The short answer
Is there stamp duty on a remortgage? In the vast majority of cases, no — remortgage stamp duty isn't something most homeowners ever need to budget for. Remortgaging — switching your mortgage deal, whether with your existing lender or a new one — does not trigger stamp duty on its own. Stamp duty is a tax on buying property, and a straightforward remortgage doesn't involve a purchase or any change in who owns the property. You're simply changing who's lending you money against a home you already own.
Comparing your options?
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Read the fixed vs variable guide →What remortgaging actually means
It's easy to assume "remortgaging" means going through the same full process as when you first bought the property — but for most people, it's simpler than that. What you're really doing is arranging a new rate deal before your current one ends, so you don't automatically drift onto your lender's standard variable rate (SVR) — typically the most expensive rate a lender offers, and where you land by default if you don't act.
There are two versions of this, and they're not the same level of effort:
- Product transfer (staying with your current lender) — you're offered a new deal directly, often arranged online or with a quick call. There's usually no fresh affordability assessment or credit check, since you're already their customer on the same loan. This is the quicker, lighter-touch option.
- Remortgaging to a new lender (switching provider) — this genuinely is closer to applying for a new mortgage. The new lender will run affordability and credit checks and ask for income evidence, since you're a new customer to them even though it's the same property. It can get you a better rate, but it isn't a quick formality the way a product transfer is.
Either way, the underlying goal is the same: lock in a rate before your deal ends, rather than letting it lapse onto SVR by default.
Why remortgaging is different from buying
Stamp duty is charged on the "consideration" — broadly, the value — of a property transaction, as set out in HMRC's Stamp Duty Land Tax guidance. In a standard remortgage, there's no transaction: the same person or people continue to own the property exactly as before, just with a new loan arrangement. No consideration changes hands for the property itself, so there's nothing for stamp duty to apply to.
Where it gets more complicated: adding someone to the title
The situation changes if a remortgage comes with a change in legal ownership — most commonly, adding a partner to the title who wasn't previously a registered owner. If that person also takes on a share of the outstanding mortgage debt as part of becoming a co-owner, HMRC can treat that assumed debt as "consideration," meaning stamp duty could technically apply to the value of the share being transferred.
Working out the transfer of equity figure yourself
There's no separate "transfer of equity" tax — it's charged using the same standard SDLT bands as any purchase, applied to the value of the assumed debt rather than a sale price. Take the mortgage balance the incoming co-owner is taking on a share of, then run that figure through the stamp duty calculator as if it were the property price to see what, if anything, is owed.
Worked example: adding a partner to the title
In this example, only the £25,000 above the £125,000 nil-rate band is taxed, at 2% — giving £500 owed, not a figure based on the property's full value. A smaller share transferred, or a smaller outstanding mortgage, can easily fall entirely within the nil-rate band and owe nothing at all.
What doesn't change ownership (and stays tax-free)
- Switching lenders at the end of a fixed deal, with ownership unchanged
- Product transfers — moving to a new deal with your existing lender
- Releasing equity through a remortgage, as long as ownership stays the same
- Overpaying or restructuring your existing mortgage without adding or removing anyone from the title
Using released equity to buy another property
A common scenario: remortgaging your main home to release equity, then using that cash as a deposit on a second property. The remortgage itself still doesn't trigger stamp duty — but the second property purchase absolutely does, under the normal rules, including the additional property surcharge if you're keeping your existing home. The source of your deposit (savings, released equity, a gift) doesn't change how the new purchase is taxed. See our second homes guide for how that surcharge works.
Frequently asked questions
Is there stamp duty on remortgage?
Generally not. Stamp duty on remortgage only becomes relevant in one specific situation: when the remortgage is paired with a change of legal ownership, such as adding a partner to the title who also takes on a share of the mortgage debt. A standard remortgage — switching deals or lenders without changing who owns the property — has no stamp duty attached to it.
Does remortgaging mean applying for a new mortgage from scratch?
Not necessarily. If you stay with your current lender (a product transfer), it's usually a quick process with no fresh affordability or credit check. If you switch to a new lender, that genuinely is more like a new mortgage application, with income checks and underwriting, since you're a new customer to them.
Do I pay stamp duty when my fixed deal ends and I switch to a new lender?
No. Switching lenders or deals on a property you already own, with ownership staying exactly the same, doesn't trigger stamp duty. This applies whether you stay with your existing lender or move to a new one.
Do I pay stamp duty when I add my partner to the mortgage?
Possibly, depending on the details. If your partner is also added to the property's legal title and takes on a share of the outstanding mortgage debt, that assumed debt can count as consideration for stamp duty purposes. If the value of the share transferred is below the relevant nil-rate threshold, there may be no tax due in practice — but it's not automatically tax-free, so it's worth checking with a solicitor before assuming either way.
Is there a transfer of equity stamp duty calculator?
There's no separate calculator needed — a transfer of equity is taxed using the same standard SDLT bands as any purchase, applied to the value of the mortgage debt assumed by the incoming co-owner rather than a sale price. Enter that assumed-debt figure into our regular stamp duty calculator as if it were the property price, and it'll give you the correct figure.
What if I remortgage to release equity for a deposit on a second property?
The remortgage itself still doesn't trigger stamp duty, since you're not changing ownership of the first property. But when you use that released equity to buy a second property, standard rules apply to that new purchase, including the additional property surcharge if you're keeping the first home too.
This guide is for general information and doesn't constitute financial or legal advice. Whether stamp duty applies when adding someone to a title depends on the specific facts and figures involved — always check with a solicitor before assuming a transfer is tax-free.