Accessibility statement for Stamp Duty Land Tax Calculator service

This accessibility statement explains how accessible this service is, what to do if you have difficulty using it, and how to report accessibility problems with the service.

This service is part of the wider GOV.UK website. There is a separate accessibility statement for the main GOV.UK website.

This page only contains information about the Stamp Duty Land Tax Calculator service, available at https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/calculate-stamp-duty-land-tax.

Using this service

The Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) calculator service works out the tax payable for most transactions when you buy a property or land over a certain price in England and Northern Ireland. There are different rules for a corporate body purchasing residential property over a certain price.

This service is run by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). We want as many people as possible to be able to use this service. This means you should be able to:

  • change colours, contrast levels and fonts
  • zoom in up to 300% without the text spilling off the screen
  • get from the start of the service to the end using just a keyboard
  • get from the start of the service to the end using speech recognition software
  • listen to the service using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)

We have also made the text in the service as simple as possible to understand.

AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.

How accessible this service is

This service is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard.

Some people may find parts of this service difficult to use:

  • the ‘Start now’ button does not receive keyboard focus.
  • when the page loads the focus is not taken to the first interactive element on the page.
  • the ‘Skip to main content’ link does not function as expected.
  • page titles are not unique.
  • heading structure contains multiple h1 headings.
  • the ‘Skip to main content’ link directs users to the previous page.
  • visual headings are not marked up as headings.
  • ‘Check your answers’ page, has visually hidden paragraphs.
  • the page has two ‘main’ regions.
  • details component have duplicate labels.

What to do if you have difficulty using this service

You can contact HMRC for extra support if you need help with filling in forms or getting a different format, like large print, audio recording or Braille.

Reporting accessibility problems with this service

We are always looking to improve the accessibility of this service. If you find any problems that are not listed on this page or think we are not meeting accessibility requirements, report the accessibility problem.

If you are not happy with our response

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the 'accessibility regulations'). If you are not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) or the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI) if you live in Northern Ireland.

Contacting us by phone or getting a visit from us in person

We provide a text relay service if you are deaf, hearing impaired or have a speech impediment.

We can provide a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter, or you can arrange a visit from an HMRC advisor to help you complete the service.

Find out how to get extra support from HMRC.

Technical information about this service’s accessibility

HMRC is committed to making this service accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

This service is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below.

Non‐accessible content

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.

Non‐compliance with the accessibility regulations

When navigating the page using keyboard only, the ‘Start now’ button does not receive focus. This issue may affect keyboard only users as well as screen reader users who navigate the page using keyboard, as they have no way of activating the button to continue their journey in the service. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criteria 2.4.3 (focus order), 2.1.1 (keyboard) and 2.1.3 (keyboard no exception). This will be fixed by 31 December 2024.

When navigating the page using keyboard only, initially the focus is taken to the ‘freehold’ radio button. Keyboard users may find this disorientating and would expect focus to be placed on the first element on the page (skip link). This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criteria 2.4.3 (focus order). This will be fixed by 31 December 2024.

The ‘Skip to main content’ link does not function as expected and the users focus stays on the link instead of being directed to the main content region of the page. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criteria 2.4.1 (bypass blocks) and 2.4.3 (focus order). This will be fixed by 31 December 2024.

The page titles throughout the service are not unique and are duplicated. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criteria 2.4.2 (page titled). This will be fixed by 31 December 2024.

The heading structure on the page is illogical and contains multiple h1 headings. This issue may affect screen reader users who use headings to navigate and identify different sections of information on the page. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criteria 1.3.1 (info and relationships). This will be fixed by 31 December 2024.

When users activate the ‘Skip to main content’ link on the page they are directed back to the previous page. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criteria 2.4.4 (link purpose), 2.4.1 (bypass blocks) and 2.4.9 (link purpose link only). This will be fixed by 31 December 2024.

Visually, users are able to identify these as headings which introduce new sections of information to the page but they are not marked-up using headings tags for screen reader users who may find difficulty in identifying the sections of information in the same way a sighted user could navigating the page. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criteria 1.3.1 (info and relationships). This will be fixed by 31 December 2024.

On the ‘Check your answers’ page, a visually hidden paragraph has been placed inside each <dt> element in the details list which reads out ‘Provide an answer to continue’ followed by ‘Freehold or leasehold’. As the page is a ‘Check your answers’ page, screen reader users may find the added information confusing as they have already provided the answers in previous pages in the service. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criteria 1.3.1 (info and relationships). This will be fixed by 31 December 2024.

The page has two ‘main’ regions defined by the role=main. This issue may affect screen reader users experience of navigating and identifying different areas of the page. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criteria 1.3.1 (info and relationships). This will be fixed by 31 December 2024.

The ‘How does this work’ details components on the page have duplicate labels. This issue may affect screen reader users who may find difficulty in distinguishing between the two components in their journey. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criteria 2.4.6 (headings and labels). This will be fixed by 31 December 2024.

How we tested this service

The service was last tested on 21 June 2021 and was checked for compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA.

The service was built using parts that were tested by the Digital Accessibility Centre. The full service was tested by HMRC and included disabled users.

This page was prepared on 18 September 2020. It was last updated on 14 March 2024.

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