Homebuyers paid £15.2bn in stamp duty in 2025/26 as frozen thresholds pull more sales into the tax net

HMRC data analysed by Coventry Building Society shows homebuyers paid £15.2bn in stamp duty in 2025/26, up 9.2% year-on-year. The lift reflects the lower nil-rate threshold, reduced first-time buyer relief, and thresholds that have not shifted since 2014 while average England house prices have climbed around £98,000. For buyers, that means a heavier upfront tax bill — particularly first-time buyers now pulled into the net — and for sellers, more friction on chain completions. It's historic data, not new policy.