This is when the stamp duty holiday is due to end - but could it be extended?

The stamp duty holiday introduced by the UK Government has helped to revive the housing market during the Covid-19 pandemic.

It has now been reported that the tax break will be extended by Chancellor Rishi Sunak by three months when he announces his 2021 Budget.

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The chancellor had been under pressure to push back the deadline as many buyers were rushing to complete their transactions before the March end date.

So, what is the stamp duty holiday, when is it supposed to end - and could there be an extension?

Here’s everything you need to know.

What is stamp duty?

Stamp duty is a tax levied on the purchase of property or land bought in England and Northern Ireland.

It is also known as Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT).

The name stems from a tax charged on written legal documents, which historically required a physical stamp to be attached to the paper to show the duty had been paid.

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The rate of stamp duty depends on where in the country you are purchasing a property, and what its price is.

The threshold is where stamp duty land tax starts to apply. So, if you buy a property for less than the threshold, there is no SDLT to pay.

While England and Northern Ireland have the same rates, Scotland has its own tax called the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT). In Wales, it is the Land Transaction Tax (LTT).

You are able to check how much stamp duty you have to pay using the HM Revenue and Customs’ Stamp Duty Land Tax calculator.

What is the stamp duty holiday?

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The stamp duty holiday was a scheme introduced by the chancellor back in July 2020.

It raised the minimum threshold from £125,000 to £500,000.

So, if you purchase a property and it completes before the stamp duty holiday ends, you only have to pay tax on the amount over £500,000.

The holiday meant anyone buying a home for the average English house price at the time of the announcement - which was £254,423 - would pay no stamp duty.

Before, for this price, they would have faced a bill of £2,721.

Why was the holiday introduced?

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Rishi Sunak’s stamp duty holiday was a response to a drastic fall in house sales during the coronavirus crisis.

When he made the announcement, the latest published house sales data showed the volume of transactions across the UK had fallen by 65.9 per cent in the 12 months from April 2019 to April 2020.

It was hoped that the tax break would boost the property market and help homebuyers who were suffering financially following the first national lockdown.

Announcing the holiday, Mr Sunak said: "House prices have fallen for the first time in eight years and uncertainty abounds in the market, a market we need to be thriving.

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"We need people to be feeling confident - confident to buy, sell, move and improve. That will drive growth, that will create jobs. So, to catalyse the housing market and boost confidence, I have decided today to cut stamp duty.”

Housing transactions boomed at the end of last year driven by buyers rushing to complete deals before the tax break deadline.

Around 129,400 transactions went through in the UK in December, compared with 87,040 in 2014, according to provisional figures from HM Revenue & Customs.

And think tank the Centre for Policy Studies reported that house sales had increased to their highest level since before the 2007 financial crisis.

When does the stamp duty holiday end?

The stamp duty holiday is supposed to end on 31 March 2021.

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Those who exchange now and complete their purchase before that date won’t have to pay any stamp duty if the property costs under £500,000.

However, if you do not complete the purchase by that date you could be hit by the tax if the holiday isn't extended.

First-time buyers will still be eligible for a discount from April 1, with no stamp duty to pay on properties priced below £300,000.

Will the stamp duty holiday be extended?

The tax break will now be extended by three months, The Times has reported.

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Chancellor Rishi Sunak is set to push back the deadline from 31 March to the end of June as part of his Budget announcement, according to the newspaper.

The Centre for Policy Studies is now calling on the chancellor to either permanently increase the threshold on primary residences to £500,000 or abolish the tax altogether.

The government had been repeatedly urged to extend the stamp duty holiday to support the housing market through the rest of the pandemic.

Solicitors and mortgage advisors said house purchases are taking much longer due to current lockdown restrictions, while homebuyers were also concerned that their property transactions could fall through if it ends on 31 March.

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Helen Hutchison, residential property partner at law firm Irwin Mitchell, said: “An extension would no doubt be greatly received, not only by home buyers but also by conveyancers and others in the industry who are coming up against increased pressure to get deals over the line by the deadline.

“Many are also facing increased delays in the length of time transactions are taking - such delays are inevitable given the current lockdown, with searches, mortgage offers and information from other parties understandably taking longer due to the stay at home requirements and closure of schools.”

Pete Mugleston, from the onlinemortgageadvisor.co.uk, said: “Everyone also knows that far too many people will miss the deadline.

“And given the delays caused by the mad wave of volume, most of those agreeing a sale in the next few weeks have little chance in getting it through in time.

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“Thousands of deals will collapse as those relying on the discount to make the deals work break the chain - the total cost to everyone involved could be huge, given what it costs to move.

“The government cannot deem the initiative a success if it lets down so many of the dormant buyers it aimed to inspire.”

The government had previously said the stamp duty holiday was designed to be a “temporary relief”.