Report comment

(Sigh) Jeffrey, everyone calls SDLT "stamp duty".
Derek, the point of the stamp duty exemption is to help first time buyers combat the fact that house prices are at an all-time high and continue to rise quicker than their savings can accrue interest. The counter-argument, that by giving first time buyers relief from tax just gives them more money to hand over to a vendor, thus increasing house prices, is not particularly persuasive if the net result is only a 0.3% rise in house prices and so, much as I consider her to be a weak politician, Liz Truss is right on this occasion and the result is a good one for many, many first time buyers (including myself!).