FTB solicitors fees & stamp duty

pjran

In your opinion should the solicitor be charging a fee of £90 for a stamp land tax return? The purchase price is below the SLDT for a first time buyer.

All replies welcome.

casper_g

The SDLT form needs to be completed for all purchases. Even for first time buyers where no tax is payable, the form needs to be completed to claim the exemption.

It's slightly poor practice for your solicitor to add an extra charge for completing the SDLT form, as this is a requirement for all purchases (ie, it should really be included in their main fee). A lot of solicitors do this, though, and it can be confusing: if you know you'll be paying no stamp duty, you may well assume this fee will not be applicable.

Richard_Webster

There should be a sticky on this.

1. Even though you do not have to pay SDLT (Stamp Duty Land Tax) the form still has to be completed.

2. Some solicitors charge extra for this because they hope that people like OP will accept the quote in the mistaken belief that because they don't have to pay SDLT they won't have to pay this fee. Unless they make the position clear I think that is playing on the average lay person's lack of knowledge, and it stinks.

I and many other solicitors regard it as part of the job we do so we include it in our overall fee (which may appear higher than others, but because of the extras like this that they add on, often isn't.)