Rightmove CEO urges government to ‘carefully consider’ property tax changes amid doubts over financial benefits
Rightmove has asked the government to carefully consider the impact of any changes to property taxation to avoid risking disruption to the housing market. The property platform has analysed the impact of the proposed national property tax and so-called mansion tax, and warns that any buyer savings would be wiped out by sellers increasing asking […]
DPMSG report finds ‘significant inefficiencies’ in property transaction process
A report commissioned by the Digital Property Market Steering Group (DPMSG) has identified ‘numerous opportunities for improvement’ in the property transaction process. The Data Standards Report Spring 2025, produced by digital insight company TPXimpact and published earlier this month, describes ‘significant inefficiencies’ in the current system, including at least eight parties for each transaction, 130 documents […]
MHCLG staff to strike after Rayner ‘refuses to meet employees’
Over 1,180 Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) members in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) will strike in September over office closures, recruitment strategy and attendance policies rolled out by the department without union consultation. The strike will take place on 1st September, the day ministers return from parliamentary recess. Further […]
‘Nowhere to hide’ from stamp duty, as HMRC collects £1.4bn in July
Figures released by HMRC reveal over £1.4 billion in stamp duty was collected in July, up from just under £1.1 billion in June. The latest figures take the total for 2025 to slightly over £8 billion, compared to just over £6.6 billion for the same period in 2024. An analysis of the data by Coventry […]
‘Mansion tax’ proposals could see CGT charged on high value homes
Following the news the government is considering introducing a national property tax in place of Stamp Duty, it has been further reported a ‘mansion tax’ is under consideration by the Treasury in an attempt to plug the £40bn gap in public finances. It is understood the October budget, the date of which is yet to […]
Higgs strikes private equity deal with view to expansion
Midlands law firm Higgs has secured backing from August Equity, making it the first legal firm in the investor’s 48-strong portfolio. The Dudley-based firm, established in the Black Country in 1875, has 28 partners, 250 employees and a reported turnover of £20 million in the year to November 2023. Last year, Higgs acquired insolvency boutique […]
Confessions of a cyber conveyancer – ‘All AI is equal, it’s just that some is more equal than others’
As George Orwell pointed out in Animal Farm, while some things start out as a good idea, there’s always the possibility that they can go horribly wrong. Unfortunately, when it comes to how technology providers are explaining their offerings today, there’ll be many lawyers who wish they were like Boxer and shipped off to the […]