Stamp duty land tax on jointly owned property
Written by Ray Coman
Stamp duty land tax (SDLT) is payable by the purchaser, regardless of his or her residence, based on the consideration paid for UK based property. There is no stamp duty land tax on gifts. However the transfer of property into joint names, where there is also a reduction in mortgage, is not a straightforward gift. This is because one party has a reduced mortgage, as a result. Therefore, SDLT may be payable where one spouse acquires property, releasing the other spouse of a mortgage commitment. For instance, if one spouse transfers half a property and half a mortgage to their spouse, a liability to SDLT may arise.
The amount of debt taken on by the acquiring spouse is the consideration for SDLT purpose.
Please contact us for further tax advice related to your property.
Comments
SDLT queries are the expertise of a solicitor. A gift is exempt from SDLT. But a mortgage isn't a straightforward gift. Consideration for this purpose would likely be the value of the mortgage transferred. Please seek separate legal advice on Stamp Duty Land Tax.
If the property you are transferring is your home (or principal private residence -PPR) this is exempt from CGT. There is one PPR per person or per married couple.
If the property is not your home, the transfer will not give rise to CGT. Transfers between spouses are exempt. The transfer of a property which is not your home could save you tax as a couple as you would both have use of annual exemption when the property is disposed of. If the property used to be your home, your wife may not be entitled to PPR relief if she didn't live there. A possible pitfall is transferring a property that you have lived in but your wife has not.
Ray