Deposit and loan arrangements: HMRC’s archived SDLT example
In short
This archived HMRC page contains no deposit and loan example. It directs readers to SDLTM11055 instead.
- Do not calculate stamp duty from the archive notice.
- Check the replacement guidance and all payment documents.
- The amount paid can include value given indirectly.
Scroll down for the full analysis.
Read the original guidance here:
Deposit and loan arrangements: HMRC’s archived SDLT example
This archived HMRC page does not contain its old deposit and loan example. It only says the example has moved to SDLTM11055. That matters: you cannot safely work out stamp duty from this page alone.
What this rule is about
Stamp duty looks at everything given to obtain land, whether money or other value is provided directly or indirectly under connected parts of the transaction. A deposit and a loan may need to be read together.
What the official source says
HMRC’s archived manual page gives very little detail. It says that its third example has moved.
- The former page is archived.
- The example is now said to be at SDLTM11055.
- No facts, figures or answer appear on the archived page.
What this means in practice
Do not treat the archive notice as an answer to your own deal when the wording, the flow of money, and the connected documents may point elsewhere. They matter.
- Keep the sale contract.
- Keep the loan agreement.
- Check the deposit terms and bank records.
How to analyse it
Start with the real arrangement, rather than the name given to each payment, because its purpose, timing, and connection with the purchase may alter the analysis. Ask one question at a time.
- What are you buying?
- What total value are you giving?
- Who pays the deposit?
- Is the loan linked to the purchase?
Example
The archived page provides no usable worked example. It would be unsafe to invent one, because the archived page does not reveal the payment terms, the relevant facts, or HMRC’s conclusion on them. Read the replacement page alongside the signed documents.
Why this can be difficult in practice
A payment called a loan may still form part of the overall deal when it is linked to the purchase, the deposit, or another connected agreement. Equally, a deposit is not automatically an extra payment on top of the agreed price.
- Labels do not settle the tax result.
- Connected agreements can change the picture.
- Missing paperwork makes the position harder to check.
Key takeaways
- The old HMRC example is no longer on this page.
- Use the replacement page before relying on HMRC’s example.
- Check the whole payment arrangement, not one document.
Technical analysis
For advisers, and for anyone who wants to check the law behind this page. You do not need this section to understand the guidance above.
Legislation
- FA 2003 section 50 — schedule 4 governs the amount paid for land
- FA 2003 Schedule 4 para 1 — money or value given for a land purchase
Official guidance
The pages below are HMRC’s guidance. Guidance is not law. It sets out how HMRC reads the legislation, and it is not binding on you, on a tribunal or on a court. Where guidance and the legislation differ, the legislation wins. HMRC can also change or withdraw guidance, and it may not cover your facts.
Where this is not settled
- The replacement page SDLTM11055 was not supplied in the editorial brief, so its example cannot be confirmed here.
- The correct tax result for any deposit and loan arrangement depends on the full agreements and payments.
Evidence you would need
This kind of case is decided on the facts of the individual property. These are the records that usually settle it, and the ones an adviser would ask you for.
- The text of HMRC’s replacement page SDLTM11055.
- The sale contract, loan agreement and deposit terms.
- A record of who gave money, who received it and why.
Explore this with an AI
Readers often want to test their own situation. Copy the prompt below into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini. It hands the model the actual legislation for this page rather than letting it answer from memory, and tells it to be explicit about what is uncertain. What comes back is information, not advice – check it against the links above.
I am researching UK Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT), which applies in England and Northern Ireland. MY QUESTION Deposit and loan arrangements: HMRC’s archived SDLT example [Replace this with your own situation: what you are buying, the price, the dates, who the buyer is, and what you plan to do with the property.] THE LAW THIS TURNS ON - FA 2003 section 50 - schedule 4 governs the amount paid for land https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/14/section/50/2025-11-17 - FA 2003 Schedule 4 para 1 - money or value given for a land purchase https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/14/schedule/4/paragraph/1/2025-11-17 Guidance page from HMRC on this topic (guidance, not law): https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/stamp-duty-land-tax-manual/sdltm13055 HOW I WANT YOU TO ANSWER 1. Work from the legislation above. Read it before answering. Guidance from HMRC is its view of the law, not the law, and does not bind a tribunal or a court. 2. Tell me what the rule actually requires, in plain English. 3. Tell me which facts decide the answer, and which facts would change it. 4. Tell me what evidence I would need to support the position. 5. Be explicit about anything unsettled or fact-sensitive. Do not guess. 6. Your training data has a cutoff and SDLT rates and reliefs change at fiscal events. Say so if you are not sure the law is current. POINTS ALREADY KNOWN TO BE UNCERTAIN ON THIS TOPIC - The replacement page SDLTM11055 was not supplied in the editorial brief, so its example cannot be confirmed here. - The correct tax result for any deposit and loan arrangement depends on the full agreements and payments. Do not give me a conclusion you cannot support from the provisions above.
Legislation links show Finance Act 2003 as it stood on 2025-11-17. The law may have changed since, and the rules that apply are those in force on the date of your transaction. The official guidance this page is based on is here.
This page was last updated on 31 August 2026
Useful article? You may find it helpful to read the original guidance here: Deposit and loan arrangements: HMRC’s archived SDLT example
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