Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of whether purchasers of shared ownership properties are benefiting from the the stamp duty exemption announced in Autumn Budget 2017; and whether purchasers who opt to stamp duty on the value of the initial share benefit from that exemption.
First-time buyers of shared ownership property who choose to pay SDLT at purchase on the whole market value of the property can benefit from the relief. If the property is worth £300,000 or less, there will be no SDLT to pay. According to Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government data, the median shared ownership market value is £220,000.
Where market value treatment does not apply, or has not been opted for, the first-time buyers’ relief cannot be claimed. There is already a special SDLT treatment given to purchasers of new shared ownership properties. Purchasers can choose to pay SDLT on the initial portion purchased with a further SDLT charge if they buy the remaining share in the future.