Policy
The Times: Should we follow the Kiwis and try to burst the house-price bubble?
‘New Zealand is innovating again’, writes David Smith in this opinion piece for the Times looking at how the Ardern government is dealing with a soaring real estate market.
FT: What the stamp duty charge for overseas buyers means for London
In this piece for the Financial Times, George Hammond speaks to buyers, agencies and analysts about the potential impacts of the incoming 2% surcharge for non-residents.
Government’s new ‘Tax Day’ brings a raft of policy consultations – but nothing major on CGT or Stamp Duty
HM Treasury has published a suite of some 30 consultation documents and policy proposals that are "designed to enhance the stability and effectiveness of the UK tax system by outlining a future pathway…
Inspectorate backs Westminster’s planning blueprint
Policy of limiting the size of new homes to a maximum GIA of 200 sqm deemed 'justified and consistent with national policy'.
Ellingworth on leasehold reform: Be careful what you wish for…
Charlie Ellingworth runs through the potential implications - and unintended consequences - of the government’s latest proposals to up-end the ancient leasehold system.
What would a CGT hike mean for buy-to-let landlords & second homeowners?
“The proposed changes from the Office of Tax Simplifications would act as nothing more than another nail in the coffin of the buy-to-let sector, in particular," says estate agency Benham and Reeves.
London’s high-end homebuyers ‘paid 12% of the stamp duty owed across England last year’
The 675 £3m+ deals recorded in the capital in 2020 generated a combined total of £368.6m in stamp duty, according to research by Enness Global.
New valuation guidance for cladding-hit flats
New guidance has been published that clarifies types of properties which will, and those which will not, require additional inspections, as a result of concerns about fire safety.
Analysts & commentators revisit forecasts as market continues to defy gravity
The UK housing market will continue to defy predictions of a slump, says Bloomberg Intelligence, but the longer-term outlook 'remains uncertain'.
Wales extends Stamp Duty holiday; Scotland does not
Wales has extended its Stamp Duty holiday - which raise the nil-rate threshold from £180k to £250k - until 30th June, with no tapering of the tax break.
Required Reading: The Budget 2021 for HNWIs & business owners
The team at law firm Mishcon de Reya has trawled through HM Treasury's Budget documents to come up with this digest of the key points for business owners and wealthy individuals...
Our esteemed Chancellor was kinder than we had feared
Rishi Sunak scored a 6/10 for yesterday’s Budget in the eyes of veteran agent Trevor Abrahmsohn...