The UK’s first female Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, MP, delivered the first Labour Budget for 14 years on 30 October 2024, announcing tax increases worth £40 billion. Whilst agents will be relieved not to see a hike in Capital Gains rates, it is disappointing that the reversal of Section 24 and support for property owners to meet Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards have been overlooked. It is also a missed opportunity to give structured support to first-time buyers and downsizers to boost consumer confidence.

Finance Secretary Shona Robison, MSP, missed the opportunity to take action on the housing emergency in Scotland as she gave her Budget Statement on 19 December 2023. Spending on housing will fall by more than £200 million for the next financial year.

Local Housing Allowance (LHA) will at last be unfrozen and Universal Credit (UC) will rise under UK Government tax and spending plans announced by Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt, MP, today, 22 November 2023. Rate relief and full expensing for businesses are also included.

A new Non-Domestic Rating Bill has been introduced to incentivise property improvements and support more frequent revaluations to deliver reforms in the commercial sector.

From today, 16 December, the Scottish Government has raised the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) from 4% to 6% on additional properties with the aim of raising £34 million and provide opportunities for first-time buyers.

Cutting taxes is the key theme of the Spring Statement delivered by The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, and VAT on the installation of energy-saving materials in residential properties will be cut to zero per cent.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer's Autumn Spending Review and Budget provided clarity on measures affecting the property industry which have been announced over the last three-six months including the levy on developers re unsafe cladding. Other factors announced affecting property agents provide some good news, however, it leaves a lot to be desired.

HM Treasury has released its ‘Tax Day command paper’ designed to allow further scrutiny on tax announcements that would normally take place during the budget.

The Chancellor has listened to Propertymark’s calls to avoid a cliff-edge deadline to the Stamp Duty Land Tax holiday in the UK Government’s budget, today, 3 March 2021. The nil rate band up to £500,000 will end on 30 June, instead of March. A transitional nil rate band up to £250,000 will be in place until September and then return to £125,000 from October.

Propertymark has responded to the UK Government’s fundamental review of business rates to include the continuation of rates relief for retail premises and the introduction of an online sales tax.