Stamp Duty on a Second Home — Wales (LTT Higher Rates)
Wales charges separate higher rates from the first pound, not a surcharge. Both tables verbatim from gov.wales, plus the refund rule.
The short answer
In Wales a second home or buy-to-let pays Land Transaction Tax at the higher residential rates — a separate band table starting at 5% from the first pound, not a surcharge on top of the main rates. There is no first-time-buyer relief in Wales, and the higher rates apply from £40,000 upwards.
Wales is the nation most often calculated wrongly: people apply an English-style surcharge to the Welsh main rates. LTT does not work like that — the higher rates are their own table, read verbatim from gov.wales.
Main residential LTT bands (your only home)
| Portion of price | Rate |
|---|---|
| £0 – £225,000 | 0% |
| £225,001 – £400,000 | 6% |
| £400,001 – £750,000 | 7.5% |
| £750,001 – £1,500,000 | 10% |
| £1,500,001 and above | 12% |
Higher residential rates (second homes, buy-to-let, companies)
| Portion of price | Rate |
|---|---|
| £0 – £180,000 | 5% |
| £180,001 – £250,000 | 8.5% |
| £250,001 – £400,000 | 10% |
| £400,001 – £750,000 | 12.5% |
| £750,001 – £1,500,000 | 15% |
| £1,500,001 and above | 17% |
| Scenario | Likely treatment |
|---|---|
| Buy-to-let while you own your home | Higher rates |
| Second home / holiday home | Higher rates |
| Replacing your main residence — old one sold first | Main rates |
| Old main residence sold within 3 years | Higher rates paid, then refund claimed from the WRA |
| First-time buyer | No relief in Wales — main rates apply to a first home |
Worked example — £300,000 buy-to-let
| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| Main-rate LTT (if it were your only home) | £4,500 |
| Higher-rate LTT on £300,000 (second home / buy-to-let) | £19,950 |
| Extra cost of the higher rates | £15,450 |
Council tax premiums
Separately from LTT, Welsh councils may charge up to a 300% council tax premium on second homes and long-term empty properties — a running cost that, for a let property between tenancies, is an allowable expense.
gov.wales Land Transaction Tax rates and bands — main table (from 10 Oct 2022) and higher-rates table (from 11 Dec 2024) read verbatim; Welsh Revenue Authority refund guidance. Checked 2026-08-29; re-checked 31 Aug 2026.
Quick answers
Higher residential rates: 5%, 8.5%, 10%, 12.5%, 15%, 17% across the bands starting from the first pound. On £300,000 that is £19,950.
No. Wales uses a separate higher-rate table rather than adding a flat percentage to the main rates.
No — Wales has no first-time-buyer relief. The main-rate nil band (£225,000) applies to everyone buying their only home.
Yes if the property became your main residence and you sold the previous one within three years — claim from the Welsh Revenue Authority.