Moving Tax
UK stamp duty calculator and guides

How to Claim a Stamp Duty Refund

You can claim a stamp duty refund within 12 months of the filing deadline if you overpaid, sold your previous home within 3 years (reclaiming the second home surcharge), or made an error. Refunds take 15-30 days to process once HMRC approves your claim.

Common refund scenarios

  • Sold old home within 3 years: Reclaim the 3% second home surcharge if you've now sold your previous main residence
  • Overpayment error: Your solicitor applied wrong rates or buyer type
  • Transaction fell through: Sale didn't complete after SDLT was paid
  • Property value reduced: Purchase price was lowered after SDLT was paid

How to claim

Amend your SDLT return online via the HMRC portal. You'll need your original UTRN (unique transaction reference number) from your SDLT5 certificate.

HMRC processes refunds within 15-30 days of approval. Refunds go to the bank account used for the original purchase.

Time limits

You must claim within 12 months of the filing deadline (14 days after completion). After this, refunds are at HMRC's discretion and rarely granted.

Sources

  1. HMRC, Amend your SDLT return, gov.uk, accessed 24 June 2026