Stamp Duty Refund Calculator
If you paid the additional-property surcharge and then sold your old main home within 3 years, you can reclaim it from HMRC.
When you buy a new main home before selling your old one, you initially pay SDLT at the higher rates because you own two properties at completion. If you sell the old main home within three years of buying the new one, you can reclaim the difference between what you paid (additional-property rates) and what you would have paid (standard rates).
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Estimates only. The actual refund depends on the exact dates, the sale price of your old home, and HMRC's review of your application.
How to claim the refund
- Sell your old main home within three years of the new purchase's effective date.
- Apply within 12 months of the sale (or 12 months from the SDLT filing date — whichever is later).
- Use HMRC's online service: search "Apply for a repayment of higher rates of SDLT" on GOV.UK.
- You'll need: the SDLT unique transaction reference number, dates of both transactions, sale price of the old home, and bank details.
- HMRC typically processes refunds within a few weeks but can take longer if they query the application.
What "main residence" means
The old property must have been your only or main residence at some point in the three years before you bought the new one. The new property must become your only or main residence after the old one is sold. "Main residence" is a question of fact — where you live most of the time, where your post goes, where your family is based, where you're registered to vote.
What if I miss the 3-year window?
In limited circumstances HMRC will extend the three-year window — for example, where the delay is caused by exceptional circumstances outside your control (illness, the property market in your area, government action). These applications are decided case by case. You'd need to include a written explanation of the exceptional circumstances with the refund application.
Other refund scenarios
This calculator covers the most common refund situation. Other refunds you might be entitled to:
- Non-resident surcharge refund. If you became UK-resident in any continuous 365-day period falling in the two years either side of completion. Apply by amending the SDLT return.
- Overpayment relief. If you (or your solicitor) used the wrong rate or made a calculation error on the original return. Four-year deadline.
- Multiple dwellings relief (historical). Withdrawn for transactions completing on or after 1 June 2024 — only relevant for historical transactions.
Sources
- Higher rates of SDLT — GOV.UK (refund section)
- Apply for an HRAD repayment — GOV.UK
Rates last verified against HMRC: 1 May 2026.