Use our tool to calculate your stamp duty bill when buying a property in Northern Ireland.
Stamp duty is a tax paid on property purchases, but it can be confusing.
The amount you pay is based on the purchase price. The system is tiered, meaning you’ll pay a different percentage of tax on different portions of the price. It’s calculated the same in Northern Ireland as it is in England. The tax is calculated differently in Scotland and Wales.
Your stamp duty bill will differ depending on:
- Whether or not you’re a first-time buyer.
- Whether the property is your main residence or a second home.
Northern Ireland stamp duty calculator
Buying a new home in Northern Ireland
Here’s how stamp duty in Northern Ireland is calculated:
- Portion costing between £0 and £125,000: 0%
- Portion costing between £125,001 and £250,000: 2%
- Portion costing between £250,001 and £925,000: 5%
- Portion costing between £925,001 and £1,500,000: 10%
- Portion costing over £1,500,000: 12%
So if you’re buying a home for £500,000, you’ll pay:
- 0% of £125,000 = 0%
- 2% of £125,000 = £2,500
- 5% of £250,000 = £12,500
TOTAL: £15,000
First-time buyers in Northern Ireland
The government recently removed stamp duty for first-time buyers buying properties worth less than £300,000. Here are the rates in Northern Ireland:
- Portion costing between £0 and £300,000: 0%
- Portion costing between £300,001 and £925,000: 5%
- Portion costing between £925,001 and £1,500,000: 10%
- Portion costing over £1,500,000: 12%
So if you’re buying a home for £500,000, you’ll pay:
- 0% of £300,000 = 0%
- 5% of £200,000 = £4,000
TOTAL: £4,000
Second homes in Northern Ireland
If you’re buying a second home in Northern Ireland, you’ll essentially pay a 3% surcharge on each of the stamp duty tiers. Here are the rates.
- Portion costing between £0 and £125,000: 3%
- Portion costing between £125,001 and £250,000: 5%
- Portion costing between £250,001 and £925,000: 8%
- Portion costing between £925,001 and £1,500,000: 13%
- Portion costing over £1,500,000: 15%
So if you’re buying a home for £500,000, you’ll pay:
- 3% of £125,000 = £3,750
- 5% of £125,000 = £6,250
- 8% of £250,000 = £20,000
TOTAL: £30,000
How and when do I pay stamp duty?
Your stamp duty bill is due no more than 30 days after you complete the purchase of a property. Your conveyancer will usually send your stamp duty payment to HMRC on your behalf on completion day.
It is sometimes possible to borrow more from your mortgage lender to fund your stamp duty bill. However, this should be avoided as it means you’ll be paying interest on it for the entirety of your mortgage term.
There is a small list of cases where you’ll be exempt from stamp duty, including with inherited properties, zero-carbon home purchases under £500,000, some Right To Buy transactions and charity purchases. The full list is available on the HMRC website.