Stamp Duty Land Tax
Extension of ‘holiday’
The threshold for charging SDLT on residential property in England was temporarily raised to £500,000, with the intention that transactions had to be completed by 31 March 2021. This has now been extended to 30 June 2021, and for transactions between 1 July and 30 September 2021 the threshold will be £250,000. It will revert to the normal level of £125,000 from 1 October, and the normal 2% charge will apply between £125,000 and £250,000.
The Welsh Parliament has also extended the £250,000 nil rate threshold for Land Transaction Tax to 30 June 2021.
Foreign resident buyers
With effect from 1 April 2021, foreign resident purchasers of residential property in England and Northern Ireland will be subject to a 2% surcharge on the Stamp Duty Land Tax they would otherwise pay. This is intended to reduce house price inflation and make property available for first-time buyers.