15/06/2026
STAMP DUTY ISN’T A HOUSING TAX.
IT’S A MOBILITY TAX.
Stamp Duty was originally a tax.
Today, it’s a barrier.
A barrier to first-time buyers.
A barrier to growing families.
A barrier to downsizers.
A barrier to mobility.
In my view, Stamp Duty is the most damaging tax affecting the UK housing market.
It punishes first-time buyers.
It discourages downsizers.
It stops families moving.
It reduces housing supply.
And it raises billions for the Treasury while making the market less efficient.
This weekend, The Times and Sunday Times ran a very good article about Stamp Duty and arguing that it was time to change it (or let it go!)
Now even MPs from across the political spectrum are calling for a rethink, and it’s not hard to see why.
When people are paying £10,000, £20,000 or even £50,000 (or millions as it is the case in London) simply for the privilege of moving home, something has gone wrong.
A healthy housing market depends on movement. People moving for work. Families upsizing. Older homeowners downsizing. Buyers purchasing homes that better suit their needs.
Stamp Duty discourages all of that.
Perhaps it’s time we stopped treating moving home as a taxable event and started treating it as an economic activity worth encouraging.
What do you think? Is Stamp Duty overdue for reform?
For the article: https://www.thetimes.com/money/tax/article/why-time-might-finally-be-up-for-stamp-duty-z0659ngbv
