LTT — Land Transaction Tax
Work out the Land Transaction Tax on a property purchase in Wales — main residential rates, or the higher rates for additional properties. Wales has no first-time buyer relief.
The purchase
Band by band
Land Transaction Tax: how Wales does it
Wales replaced stamp duty with LTT in 2018 and gave it the highest starting threshold in Britain: nothing at all on the first £225,000, then 6% to £400,000, 7.5% to £750,000, 10% to £1.5 million and 12% above. A £300,000 main home costs £4,500. The generous nil band means most cheaper Welsh purchases pay nothing whatsoever, and the trade-off is that 6% band, which climbs faster than England's 5% once prices pass the threshold.
No first-time buyer relief, by design
Wales is the only UK nation offering first-time buyers nothing extra, on the reasoning that the £225,000 threshold already exempts most starter homes. At £300,000 that logic runs out: a Welsh first-time buyer pays the full £4,500 while an English one pays zero and a Scottish one £4,000. Buyers near the border with a genuine choice of country should run both calculators before assuming the difference is trivial. On this price, it's a holiday.
Higher rates for additional property
Second homes and buy-to-lets pay LTT's separate higher-rate schedule, which lifts the £300,000 bill to £19,950, 6.65% of the price. Steep, though gentler than Scotland's £28,600 at the same price, with England between the two at £20,000. Some Welsh councils also charge council tax premiums on second homes, a running cost this one-off tax doesn't capture. Compare regimes with the stamp duty calculator and LBTT calculator, and price the whole purchase with the cost of buying calculator.
Common questions
What is LTT in Wales?
Land Transaction Tax is the Welsh equivalent of Stamp Duty, charged in bands: main residential rates are 0% to £225,000, 6% to £400,000, 7.5% to £750,000, 10% to £1.5m and 12% above. It replaced Stamp Duty in Wales in 2018.
Does Wales have first-time buyer relief?
No. Wales has no first-time buyer relief — instead its £225,000 nil-rate band, the highest of the three UK systems, applies to everyone buying their main home.
What are the higher LTT rates?
Additional properties in Wales pay higher residential rates from the first pound — a full separate band table starting at 5% up to £180,000 and rising to 17% above £1.5m, rather than a flat surcharge on the standard rates.
These results are estimates for general information only and are not financial advice. Property decisions have real consequences — check every figure and take appropriate professional advice before acting. Read the full disclaimer.