On 23 September 2022, it was announced that the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) nil-rate threshold on residential property would be increased from £125,000 to £250,000. Like the abolition of the 1.25 percentage point increase in NICs, the legislation to enact the SDLT change was already in progress when the U-turns to steady the financial markets were being made. As such, this threshold increase continues to apply. Unfortunately, the significant increases in mortgage interest rates mean the SDLT change is unlikely to provide the desired stimulus to the housing market.
The increase in the nil-rate threshold for first-time buyers, from £300,000 to £425,000, also continues to apply where first-time buyers purchase a property costing less than £625,000.
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