Government plots raid on landlords to plug £50bn black hole

Government plots raid on landlords to plug £50bn black hole

10:34 AM, 7th November 2022, About A year ago 47

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The government will target landlords in a bid to plug a £50bn hole in the country’s finances, reports reveal.

The move could see landlords losing thousands of pounds when selling their property under proposals which will come as a fresh tax blow for investors.

One report says that landlords could face an £8,400 squeeze in capital gains.

The revelation of the plan comes after thousands of landlords have already cashed in and left the PRS this year after facing increasing legislation, punitive tax changes, the potential of section 21 being abolished and having to upgrade properties to potentially meet an EPC rating of C.

Those who have sold up have enjoyed years of house price growth – but the Government now looks set to take a bigger slice of the profits made when selling.

Increasing the headline rate of CGT

That’s because the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, is looking at increasing the headline rate of CGT – and shaking up allowances.

Experts say that if capital gains were to be aligned with income tax, which has been recommended previously by a Government tax advisory body, then a higher rate landlord would not pay the current 28% on any gains, but 40%.

One analysis by tax accountants Blick Rothenberg has calculated that the move would see a higher-rate landlord paying an extra £8,400 in tax.

Their calculation is based on buying a property in 2017 for £226,000 and selling it today for £296,000 to achieve a gain of £70,000.

The tax firm points out that a second homeowner who bought a more expensive property would be hit even harder under the proposals.

‘Landlords are considering their options in the property market’

The firm’s Nimesh Shah told the Daily Telegraph: “Many individual landlords are considering their options in the property market, given increasing mortgage costs, and the compounded effect of the mortgage interest relief restriction introduced in 2017.

“With the suggestion that landlords will be hit with significantly higher capital gains tax, investors will need to seriously consider selling their properties before any rate rise takes effect to ‘lock-in’ the current highest rate of capital gains tax of 28pc.”

Other proposals being discussed include raising the rates on dividends or reducing the £2,000 allowance.

The Government’s plan would be a blow to those landlords who have been relying on the capital appreciation of their investment property or holiday let as a pension plan.

Various news outlets say the plan could be unveiled as part of the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement.

It follows a move by Rishi Sunak in 2020 when he asked the Office for Tax Simplification to review capital gains tax in an effort to simplify the tax regime in the UK.


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Comments

Coastal

9:50 AM, 14th November 2022, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by Rennie at 13/11/2022 - 22:50
Indeed...clearing the way for elites to mop up repro's within the "global transfer of wealth" reset agenda

cashcow

20:46 PM, 15th November 2022, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by Judith Wordsworth at 12/11/2022 - 22:12
If that happens I would give all the flats a year off rent and sell the lot at 20% as I have had them for 30 years in London.
40% would be a back tax mainly on the south, they have not just moved the goal posts they are now thinking of removing your goals from the score.

peter lassman

7:39 AM, 27th November 2022, About A year ago

If working Groups or Unions are fed up and want more Money they Strike, maybe there should be a Year of Landlords Striking where at the earliest Legal convenience EVERY Landlord in the UK should raise their rents by up to 20% to reclaim our recent lost revenue causing the Government to either pay out millions more in Social Housing placement costs or they can choose to pay massive hotel costs and we can call it a Landlord Strike in retaliation to the Stupid and Ridiculous Attitude this Government has towards Landlords profits thinking we earn Fortunes. However Let’s not forget many MPs have massive property portfolios so they may actually want us all to sell as they will scoop up our properties or rent their Hotels to technically themselves the Government and reap even bigger rewards 😞

Gromit

15:02 PM, 27th November 2022, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by peter lassman at 27/11/2022 - 07:39
Such action has been suggested before,but discounted as it will be potentially a PR disaster.
Landlords would be vilified even more as Shelter, Gen Rent et al troop out vulnerable tenant after vulnerable tenant pushed into poverty, unable to afford to buy food because of the "greed" of Landlords, then with the moral high ground on their side, and with the general public then on-side, there'll be an overwhelming demand for rent controls that populist vote seeking politicians will find irresistible. This would potentially be a massive own goal.

Rasmin Vithani

20:10 PM, 2nd December 2022, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by York student landlord at 07/11/2022 - 11:41I consider myself as a good landlord and the fact that 95% of my tenants are still with me after 10 plus years. I have resisted the temptation to increase rents as I feel extremely sorry for the tenants, at a great loss to myself. However, this TORY government has totally destroyed my business to a level where I will, very reluctantly, have to serve notices to my lovely tenants to quit. They will tax me initially but long term they will not get six figures tax revenues from me every year and consequently there will be 50/60 people looking for alternative housing and I wish them well. This government wants big corporations to monopolise the PRS so that their rich friends can control the market. No incentive to do any kind of small business now. F... THEM

Mike D

12:36 PM, 6th December 2022, About A year ago

More Socialism and more property sell off by landlords.
The estate agents day s 65% increase on last year....
Add in covid debts, mortgages and now reduction of capital gains....
Awaiting the great homelessness crisis of 2023 with another 300/400,000 PRS sold off, and all the hotels full of illegal immigration....
The bubble of socialism is about to burst with massive housing crisis and no landlords to help with the sector halved

Rod

13:26 PM, 6th December 2022, About A year ago

Last weekend's FT (3/4 Dec) had two articles covering John Lewis' announcement that they are partnering with Abrdn to build houses.

The key comment was the last paragraph of the main article.

". . rising interest rates and more onerous taxes and regulations are pushing some amateur landlords to sell up, creating more opportunity for developers of purpose-built rental housing."

That's another way of expressing the Warren Buffet adage that barriers to entry provide an economic moat, and provide a competitive advantage.

Expecting sympathy from the government for not raising rents, when both the social and build to rent providers index their rents (some collar and cap limited) seems naive. Not wanting to fleece good, loyal tenants is commendable, but not raising rents to ensure sufficient funding for longer term costs, especially given the compression of margins due to rising costs and taxes, leaves no protection for unexpected costs, such as covid, interest rate rises, or arrears.

Although the build to rent sector see the departure of small PRS operators as an opportunity, only specialist B2R operators are supporting social tenants. The majority are focussed on high grade students and professionals, charging premium rents for expensive co-living add-ons.

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