Common Stamp Duty Overpayment Triggers
| Trigger | What happened | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Second-home surcharge, then sold old home | Surcharge paid on completion because you temporarily owned two properties | Reclaim within 36 months of selling the previous main residence |
| Multiple Dwellings Relief missed | Purchase included an annexe/granny flat or multiple units, but MDR was not applied | Reclaim within 4 years of the transaction |
| Non-resident surcharge wrongly applied | Charged the 2% non-resident surcharge despite qualifying UK residence tests | Reclaim on review of residence status at the time of purchase |
| Wrong band/rate used by conveyancer | Simple calculation error on the SDLT/LBTT/LTT return | Amend the return or reclaim the difference |
Think you're owed money back?
Specialist no-win-no-fee reclaim firms handle the HMRC paperwork and only charge a fee if your claim succeeds.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common triggers: you sold your previous main home within 36 months of paying the second-home surcharge (England/NI SDLT or Scotland ADS), Multiple Dwellings Relief was missed on a qualifying purchase, or a surcharge was applied when it should not have been (e.g. replacing your only home). Use the calculator above to recheck your figure.
MDR can reduce stamp duty when a single transaction includes more than one dwelling â for example a house with a self-contained annexe, or several flats bought together. It is one of the most commonly missed reliefs; if your purchase included more than one dwelling and your solicitor did not mention MDR, it is worth checking.
For the England/NI second-home surcharge refund (after selling your previous home within 36 months), you can apply directly via gov.uk or through a specialist reclaim firm on a no-win-no-fee basis. Reclaim firms typically handle the HMRC paperwork for a percentage of the amount recovered.
Yes. The surcharge refund (selling previous home) must generally be claimed within 12 months of the sale or the SDLT filing deadline, whichever is later. Overpayment claims (e.g. missed MDR) generally have a 4-year window from the effective transaction date. Act promptly if you think you have a claim.