Figures released by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) have revealed that 180,500 first-time buyers have benefited from the Government’s changes to Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT).
HMRC estimates that first-time buyers have saved a total of more than £426 million since Chancellor Philip Hammond announced the First-Time Buyers’ Relief (FTBR) in November 2017.
At Budget 2018, the Chancellor announced an extension of the scheme to first-time buyers purchasing through approved shared ownership schemes that choose to pay SDLT in stages, rather than on the market value of the property. This relief is available retrospectively to eligible property transactions since November 2017.
Mel Stride MP, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, said: “These statistics show that the Government was right to offer a helping hand to first-time buyers. Without this investment, more than 180,500 new homeowners may have struggled in getting onto the property ladder. Maintaining the status quo was not an option.”
FTBR is becoming increasingly popular, with the relief claimed in 58,800 transactions between July and September 2018, representing a 12 per cent increase on the previous quarter.
Link: 180,500 new homeowners benefit from stamp duty tax relief
