A better alternative to S24?

A better alternative to S24?

10:16 AM, 31st January 2017, About 7 years ago 69

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I was thinking about Section 24 and the news that Hammond recently commented that if we could replace the revenue expected from S24 he would consider its repeal. Revenue from S24 is due to be £665m/yr after the 4 year implementation, so I got my thinking cap on.

I came up with a 2% rental levy. Charged across the board on all revenue from residential property, it would have several advantages: A better alternative to S24

1. Could truly ‘level the playing field’ by being charged equally to mortgaged individuals, cash buyers, companies. Everyone would pay it equally and would know how much was expected of them in advance.

2. MUCH cheaper than S24 for mortgaged landlords, yet raises more money.

3. My calculations show that just over £803m would be raised – £150m+ MORE than S24.

4. Simple to calculate and without complications.

5. Does not increase rents by much if anything at all, and negates need for increased evictions, which saves public money elsewhere.

6. Shows we as landlords are willing to co-operate with govt aims if fair and proportionate.

My calculations are based on roughly 4.5m private rental properties generating an average of £744 a month. This figure goes up to £892 if you include London. The gross rental take is around £40.176bn a year (WITHOUT the extra from London!) so 2% is around £803m.

Can anyone spot the downsides? I’m sure cash landlords/foreigners/companies might moan, but if its applied to everyone there can be no claim of discrimination and everyone in property gets equally and proportionately targeted.

Please note I am NOT in favour of this, but as an alternative to S24 is it not worthy of consideration?

All comments welcome!


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Comments

Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118

18:35 PM, 1st February 2017, About 7 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Dr Rosalind Beck" at "01/02/2017 - 18:31":

Rogue landlords will simply write up a Declaration of Trust for 100% of the benefits to a spouse, friend, brother etc. the day before the trial. If they are found guilty they will produce the document is if not it will be ripped up!

They will have to pay SDLT and possibly CGT on transfers to anybody other than a spouse but that's cheaper than the alternative.
.

Dr Rosalind Beck

18:48 PM, 1st February 2017, About 7 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Mark Alexander" at "01/02/2017 - 18:35":

Thanks, Mark. There's always a way out of these crappy scenarios. And you usually know what it is!

Mark Shine

19:36 PM, 1st February 2017, About 7 years ago

@ Jamie F: completely agree with you. As mentioned quite a few times since the summer budget 2015 speech (on this forum and to my MP) if levelling the playing field and raising tax revenue was truly the intention, then the idea you outline is likely to be more effective in the long term. But as you rightly point out there will be a lot of unencumbered, institutional & other ahem 'corporate' LLs not to happy with this alternative proposal. Highly leveraged LLs who have recently incorporated to avoid S24 may be the least happy about it ?

Jamie M

19:39 PM, 1st February 2017, About 7 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Dr Rosalind Beck" at "01/02/2017 - 18:31":

Rosalind - I have zero faith in those who are after this and us and I think once they have this in place they can concoct what they like to get us and seem like heroes to the screaming masses slaying landlords at will and in huge numbers. Mission creep by the creeps!

terry sullivan

19:43 PM, 1st February 2017, About 7 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Jerry Jones" at "01/02/2017 - 17:26":

MPs expenses are reimbursed by employer--they therefore attract benefit-in-kind tax and nic from employee under P11D

their expenses should not be deductible!

terry sullivan

19:44 PM, 1st February 2017, About 7 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Dr Rosalind Beck" at "01/02/2017 - 16:55":

read the consultation doc.

Simon Smith

14:50 PM, 2nd February 2017, About 7 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Laura Delow" at "01/02/2017 - 09:34":

Just thought of another the elimination of any Council Tax free period between tenants- It is now charged at 100% from day 1

Laura Delow

7:54 AM, 3rd February 2017, About 7 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "simon sausage" at "02/02/2017 - 14:50":

Well spotted. If no consumer of local services in occupation, then this is the tip of the iceberg of a property tax.

Mike W

11:32 AM, 3rd February 2017, About 7 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Barry Fitzpatrick" at "01/02/2017 - 17:06":

Barry,
re the pound drop. I was thinking about previous overseas investors who suddenly saw a 20% drop in their asset value. How would you feel if your house value dropped 20%?
Then for new investors they get put off by uncertainty. The stability of the UK is perceived to be more risky ...

Jonathan James

17:26 PM, 3rd February 2017, About 7 years ago

To get back to the original post on this thread, should we not be questioning the Chancellor's expectation of £665m/year in tax revenue from S24? Surely by 2020/1 anyone who is in a position to do so will have taken steps to mitigate their tax liability - no one in their right mind will pay the punitive tax rates foisted by S24 if they can possibly avoid it. Of course, in order to achieve this: businesses and pension plans will be lost; tenants will be evicted & the poorest made homeless; millions of pounds will be spent on incorporation & other restructuring measures - all completely unnecessary expense without S24 but resulting in a much, much lower tax take than the Treasury expects.

Please could someone with direct contact and influence impress upon Philip Hammond that he could prevent untold misery, stress, loss of accommodation and livelihood simply by abolishing S24 in March, or by not making it retroactive.

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