What would I pay on a £350,000 house?

Nothing on the first £300,000, then 5% on the £50,000 above it, so £2,500, as long as everyone buying is a first-time buyer and the price is £500,000 or under.

My partner owned a flat years ago. Do we still get the relief?

No. If either of you has ever owned a home, neither of you can claim first-time buyer relief on this purchase.

What about Scotland and Wales?

All covered. The Stamp Duty tool lets you switch region: England & NI use SDLT, Scotland uses LBTT, and Wales uses LTT — each with its own bands. Note Wales has no first-time buyer relief, while Scotland's relief raises the nil-rate band to £175,000.

Do first-time buyers actually pay Stamp Duty?

Mostly, no, and that surprises people. But there are two limits worth knowing before you fall for a place just over the line, and one rule that quietly catches out couples.

Reviewed 8 June 2026 · Information, not advice.

The relief, in plain numbers

In England and Northern Ireland, first-time buyers pay nothing on the first £300,000, then 5% on anything between £300,000 and £500,000.

So a £300,000 home costs you nothing in Stamp Duty. A £400,000 home costs 5% of the £100,000 above the threshold, which is £5,000. Not nothing, but a lot less than someone who's bought before would pay.

Watch the £500,000 line

Here's the trap: go a single pound over £500,000 and you lose the relief completely. Not reduced, gone. You're back on the standard rates as if you'd bought before.

That makes a £505,000 home meaningfully more expensive than a £499,000 one once the tax lands, so it's worth knowing exactly where you sit before you make an offer near that line.

Buying with someone who's owned before

This is the one couples miss. To get the relief, everyone on the purchase has to be a first-time buyer. If your partner has owned a home at any point, anywhere in the world, neither of you can claim it.

It's all or nothing, so it's worth being honest about it early rather than budgeting for a tax break you won't actually get.

Run your own numbers

Will I pay Stamp Duty?How much cash do I need up front?

Common questions

What would I pay on a £350,000 house?: Nothing on the first £300,000, then 5% on the £50,000 above it, so £2,500, as long as everyone buying is a first-time buyer and the price is £500,000 or under.
My partner owned a flat years ago. Do we still get the relief?: No. If either of you has ever owned a home, neither of you can claim first-time buyer relief on this purchase.
What about Scotland and Wales?: All covered. The Stamp Duty tool lets you switch region: England & NI use SDLT, Scotland uses LBTT, and Wales uses LTT — each with its own bands. Note Wales has no first-time buyer relief, while Scotland's relief raises the nil-rate band to £175,000.