Acceptable limits for 'Carpets & Curtains'.

[johnfm]

Dear PH

What is the genrally acceptable limit for 'Carpets & Curtaisn' or similar?

Trying to reduce a purchase from £560k to £499k PLUS £61k of 'other stuff'.

Any legal ideas?

[jamesuk28]

I assume you are not paying the asking price for the property. Why not actually pay the asking price and get the stamp duty paid by the vendor, usually on exchange as a cash back handled by the solicitors.

[grumbledoak]

From recent experience I would expect £61k to be adequate to carpet a 12 bedroom house and the grounds it stands in! I expect HMRC would consider it as "taking the pish".

I think you need a better "wheeze"...

How do you spell wheeze in this context, anyway?

[johnfm]

Well ,as 'Carpets and curtaisn' are generic, I may need to include the crystal chandaliers etc, od which there are a few. For a £7k reduction in 'house buying tax', I think it is worth solving the issue of semantics!

[deckster]

Frankly I'd be surprised if your solicitor went anywhere near this. Unless there genuinely is 61k of fixtures & fittings then this is tax evasion and he'd be at serious risk of being struck off for collusion.

I'm all for legitimate tax planning measures, but this isn't and HMRC are well wise to it. Tread carefully!