It does raise rather a lot of money these days, mind. I can't access that report from this (work) pc so I shall be interested to read the author's thoughts later tonight.

Not sure I can ever forgive the tories for promising to increase the IHT threshold and failing to do so. I speak as a life long conservative voter.

If they're going to abolish it, can they do it right now?

For what it's worth, I agree with pretty much everything in the article, even taking away my own personal bias.

He ( Osbourne ) has become hooked to the £6.9bn raised in 2012-13.

Says it all. Don't hold you're breath waiting for it to be abolished...

Yes.

It is the most inequitable tax that exists. It is to the UK's great shame that we didnt join our colonial cousins in revolting against the monstrous imposition.

This tax is a PIA, but I suppose it helps to some extent to keep a lid on house price inflation? I can't think of any other positives about it.

Well yippee for London. What about the rest of us in the fking sticks?????????????

I wouldnt mind (well OK I do mind) but not only is it an immoral tax its also incompetent! What do you think happens to houses at the £550k pricemark? Nothing moves in that 5-600k range without massive discounting or under the table deals, all because of the bloody stupid stamp duty change at £500k. fking infuriating, esp when Im slogging my guts out, making sacrifices to earn the pissing money to bring back into the UK to afford this st just to buy my family a home to live in for the next 30yrs. But, hey, apparently Im fair game because Im so "rich".

Makes.
Me.
fking.
Livid.

As if they are going to scrap a tax and help the working man, its never going to happen!

Come on Oyster, because loads of BRICS and now Cypriots are piling into £1m terraced houses in London .. that means Stamp Duty isn't having much of an effect on Mr(s) Average? A 4%/5% haircut is alot cheaper that a 10-50% one!

Interesting to hear that from your side of the fence.

From mine I can only think of one transaction in the last 12 months or so that has been in the 251-260k range, but there have been a fair few £275k properties sold for £265k.

Id is stifling the market? Yes, I think that it is, but to a degree. I and a couple of friends are all in the position where we want to move from our existing properties but don’t need to. All of us are sitting where we are as none of us fancies paying £9k+ SDLT because we’d like a bigger kitchen or a bit more land etc.

Please also do not confuse Stamp Duty and Stamp Duty Land Tax – the use of the name is a total con and is/designed into leading people into believing that SDLT is just like Stamp Duty and the good old fashioned Stamp Duty that was paid on property transactions before the days of SDLT. I would advise anyone interested enough to have a good look at – especially those powerfully built company directors with their businesses in commercial properties with a rent review in the offing...


Oh and in answer to the OP's question - Yes SDLT should go and we should get back to the old form of Stamp Duty, tweeked to stop those pisstakers in the Capital that caused the government to change the rules in the first place. Rates should also be changed.