Stamp Duty Information

Stamp Duty Explained

Stamp Duty is the tax payable to the government for changing the documents that specify who owns a particular property.

Stamp duty was first introduced in the UK in 1694; and continues to this day through a series of stamp acts.

Stamp duty land Tax

The "Stamp duty land tax" (SDLT) was introduced by the Finance Act 2003. It largely replaced stamp duty with effect from 1 December 2003. SDLT is a form of self-assessed transfer tax charged on "land transactions".

For typical transactions in land, such as the buying and selling of a residential house, there is little change from stamp duty, except that a tax return is required to be made to the HM Revenue & Customs (previously Inland Revenue) and documents no longer need to be given a physical stamp. Like any other self-assessed tax, but unlike stamp duty, HM Revenue & Customs is able to enquire into an SDLT return and raise assessments to recover unpaid SDLT.

Whether or not tax is payable Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs require a Return to be received by them within four weeks of the transaction completion. Failing which, they have power to levy a fine on the tax payer - the fine is not for failure to pay the tax but for failure to make the return.

When a return is accepted by HMRC they provide a Certificate without which it is impossible to register a change in the land ownership.

Stamp duty for Residential land purchases

The amount of stamp duty for residential land purchases depends on several key factors: what status of buyer you are e.g. first time, property type e.g. New build home, economic area and lastly the value of the property. It works on a percentage basis where the percentage payable applies to the whole of the purchase price.

For example, a house priced at £250,000 would attract an SDLT of £2,500, but one of £250,001 would be liable to SDLT of £7,500.

One result of this banding is that it has a distorting effect on the market, because a house is very difficult to sell at prices just above each threshold, for example, £255,000.

Today, it is charged at 1% on houses costing between £125,000 and £250,000, 3% on those worth from £250,000 to £500,000 and 4% for those sold for more than £500,000. 

In London, the average asking price for a home is £402,000, which would mean stamp duty of more than £12,000.

(According to HMRC as from 28/03/2000)

Useful links to calculate your own Stamp duty: 

http://www.best-uk-mortgages.co.uk/stamp-duty-calculator.htm

http://boothainsworth.practiceweb.co.uk/common/calculators/stamp_duty.html