Although a late reprieve cannot be completely ruled out, the stamp duty cost of purchasing a property in England and Northern Ireland is set to go up from 1 April 2025. Stamp duty costs have…
EPC upgrade work
Rental property has been set a government target to meet an energy performance certificate (EPC) rating of C by 2030. Although new funding in support of this initiative has been announced, the grants will not…
Uncertainty for landlords
Despite support from the Labour Party, the Renters (Reform) Bill was not enacted before parliament was prorogued ahead of the general election. The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act made it under the wire, but without…
Free property alerts for landlords
Landlords in England and Wales might not be aware, but there is a free property alert service that monitors any significant activity on let property. There is greater risk of a property being fraudulently sold…
Tax implications for the bank of mum and dad
With property prices expected to fall during 2023, parents may be thinking about getting their children onto the property ladder. However, although help with a deposit does not raise that many tax issues, joint ownership…
CGT reporting and payment deadline extended
I've taken a few calls recently, from a number of clients, on CGT on disposal of UK residential property, and although information on this is already in the public domain, here's a brief summary in…
What is an adequate retirement income?
A leading pension think tank has examined this question – but the findings aren’t straightforward. Over the years, there has been much focus on the tax treatment of pensions and ways to encourage greater saving…
Wealth Divide Increase Through Inheritance
Research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies provides a stark warning of how important inheritances are going to be for younger generations in terms of both lifetime income and wealth. Wealth passed down from one…
Is A Wealth Tax A Viable Option for The Chancellor?
The Wealth Tax Commission, an independent body of tax experts, has set out the framework for a one-off wealth tax. Will the Chancellor be tempted to adopt this? In his November [2020] statement, in which…
COVID-19 Hit to the housing market
The COVID-19 pandemic stalled property transactions and first-time buyer mortgage applications, but now the residential property market has opened up estate agents are scrambling to deal with pent up demand. Price outlook The range of…