The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced the 2012 Budget on 21 March. While aspects of the Budget are clearly favourable to UK business, particularly the reduction in the main rate of corporation tax to 24 per cent from 1 April 2012 with further reductions in the rate to 22 per cent to come by April 2014, the specific measures introduced in relation to real estate are less positive and largely anti-avoidance in nature.

We have had to look hard for the stand-outs on the taxing side. But there are a few.

Friday 6 July (so-called 'L-Day') saw the Government issue the eagerly awaited legislation and guidance regarding the taxation of gains from UK land for non-residents.

With the recent release of Mary Portas’ final proposal to the Government for the regeneration of Britain’s ‘vacant high streets’ and the continuation of figures being released; ‘over 14% of Britain’s high streets are currently unoccupied’ (The Local Data Company); surplus property and vacant sites are hot topics.

In addition to tax, domicile affects succession (and divorce). The provisions which deem someone domiciled in the UK after 15 years' residence apply to tax only.

Furnished Holiday Lettings (FHLs) have come under the spotlight in recent years, with successive governments vowing to reform the rules on the tax treatment of such properties.

Just two days before Christmas, the UK Government announced an increase in the threshold for 100% relief for APR and BPR of £2.5 million (up from £1 million as first announced on 30 October 2024, see here).

Susan Shaw discusses HMRC's consultation on an annual charge on 'enveloped' houses owned by companies.

The Valuation Office agency in England and Wales and the Scottish Assessors north of the Border are currently working on a general revaluation of non-domestic property for business rates.

In Heritage Oil and Gas & Anor v Tullow Uganda Ltd the Court of Appeal upheld Tullow's right to be indemnified for a USD 313,447,500 payment it made to the Government of Uganda.

Some of you will have read about the new Annual Tax on Enveloped Dwellings or ATED on UK residential property held through corporate ownership structures.

Backing aspiration was again the key theme for today’s Autumn Statement as Chancellor George Osborne announced a number of populist ‘giveaways’ designed to get the Government’s political bandwagon rolling ahead of next year’s General Election.</

In her Budget speech on 26 November 2025, the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, announced that the £1 million allowance for agricultural property relief (APR) and business property relief...

A recent tax case could help owners of holiday home businesses secure valuable business property relief.

Cordelia Smith, Associate in our Residential Property department, comments on the debate around abolishing Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) and why it's not a straightforward solution.

The Chancellor's recent announcement in the Autumn Statement regarding a rise in the amount of SDLT payable by landlords and second home owners has received much attention in the media.

Benjamin Franklin may have been right to say that both death and taxes were unavoidable, but the future of tax on death is now up in the air!

The top rate of SDLT (Stamp Duty Land Tax, often referred to as Stamp Duty) rose to 12% for residential property in March 2016, with an additional 3% if the purchaser already owns another residential property.

Holding a property outside of the trading company in which it is used is not an uncommon structure.

In April 2013 we were introduced to the term 'enveloped dwelling' to define a residential property owned by a company (or other non-natural person).