Claiming Back Stamp Duty Land Tax

It is possible to request a refund of Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) if you paid the higher rate of tax when purchasing an additional property.

The time limit for claiming a repayment of SDLT has now been extended for people who paid the higher rate on the purchase of a property which they intended to be used as a main residence and who subsequently sold their previous main residence.

A claim can now be made within 12 months of the sale of the previous main residence or within 12 months of the filing date of the SDLT return for the new residence, on which the higher rate was paid, whichever comes later.

As before, you need to have sold the previous main residence within 3 years of the purchase of the new residence.

The changes apply for transactions which attract the higher rate where the old main residence is sold on or after 29 October 2018.

To claim back the tax you will need to visit the Government website here and either complete the application online or complete the postal form. You will need the following details before you start:

  • Your details
  • The main buyer’s details if they are different to your own
  • Details of the property that attracted the higher rates of SDLT. Including the effective date of purchase and the SDLT unique transaction reference number (UTRN – if you do not have this the solicitor who submitted the return on your behalf should be able to provide it to you)
  • Details of the previous main residence you have sold. Including the effective date of sale, the address of the property and the name of the buyer
  • The amount of tax paid on the property that attracted the higher rates of SDLT
  • The amount of tax you are asking for a repayment of.

You can find more information on the changes on the Law Society’s website here.