One of the most common questions we hear is: "How long will my stamp duty refund take?" The answer depends on the type of claim you're making, how you submit it, and whether HMRC decides to look more closely at your case. In this guide we break down the realistic timelines for every type of SDLT refund in 2026.
Quick overview of refund timelines
Here's a summary of what to expect for each type of stamp duty refund:
| Refund type | Typical timeline |
|---|---|
| Return amendment (online) | 2-4 weeks |
| Return amendment (postal) | 4-6 weeks |
| Chattels overpayment relief | 15-30 working days |
| Second home surcharge (SDLT16) | 15-30 working days |
| With compliance check | 3-12 months |
All timelines are from the date HMRC receives your claim. Postal delivery can add 3-5 working days.
Return amendments: the fastest route
If you're within the 12-month-and-14-day amendment window from your SDLT filing date, amending your original return is the quickest way to get a refund. HMRC operates a "process now, check later" approach for amendments, which means they typically process the refund before deciding whether to look into it further.
Online amendments are the fastest option. If your solicitor filed the original return electronically and you can access the HMRC online portal, you can submit the amendment digitally. HMRC usually processes online amendments within 2-4 weeks, and the refund is paid directly to the bank account associated with the original return.
Postal amendments take longer — typically 4-6 weeks from the date HMRC receives your letter. There's also the additional time for postal delivery and processing at HMRC's stamp duty office.
Tip
If you're still within the amendment window, prioritise getting your claim submitted electronically. It's faster, creates a clear digital audit trail, and HMRC acknowledges receipt immediately.
Chattels overpayment relief
The most common type of stamp duty refund is the chattels overpayment relief claim. This applies when you paid SDLT on the full purchase price without deducting the value of moveable items like carpets, curtains, and white goods.
Overpayment relief claims are made by writing to HMRC's stamp duty office. Unlike amendments, these claims are reviewed before a refund is issued, but HMRC's processing times are still relatively quick.
After HMRC receives your claim, expect the following timeline:
In total, most chattels overpayment relief claims are resolved within 15-30 working days of HMRC receiving the paperwork. That's roughly 3-6 calendar weeks.
Second home surcharge refunds
If you paid the additional property surcharge (currently 5%, increased from 3% in October 2024) because you owned another property at the time of purchase, you can claim this back if you sell your previous main residence within 3 years. This refund is claimed using HMRC's SDLT16 form.
The timeline for second home surcharge refunds is similar to chattels claims: 15-30 working days from submission. However, these claims tend to be more straightforward for HMRC to process because the facts are binary — either you sold the other property within the timeframe or you didn't.
For more detail on claiming this refund, see our guide on second home stamp duty refunds.
What causes delays?
While most claims are processed within the timelines above, several things can slow the process down significantly:
If your claim is missing key information — the SDLT unique transaction reference number, a schedule of chattels, or a revised SDLT calculation — HMRC will write back asking for the missing items. This adds a minimum of 2-4 weeks to the process, as HMRC's correspondence cycle involves postal delays in both directions.
After processing a claim, HMRC has 9 months to open a compliance check (also called an enquiry). If HMRC decides to check your claim, the timeline extends dramatically. A compliance check can take anywhere from 3 to 12 months to resolve, depending on the complexity of the issues and how quickly you respond to HMRC's requests for information.
Compliance checks are more likely if HMRC considers the chattel valuations to be unusually high relative to the property price, or if the claim involves borderline items (fixtures vs. chattels).
HMRC's stamp duty office experiences surges in claims at certain times — particularly after stamp duty changes (such as the April 2025 rate increases) and at the end of financial years when deadline-driven claims spike. During these periods, processing times can extend by 1-2 weeks.
Claims sent by post are inherently slower than electronic submissions. Royal Mail delivery can take 2-3 working days, and HMRC's internal post room may add another 1-2 days before the claim reaches the relevant team. If HMRC needs to request additional information, the same delays apply to their outbound correspondence and your response.
How to speed things up
While you can't control HMRC's internal processing speed, you can reduce the chances of delays by getting your submission right first time:
- Use electronic submissions where possible. Online amendments are processed faster than postal ones, and HMRC confirms receipt instantly.
- Include all required information. Your claim should contain the SDLT unique transaction reference, the property address, the original purchase price, a detailed schedule of chattels with second-hand valuations, a revised SDLT calculation, and the refund amount you're claiming.
- Use realistic valuations. Inflated chattel values are more likely to trigger a compliance check, which can delay your refund by months. Use genuine second-hand values — HMRC expects these to be "substantially lower than acquisition cost."
- Keep copies of everything. Send your postal claim by recorded delivery and retain copies of all documents. If HMRC loses your claim (it happens), you'll need to resubmit.
- Respond promptly to HMRC queries. If HMRC writes to you requesting additional information, respond within 14 days. Delays in your responses extend the overall timeline.
What happens after the refund is paid?
Receiving the refund is not necessarily the end of the process. HMRC retains the right to open a compliance check for 9 months after processing your claim. During this period, they can review your chattel valuations, request evidence, and — if they disagree with your figures — adjust the refund amount.
In practice, most legitimate chattels claims are not challenged. HMRC tends to focus compliance activity on claims with unusually high chattel values, claims involving questionable categories (uninhabitability, mixed-use reclassification), and claims submitted by firms that HMRC has previously identified as problematic.
If you've claimed reasonable second-hand values for genuine chattels, the risk of a compliance check is low. But it's worth keeping your evidence on file for at least 12 months after the refund is paid, just in case.
The bottom line
Most stamp duty refunds are processed within 3-6 weeks. The key to a smooth, fast claim is complete documentation, realistic valuations, and — where possible — electronic submission.
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