Consultation launches on updated National Conveyancing Protocol
A consultation on proposed updates to the National Conveyancing Protocol has been announced at the annual Law Society Property Conference hosted at Chancery Lane. The Conveyancing Protocol is the Law Society of England and Wales’ framework for good practice in residential conveyancing. All Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS)-accredited firms must follow the protocol. Announcing the consultation […]
Pool house annex not a ‘single dwelling’ and does not qualify for SDLT relief
An £80,000 stamp duty appeal has ended in dismissal after HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) successfully argued a pool house did not count as a second home for the purposes of multiple dwellings relief. First-tier Tribunal appellant John Smith purchased an eight bedroom, three-acre estate in December 2023 for £2.6 million. Smith claimed an annex […]
UK housing market activity slips in September amid rising expectations of base rate increases
The residential property market has lost some momentum in September ahead of expected Bank of England interest rate rises, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Figures drawn from the latest UK Residential Market Survey by RICS showed buyer demand has remained “subdued” with new buyer enquiries falling in September. The latest sentiment […]
Conservative Party leader vows to abolish stamp duty if party wins power
The leader of the Conservatives has promised to scrap Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) and roll back the proposed mansion tax if her party were to win the next general election. Kemi Badenoch outlined the plans during her speech on the final day of the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham on Wednesday. Badenoch said: “I […]
Governed but wrong: the question AI governance cannot answer
In the sixth and final article of a series on safely adopting AI, Ed Molyneux turns from where data goes to whether the answer is right, and sets out the evidence a firm should demand before it relies on an AI’s output. Every article in this series has been about where data goes and whether […]