final version, early 2026) confirmed no changes to residential rates or bands; the main rates have now been unchanged since 10 October 2022 (Welsh Government).

Related resources

• Stamp Duty Calculator — supports LTT, LBTT, and SDLT
• UK Stamp Duty Guide — England & Northern Ireland rates in full
• Stamp Duty in Scotland: LBTT Guide — the Scottish regime compared
• Mortgage Calculator — monthly payments on the rest of the purchase

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Official sources:

• Welsh Revenue Authority: LTT rates and bands
• Welsh Government: Draft Budget 2026-27 — Welsh taxes written statement
• HM Land Registry: UK House Price Index

Last updated: 12 August 2026. Reflects LTT main rates in force since 10 October 2022, higher rates since 11 December 2024, and the Welsh Budget 2026-27 confirmation of no residential rate changes.

Disclaimer: LTT figures are based on rates published by the Welsh Revenue Authority as at the last updated date. Rules can change at Budget. Always verify current rates and your eligibility with a solicitor before exchanging contracts. UK Calculator provides information and calculation tools; it is not a tax adviser or solicitor.