Wales uses Land Transaction Tax
LTT replaced SDLT for Welsh purchases from 1 April 2018. A property in Cardiff, Swansea or elsewhere in Wales uses the Welsh bands, regardless of where the buyer currently lives. The same purchase price can therefore produce a different bill from an English or Scottish property.
Choose the main-rate option for a purchase that qualifies for ordinary residential rates. Choose additional property if higher-rate conditions apply. This tool is for individual buyers purchasing one residential property at current rates.
The main residential LTT bands
| Portion of purchase price | Rate |
|---|---|
| Up to £225,000 | 0% |
| Over £225,000 to £400,000 | 6% |
| Over £400,000 to £750,000 | 7.5% |
| Over £750,000 to £1,500,000 | 10% |
| Over £1,500,000 | 12% |
At £350,000, main-rate LTT is £7,500. The first £225,000 carries no tax and the remaining £125,000 is charged at 6%. Passing a threshold does not make the whole purchase taxable at the higher marginal rate.
Higher rates are a separate set of bands
Welsh higher-rate LTT is not calculated by adding one flat surcharge to the main-rate result. It uses different thresholds as well as different percentages. The first higher-rate band ends at £180,000, while the main-rate nil band ends at £225,000.
| Portion of purchase price | Rate |
|---|---|
| Up to £180,000 | 5% |
| Over £180,000 to £250,000 | 8.5% |
| Over £250,000 to £400,000 | 10% |
| Over £400,000 to £750,000 | 12.5% |
| Over £750,000 to £1,500,000 | 15% |
| Over £1,500,000 | 17% |
For a £350,000 additional home, the higher-rate estimate is £24,950. That comprises £9,000, £5,950 and £10,000 across the first three bands. The current higher bands generally apply from 11 December 2024, subject to transitional rules.
Do first-time buyers get Welsh relief?
Wales has no separate first-time buyer LTT relief. A first-time buyer who qualifies for main residential rates benefits from the same £225,000 nil-rate band as other qualifying buyers. Selecting first-time buyer in this calculator therefore produces the main-rate calculation.
Joint ownership, a spouse’s interests and property held elsewhere can affect higher-rate status. Check all purchasers’ circumstances rather than relying on the mortgage’s first-time buyer label.
Scope and special Welsh rules
The calculator does not assess companies, trusts, linked transactions, leases, multiple-dwelling relief or specific higher-rate exceptions. This includes qualifying purchases subsequently leased to a Welsh local authority under the time-limited rules applying from 13 February 2026. Check those cases with the WRA.
The WRA return asks for purchase consideration rounded down to whole pounds. This calculator follows that instruction and shows the tax to the nearest penny. Use a dot for pence; commas are treated as separators.
RESEARCH & CORRECTIONS
Sources and review
Researched and maintained by StampDutyCal. Checked on against the official sources below. This is our own research, not an independent professional tax review. We update the website when rules change.