Stamp duty, stamp duty reserve tax (SDRT) and stamp duty land tax (SDLT) are charged on transactions in shares and land. The rates are:
Charged on total consideration
Rate
Shares (stamp duty/SDRT)
-- value up to £1,000
nil
-- value over £1,000
0.5%
Land (SDLT):
-- up to threshold
0%
-- threshold - £250,000
1%
-- £250,001 - £500,000
3%
-- over £500,000
4%
The threshold depends on whether the property is residential or commercial and whether it is in a “disadvanted ares”:
Residential
Commercial
General
£125,000
£150,000
Disadvantaged
£150,000
£150,000
The first sale of a new “zero carbon” house will be exempt from SDLT if the value is up to £500,000.
Stamp duty is charged on the total consideration, and is always rounded up to the nearest £5.
SDLT is charged on the whole consideration and is rounded down to the nearest £1.
SDLT is charged on the grant of a lease on any premium (using the above rates) and on the discounted net present value of the rental steam. This charge is at 1% of the excess of the NPV over the threshold.
Gifts, will and other ‘gratuitous transfers’ are generally not liable to duty at all.
Stamp duty and its related taxed are normally due from the purchases within 30 days of the chargeable transaction.
