During his Plan for Jobs announcement, the Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a temporary eight-month cut in Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) that ensures there is not a charge on ‘any’ residential property transactions with a value under £500,000.
The Government has achieved this by immediately lifting the lower SDLT nil rate band from £125,000 to £500,000, which it claims will mean that nine out of 10 main home buyers will not pay SDLT until the threshold rises again in March 2021.
In its latest guidance, the Government has confirmed that the SDLT holiday only relates to residential property transactions up to £500,000 – above which the original rates continue to apply.
The guidance also confirms that the additional homes surcharge of three per cent will continue to be charged.
However, this applies across the newly-outlined threshold meaning that those subject to the surcharge will now pay three per cent on the first £500,000, rather than the first £125,000, which represents a significant discount on the previous SDLT rate.
Companies also benefit from this increase to the threshold, including businesses that buy residential property of any value above £500,000 where they meet the relief conditions from the corporate 15 per cent SDLT charge.
The nil rate band which applies to the ‘net present value’ of any rents payable for residential property on new leasehold sales and transfers is also increased to £500,000.
To help you visualise what this change means, we have prepared a helpful table below:
| SDLT Holiday – First Time Buyer Rates | SDLT Holiday – Non-First Time Buyer Rates (no additional properties) | SDLT Holiday – Additional Homes Buyer Rates |
| £0 – £500,000 – 0% | £0 – £500,000 – 0% | £0 – £500,000 – 3% |
| £500,001 –£925,000 – 5% | £500,001 –£925,000 – 5% | £500,001 –£925,000 – 8% |
| £925,001 – £1.5 million – 10% | £925,001 – £1.5 million – 10% | £925,001 – £1.5 million – 13% |
| £1.5m+ – 12% | £1.5m+ – 12% | £1.5m+ – 15% |
On 1 April 2021, the reduced rates shown in the above tables will revert to the normal rates of SDLT that were in place prior to 8 July 2020.
