High-end buyers shrug off rising cost of stamp duty

Higher rates of stamp duty are showing little sign of deterring buyers of expensive homes and are providing a bonanza for the government, according to analysis of official figures. Stamp duty receipts in the year to March reached £9.31bn, the third consecutive year of growth. Receipts are £2bn higher than two year ago. Analysis by the estate agent Savills reveals that the upsurge in stamp duty revenue has been helped by high-value properties and second homes, both of which have been the subject of tax increases over the past few years. Click here for the full Times article (£)