stamp duty

British

noun

a tax on legal documents, publications, etc, the payment of which is certified by the attaching or impressing of official stamps

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He argues that broader economic forces, including additional stamp duty and national tax changes on second homes, have done more to cool speculative buying than local restrictions alone.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

On 20 January, contracts were exchanged and more than £49,000 transferred to cover stamp duty, the deposit and fees.

From BBC • Feb. 7, 2026

The stamp duty, or property-sales charge, was temporarily waived from September 2022 until March 31, 2025.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026

The couple's new house comes mortgage-free, with stamp duty and legal fees covered.

From BBC • Jan. 16, 2026

Chief interest was centred on the allegation that the stamp duty so raised the price of legitimate newspapers as to place them beyond the reach of any but the well-to-do.

From The Development of Rates of Postage An Historical and Analytical Study by Smith, A. D.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023