Published: 24/02/2021
The Times has reported that The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak is planning to announce a limited extension through to the end of June in a bid to to avoid thousands of property sales from falling through.Sunak has been under growing pressure to extend the deadline amid concerns it will create a cliff-edge and risk thousands of buyers pulling out of transactions if they miss the deadline for the tax break.
A petition demanding a stamp duty holiday extension, which has proved popular with buyers and sellers, as well as agents, conveyancing solicitors, mortgage lenders and surveyors, has now attracted more than 150,000 signatures.
The Times has been told that the chancellor will use his Budget next week to move the stamp duty holiday deadline to the end of June, bringing it into line with the easing of lockdown. The extension to the policy could cost the Treasury around £1bn but allows continued fluidity of housing transactions into the summer.