Stamp duty on a £600,000 house
Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) on a £600,000 home is £20,000 for both a standard buyer and a first-time buyer — an effective rate of 3.33% — because first-time-buyer relief is not available above £500,000. A second home or buy-to-let is £50,000 (the 5% surcharge), and a non-UK-resident buyer pays £32,000.
Stamp duty on £600,000 by buyer type
| Buyer | SDLT | Effective rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard buyer (owns no other property) | £20,000 | 3.33% | The default residential rates. |
| First-time buyer | £20,000 | 3.33% | Relief is unavailable above £500,000 — standard rates apply. |
| Second home / buy-to-let (+5%) | £50,000 | 8.33% | The 5-point higher rates for an additional dwelling. |
| Non-UK resident (+2%) | £32,000 | 5.33% | The 2-point non-resident surcharge, on top of standard rates. |
How the £20,000 is worked out
SDLT is charged in slices: each portion of the £600,000 price is taxed at the rate for its band, not one rate on the whole price.
| Band | Rate | Taxable slice | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| £0–£125,000 | 0% | £125,000 | £0 |
| £125,000–£250,000 | 2% | £125,000 | £2,500 |
| £250,000–£925,000 | 5% | £350,000 | £17,500 |
| Total SDLT | £20,000 | ||
What £600,000 means for your stamp duty
At £600,000 you are above the £125,000 nil-rate threshold, so some duty is always due for a standard buyer. First-time-buyer relief is capped at £500,000 — because £600,000 is above that, first-time buyers get no relief and pay the standard £20,000.
What this budget buys. This is well above the national average home price. In most regions outside London and the South East it buys a substantial detached property; in prime central London it can still be a flat or a modest house. For live averages, see UK house prices and Land Registry sold prices.
A different price or situation?
Change the price, buyer type, second-home or non-resident status and get an instant figure with the interactive calculator.
Open the stamp duty calculatorStamp duty is only part of the true cost
Because £600,000 sets your budget, £20,000 of SDLT is just the start — legal fees, searches, survey and moving costs stack on top, and what you pay should reflect what the property is actually worth and what it hides. Add up the full cost of buying, then check the exact address before you offer: the £24.99 Complete report runs a valuation, sold-price history and the flood, ground, EPC and leasehold checks on one property.
Frequently asked questions
How much is stamp duty on a £600,000 house?
£20,000 for a standard buyer (an effective rate of 3.33%). First-time-buyer relief is not available above £500,000, so a first-time buyer also pays £20,000. A second home or buy-to-let is £50,000.
Do first-time buyers pay stamp duty on a £600,000 home?
First-time-buyer relief is only available when the price is £500,000 or less. On a £600,000 home there is no relief, so a first-time buyer pays the standard £20,000.
What is the stamp duty on a £600,000 second home or buy-to-let?
£50,000. Buying an additional dwelling adds 5 percentage points to every band (including the nil-rate band) when the price is £40,000 or more, on top of the standard £20,000.
Is the £600,000 stamp duty figure up to date for 2026?
Yes. These figures use the residential SDLT bands in force from 1 April 2025 (0% to £125,000, 2% to £250,000, 5% to £925,000, 10% to £1.5m, 12% above), first-time-buyer relief (0% to £300,000, 5% to £500,000, none above £500,000), the 5% additional-property surcharge and the 2% non-resident surcharge. Verified against gov.uk. SDLT applies in England and Northern Ireland; Scotland uses LBTT and Wales uses LTT.
Stamp duty on other prices
Sources
- Stamp Duty Land Tax — residential property rates — HMRC / GOV.UK
- Higher rates for additional properties — HMRC / GOV.UK
Figures computed from the SDLT bands in force from 1 April 2025. England & Northern Ireland only (Scotland: LBTT; Wales: LTT). Not tax advice.