Aside from allowing the Chancellor to make a joke at the expense of Labour’s deputy leader, the decision to reduce the level of capital gains tax from 28% to 24% for higher rate taxpayers when they sell a residential property which is not their own home could signal a softening in the government’s attitudes towards residential landlords.
The last few years have seen a succession of measures which have dented the profitability of buy-to-let, with a reduction in the level of mortgage interest tax relief, and increases in capital gains tax and stamp duty on second homes all contributing to a feeling amongst landlords of being constantly under attack.
For those currently in the process of selling such a property, the advice may be not to exchange until 6th April – but with the exemption threshold reducing to £3,000 the decision to hold off is dependent on your individual circumstances. For those who have been considering selling but have been sitting on the fence because of the potential capital gains tax bill, the advice is to get on with it after that date. This is one tax cut which an incoming Labour government would find it easy to reverse.