Land Transaction Tax (LTT) Calculator — Wales
Enter the purchase price of a property in Wales to see the LTT due, for a main home or an additional property — with the full band-by-band breakdown. The tool applies the main rates or the separate higher-rates table automatically, depending on which purchase type you select.
How it works
LTT is Wales’s replacement for stamp duty and is charged in slices: nothing up to £225,000, 6% from £225,001 to £400,000, 7.5% to £750,000, 10% to £1.5m and 12% above. A £350,000 main home costs £125,000 × 6% = £7,500.
A slightly bigger worked example shows how the slices stack: on a £500,000 main residence you pay nothing on the first £225,000, then 6% on the £175,000 up to £400,000 (£10,500), then 7.5% on the final £100,000 (£7,500) — £18,000 in total. No single rate ever applies to the whole price; each slice is taxed on its own.
Wales has NO first-time buyer relief — unlike England and Scotland. The relatively high £225,000 nil band is the Welsh Government’s stated alternative, since it already covers a typical first home in most of Wales. The practical consequence: a first-time buyer and a home-mover pay identical LTT on the same main-residence purchase.
Additional properties (second homes, buy-to-lets) use a separate, higher table charged from the first pound: 5% up to £180,000, 8.5% to £250,000, 10% to £400,000, 12.5% to £750,000, 15% to £1.5m and 17% above — rates in force since 11 December 2024. The higher rates paid can be refunded if you sell your former main home within 3 years.
The most common mistake is assuming a purchase below £225,000 is always tax-free. That is true for a main residence, but the higher-rates table starts at the first pound: a £200,000 buy-to-let pays 5% on £180,000 (£9,000) plus 8.5% on the remaining £20,000 (£1,700) — £10,700 on a property that would cost a main-residence buyer nothing.
What counts as an additional property: you already own another dwelling anywhere in the world worth £40,000 or more, and the new purchase does not replace your main residence. The calculator gives the tax for the purchase type you select; it cannot judge the replacement-of-main-residence question for you, and if you buy before selling your old main home you pay the higher rates first and reclaim later.
FAQ
How much is LTT on a £300,000 house in Wales?
For a main residence: £4,500 — nothing on the first £225,000, then 6% on the remaining £75,000. If it is a second home or buy-to-let, the higher rates apply from the first pound: 5% on £180,000 + 8.5% on £70,000 + 10% on £50,000 = £19,950. The gap between the two figures is why establishing that a purchase replaces your main residence matters so much.
Is there first-time buyer relief in Wales?
No. Wales is the only UK nation without a dedicated first-time buyer relief. The Welsh Government points to the £225,000 starting threshold, which is higher than England’s £125,000 standard nil band and above the average Welsh house price — so most Welsh first-time buyers pay no LTT anyway. Buyers of more expensive homes get no special treatment for being first-timers.
When do the higher rates apply, and can I get them refunded?
Higher rates apply when you buy a residential property in Wales and already own another dwelling anywhere in the world (worth £40,000+), unless the new purchase replaces your main residence. If you buy before selling your old main home you pay the higher rates up front, then reclaim the difference from the Welsh Revenue Authority if the old home is sold within 3 years of completion.
How much is LTT on a £400,000 main home in Wales?
£10,500: nothing on the first £225,000, then 6% on the full £175,000 slice between £225,001 and £400,000. Because £400,000 is exactly where the 6% band ends, every pound above the nil band is taxed at the same rate — a clean illustration of how the slice system works before the 7.5% band starts.
Do I pay any LTT if the house costs less than £225,000?
For a main residence, no — the nil band covers the whole price, which is why most Welsh first-time buyers pay nothing despite the absence of a dedicated relief. For an additional property the answer changes completely: the higher-rates table charges from the first pound, so a £200,000 second home still generates £10,700 of tax (5% of £180,000 plus 8.5% of £20,000).
Does a property I own abroad count towards the higher rates?
Yes. The test looks at dwellings you own anywhere in the world, not just in Wales or the UK, provided the other dwelling is worth £40,000 or more. Someone with an apartment overseas who buys a house in Wales will face the higher rates unless the Welsh purchase replaces their main residence — a detail that regularly surprises buyers relocating to Wales.
When did the current higher rates come into force?
On 11 December 2024, when the higher-rates table moved to 5% up to £180,000, 8.5% to £250,000, 10% to £400,000, 12.5% to £750,000, 15% to £1.5m and 17% above. Older articles and calculators may still show the previous table, so check the date on anything you compare against — this page follows the rates currently published by the Welsh Government.