Minimal change in receipts and transactions over the year

There were 314 700 stamp duty land tax transactions in the final quarter of 2019 which is less than a 1% fall from the 315 300 transactions for the same quarter in 2018 according to HMRC’s latest statistics.  

In quarter four 2019 stamp duty land tax receipts were £3 299m compared with £3 291m in the same period in 2018. Residential receipts were unchanged while non-residential receipts increased by less than 2%. 

First time buyers’ relief was introduced in November 2017 and applies to purchases of dwellings for £500 000 or less as long as the purchaser has never owned a property and intends to occupy the property as their only or main residence. 

The estimated amount of first time buyers’ relief in quarter four 2019 was £154m the highest quarterly figure since its introduction. Some 62 800 residential transactions claimed the relief in quarter four 2019 making a...