The introduction of a new-build indemnity scheme, aimed at increasing the supply of affordable mortgage finance for new-build homes will be welcomed by cash-strapped first-time buyers with little savings. The scheme will be available to all potential buyers, subject to appropriate mortgage underwriting criteria, except buy-to-let investors and second home owners.

Under the scheme, homebuyers will be able to purchase a new-build house or flat with only a five per cent deposit. Housebuilders and the Government will contribute up to 95 per cent of the cost of the home to an indemnity fund, which will be used to pay out to a lender if a buyer defaults and where there is a shortfall if the property is repossessed.

The scheme is open to all housebuilders and all lenders operating in England. Mortgages will be available under the scheme from March 2012.

According to the Government, the following lenders have agreed in principle to participate in the scheme: Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, Nationwide, RBS, Santander and Yorkshire and Clydesdale Banks.

The Government has also confirmed that more than 25 homebuilders have agreed in principle to participate in the scheme: Barratt Developments, Crest Nicholson, McCarthy and Stone Retirement Lifestyles, Bellway, Fairview New Homes, The Miller Group, Bloor Homes, Galliford Try, Persimmon, Bovis Homes Group, Gladedale Group, Redrow, Taylor Wimpey, Antler Homes, Grainger, Stewart Milne, Aquinna Homes, Jones Homes, Places for People Group, Banner Homes Group, Morris Homes, Strata Homes, CALA Group, Nicholas King Homes, Urban Renaissance Villages Ltd, Croudace Homes Group, Octagon Developments, William Davis, and Heyworth Developments

Also, social housing tenants will encouraged to buy their homes after the Government offered them up to a 50 per cent discount under the Right-to-Buy scheme.

However, as expected, the Government confirmed that the stamp duty land tax relief for first time buyers will end on 24 March 2012, as planned. The loss of this relief is disappointing. Although the Government said that the relief had been “ineffective” in increasing the number of first-time buyers entering the property market, it is highly probable that there would have been fewer first-time buyers if it hadn’t been in place.

1. Assistance for first-time buyers

The Government announced that it will provide £250m to support first-time buyers in purchasing new-build properties. The FirstBuy programme will assist over 10,000 households by providing equity loans of 20 per cent of the cost of relevant properties. These loans will be jointly funded by the Government and housebuilders. The purchaser will have to provide a 5 per cent deposit.

2. Reform of the rules governing bulk purchases of residential property

The Government will use the Finance Bill 2011 to introduce legislation that provides stamp duty land tax (SDLT) relief for residential property purchasers who acquire interests in more than one dwelling from the same seller. This means SDLT charges will be based on the average value of the multiple properties, rather than the value of each individual home. A minimum SDLT rate of 1 per cent will apply.

The Government hopes that this relief will encourage investment in residential property and promote the supply of private rented housing.

3. Withdrawal of disadvantaged area relief

The Government has announced that SDLT and stamp duty relief for land transactions in disadvantaged areas will be abolished after 2012. The final date for abolition will be decided following consultation.

4. First-time buyer SDLT relief

The Government will announce the outcome of its review of first-time buyer SDLT relief in autumn 2011. Currently, first-time buyers can claim a relief from SDLT if the amount they paid for the residential property does not exceed £250,000.

5. Extension of the Support for Mortgage Interest scheme

The Government will extend the Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) scheme until January 2013. SMI is currently available after 13 weeks at 100 per cent of eligible mortgage interest on mortgages of up to £200,000. This benefit was due to end in January 2012.

If you have any queries about the SDLT changes, particularly those made to bulk house purchasing (which will be welcomed by the property industry), please contact my colleague Shimon Shaw, who specialises in this area, at shimon.shaw@mablaw.com.

But here is some good news.

Stamp duty on property (SDLT) has to be one of the most hated taxes out there.  It is a tax on mobility and, like VAT, is imposed on cash which in most cases has already been taxed.  Not only that but it makes moving house a lot more expensive.  Hence the spread of stamp duty planning in recent years, even to transactions which in the past would never have been considered for this.

So a ray of sunshine in the doom and gloom is welcome.

An SDLT case was heard in the Tax Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal towards the end of last year.  Deputy Judge Charles Hellier heard arguments over a scheme used to avoid SDLT on the £65.1m purchase of a property in London’s Regent Street in October 2006.  The SDLT scheme in question involved a subsale of the property to a partnership resulting in no SDLT being payable.

This was the first occasion a court or tribunal has considered an SDLT scheme and its importance lies in the attitude of tribunal to the technical arguments SDLT schemes rely on.

And the winner was…..the taxpayer.

The judgement has not yet been published but watch this space as this article will be followed by an examination of the tribunal’s approach and a consideration of how this will impact on future schemes.

It is very likely that fashionistas go through the same when column inches get devoted to which shoes go with which handbags and doctors cry into their corn flakes when they read about medicine fads.  However, since I know nothing about fashion (as my wife will confirm) or health (as my Mum will confirm) it just flows over me. 

The story goes that if you purchase property in an overseas company, you can avoid stamp duty.  My comments:

1. For UK resident tax payers buying their homes, they lose out on the capital gains tax relief on the sale of their homes.  They will sell shares and pay tax on the gains.  28% CGT is a lot more bothersome than 4 or 5% stamp tax.

2. It saves stamp duty on the sale but that’s not going to help the company which is purchasing now.

3. This has the potential to make administration a nightmare and there are annual directors fees etc.

4. There can be income tax charges on the use of the property if a market rent is not paid.

5. Most UK based future purchasers won’t want to buy a company so you’ve restricted your ability to market the property in the future.  And if purchasers buy the property from the company - you’ve just wasted time and a shed load of money.

6. If you are borrowing to purchase the property, you’ll have a much harder time and the cost of finance will increase.

etc…..

So who should consider buying a property in a overseas company?

First point – don’t do this without speaking to your tax adviser (or me!).  Second this is mainly of use to wealthy overseas investors.  There is inheritance tax planning which can really benefit from a structure involving an overseas property.  But that’s not stamp tax planning.

What’s funny about the article is that tucked away at the end is a comment from a partner in KPMG with which I mostly agree ” for anyone [other than a overeas investor], it’s a ticking time-bomb”.   If they had spoken to him before writing the article, perhaps they wouldn’t have bothered.

Currently, the highest rate of SDLT payable on residential property is 4 per cent, which is chargeable on all purchases exceeding £500,000.

However, that is about to change.

In March 2010, the former Labour Government announced that a new 5 per cent SDLT rate on purchases of residential property of more than £1m would come into effect from 6 April 2011. Despite a change of government in May 2010, the newly-elected Coalition Government confirmed in its June Budget that the 5 per cent SDLT rate would still be brought in.

Matthew Arnold & Baldwin residential property partner Richard John has spoken to The Watford Observer about the issue. To read this and find out more about the impending change, please click here.

If you have any concerns about the SDLT rise, please contact Richard at richard.john@mablaw.com or on 01923 202020.

This change at first glance seems very straightforward. Those people who want to purchase a property worth an least £1m will have to pay 5 per cent stamp duty instead of the current 4 per cent, meaning that stamp duty tax bills for such purchases will increase by a minimum of £10,000. This rise will particularly hit purchasers in the south-east, where property is more expensive.

This change, though, is not as clear-cut for off-plan buyers. Off-plan buyers, as opposed to other purchasers, quite often buy a property a year in advance, meaning they could potentially fall into the 5 per cent tax bracket. For example, if a buyer agrees to purchase a new-build property valued at £1m, which has not yet been completed, they may be liable for the 5 per cent tax (instead of the current 4 per cent) if the sale is not completed before 6 April 2011.

At the time of writing, the Chancellor has not announced any new provisions which will protect off-plan buyers from such a scenario. However, in the past, provisions have been put in place to ensure that contracts entered into before a Budget were taxed at existing rates, so we will wait and see if the Chancellor will clarify the situation in the coming weeks.

There are potential ways of avoiding such a future liability, which I will be happy to discuss with any clients who find themselves faced with this position.

We’ve had a great discussion on this already click here and thanks for all contributors.

Q1. What is a first time buyer?
A. A person who has not acquired a freehold or leasehold interest in residential property in the UK (except a lease with less than 21 years to run) or an equivalent interest anywhere in the world.

Shimon’s comment: this is going to be hard for the stamp office to police.

The 21 year point also means that if you bought a lease which had been granted to someone else with 21 years or more on it, you won’t qualify. Alternatively, if the lease is granted to you for a term of 21 years of more then you would qualify.

I would query whether a 15 year lease which was extended so that in practice it lasted 21 years would count. Also – it seems unfair that it someone has a business property that they should be caught but seemingly this would be the case.

Q2. When is the relief available?
A. The relief is available for transactions with an effective date on or after 25th March 2010 but before 25th March 2012.

Shimon’s comment: Despite what most people are saying the effective date is not always completion. If you either pay the majority (90%+) of the price or you take possession before completion then this might also be an effective date.

Q3. How do I claim the relief? A. The relief must be claimed on a land transaction return by entering relief code 28 at box 9.

Shimon’s comment: Your solicitor should deal with this.

Q4. I want to buy a house with my partner but one of us has previously owned a residential property. Can we claim the relief? A. No. All of the buyers, when there are more than one, must be a first time buyer.

Shimon’s comment: this is particularly unfair if you have only been on the title to help out a friend or family member. Also when the house will be yours but, say, Mum and Dad help out with the mortgage (and the bank wants them on the title too).

Q5. I previously bought a house jointly with my spouse/partner. The partnership has broken up so can I be treated as a first time buyer?
A. No. Where the individual has previously acquired an interest in a residential property as a joint tenant or a tenant in common the individual is not a first time buyer.

Shimon’s comment: All property ownership will count to exclude you from the relief – even joint ownership.

Q6. Is the relief available on transfers of interests in a home between partners? A. Such a transfer normally requires a transfer from the existing owner to him/herself and the partner. Even if the partner is a First-time buyer the existing owner is not. So the relief is not available.

Shimon’s comment: Depending on the price paid for stamp duty purposes, this is not always an issue. This is a technical area and you should speak to a specialist.

Q7. Can I get relief if I have previously owned an inherited property?
A. No. In this case a person will previously have acquired a major interest in a residential property.

Shimon’s comment: for stamp duty “acquiring” a property includes when it is given to you or when you inherit it.

Q8. Can I claim the relief if I’m buying on behalf of my parents?
A. No. Relief is not available unless the first time buyer(s) are buying, for themselves, a property that they intend to use as their only or main residence.

Shimon’s comment: this is, again, going to be hard to police. It is possible than on an investigation, the stamp office would want to see hard evidence that this was being used as the main residence.

Q9. Is there an age limit on claiming the relief?
A. No. First time buyers can be of any age.

Shimon’s comment: not much to say to this…umm, minors can’t own property in their own names.

Q10. Is there a price limit on claiming the relief? A. Yes, the sum for the whole of the purchase must not exceed £250,000.

Shimon’s comment: this will include when there are multiple purchases. E.g. if you buy two houses each worth £150k from the same person you’d loose out on the relief. Another technical point this, and you should take advice. The technical note HMRC published specifically said that they wouldn’t penalise you for buying connected properties – e.g. a house with a lease over a parking space. But there will be limits to what they accept.

Q11. Can the relief be claimed on shared ownership transactions? A. The relief can be available but only if a market value election is made. The relief is not available if taxed as a lease. Normal shared ownership rules apply on staircasing.

Shimon’s comment: you will need to ensure that your agreements allow you to do this and your solicitor may need to review this. If you have any questions about this please contact Sarah Wilkins in our Milton Keynes office.

Q12. How does the relief apply to alternative finance arrangements? A. Special rules apply to put this form of finance on a level playing field. Under these schemes relief for first time buyers is available for the first purchase by the financial institution, where the person(s) entering into the arrangements meet(s) the qualifying conditions for relief.

Shimon’s comment: this refers to shariah compliance finance arrangements. Under many of these the bank would actually buy the property. Clearly the bank wouldn’t qualify for the relief, but there will be an exeption from the rule for shariah compliant finance.

Q13. Can I claim the relief retrospectively? A. No. Transactions with an effective date before 25th March 2010 do not qualify.

Shimon’s comment: and the relief will continue until midnight on 24 March 2012.

The BBC have reported that Chancellor Alistair Darling is to announce in the Budget that stamp duty will be scrapped on house purchases up to £250,000 for first-time buyers.

Why the Treasury would drip feed info like this when there is going to be a Budget in a couple of hours, I don’t know.

Update

The Chancellor has confirmed that this measure will be implemented plus stamp duty is incresing to 5% on properties over £1m.

Many first-time buyers have felt the pinch, with the end of the stamp duty holiday for properties up to £175,000.00 taking place from the 1st January 2010. Now all properties over £125,000.00 attract stamp duty liability. This is an additional cost people are having to budget for from the outset, particularly for many of my first-time buyers who are purchasing new build properties off-plan and due to complete in 2010. Many buyers in the marketplace have wrongly assumed that an exchange of contracts prior to the change meant they avoided this cost – you should be aware that the stamp duty liability comes about on the completion date. First-time buyers are trying to save hard for their deposit, valuation fees, and legal costs, and the stamp duty for the lower end of the market does add to that struggle.

With first-time buyers trying to take that first step onto the property ladder, and some not having the large deposit required, I am seeing more shared-ownership and shared equity schemes through first-time buyer, government-led initiatives. Interestingly, I am even working with first-time buyers purchasing on one Milton Keynes new home development, where the developers are offering their own competitively rated mortgages. This is encouraging news for the first-time buyer, enabling the market to continue to grow and hopefully making moving home for everyone affordable again.

Recent market trends have meant I also see more of my first-time buyers using ‘the bank of Mum and Dad’, receiving financial assistance from their parents in order to take their first step; or, this could just be the parents wanting their children to finally fly the nest! It has been reported in the press that the average age of the first-time buyer has risen from 29 to 30 in 2008, and many confirmed that this move was made with the assistance of their parents. So our next generation property owners are starting to buy later and live at home for longer; after all, it’s cheaper to live at home than it is to buy and rent!

If you need any advice on the first-time buyer initiatives, please contact me at sarah.wilkins@mablaw.co.uk