Stamp Duty in the UK is a one-time tax paid when purchasing a property, calculated based on the purchase price, and does not increase over time. Once paid, there are no further payments, providing financial predictability.

In contrast, property taxes in the US are annual and based on the assessed value of the property, meaning they can rise as property values increase or local tax rates change. This makes property taxes an ongoing financial obligation that can compound over time, often leading to higher cumulative costs than the one-off Stamp Duty. While Stamp Duty offers financial clarity and a fixed expense, property taxes create long-term uncertainty and ongoing costs.