Stamp Duty Planning
SDLT is calculated wrong on roughly 1 in 8 residential transactions — usually in HMRC's favour. The 5% surcharge, Multiple Dwellings Relief, mixed-use classification, and main-residence replacement rules all contain exemptions most conveyancers don't flag. We match you with a specialist who reviews the SDLT position before you exchange.
Why a specialist matters here
SDLT is a self-assessed tax and conveyancers are legally allowed to file the return at the default rate without checking reliefs. That default is often wrong. The specialist's job is to review the transaction properly — including reliefs the conveyancer doesn't check for — and to identify refunds on past transactions where SDLT was overpaid.
The three problems a general accountant won't catch
The 5% surcharge has exceptions
The 5% additional dwelling surcharge applies to second+ property purchases, but replacement-of-main-residence rules, time-limited refunds, and mixed-use classifications all create exemptions. Many Harrow buyers pay the surcharge then discover they didn't need to.
Multiple Dwellings Relief was abolished — but refunds may apply
MDR was removed for completions from June 2024. But if you completed before that date on a property that qualified (self-contained annexe, granny flat, multi-unit building), a refund claim may still be open — the window is typically 12 months from completion.
Mixed-use is not the same as residential
A property with a non-residential element — a shop with a flat above, a house with commercial outbuildings, a property with grounds over 0.5 hectares — may qualify as mixed-use, which caps SDLT at 5% (vs up to 19% residential). This is heavily contested by HMRC and requires careful evidence.
What the specialist delivers
Pre-exchange SDLT review
Full review of the SDLT position before you exchange — every relief, surcharge exemption, and rate classification checked. Written opinion you can share with your conveyancer.
Refund claim assessment
Past transactions reviewed for overpaid SDLT. If a claim is live, it's prepared and filed. Success fee only — if no refund, no fee.
Portfolio acquisition planning
Buying multiple properties together can trigger linked transactions rules or qualify as non-residential if 6+ dwellings. A specialist structures the deal to minimise total SDLT across the set.
HMRC enquiry defence
If HMRC challenges an SDLT return (most often mixed-use classification), a specialist handles the response and, where appropriate, the tribunal case.
SDLT Planning in specific Harrow areas
We publish in-depth analysis only for area–service combinations where we have genuinely distinctive angles. No area–service pages are generated unless we've actually written about them.
SDLT planning in Wealdstone: where first-time landlords overpay — and where they can still claim it back
SDLT planning in Kenton: the family-property purchase where parents pay the surcharge that the child should have paid
SDLT in Edgware: the family transfer trap that isn't market-value — it's mortgage assumption
FAQs on sdlt planning
Does the 5% surcharge apply if I'm replacing my main residence?
What's the difference between residential and mixed-use SDLT?
Can I claim SDLT relief as a first-time buyer in Harrow?
How far back can I claim an SDLT refund?
Model the numbers before you commit.
Calculator · 2 min
SDLT Calculator + Surcharge Refund Checker
Work out the stamp duty on a UK residential property purchase, including the 5% additional-property surcharge and whether you can reclaim it if replacing a main home.
Open the tool →Decision tree · 3 min
Do I owe the SDLT surcharge?
Answer a few questions about the purchase and your existing property holdings to find out whether the 5% surcharge applies — and whether you can reclaim it later.
Open the tool →