Buy-to-let: the past is no guide to the future

Carl31

wotsthat wrote: »

I find these complicated theories about the Chancellor's BTL tax and his thoughts and plans for the sector quite compelling and clever. However, we might need to remember the cornish pasty tax, caravan tax, the increase (and subsequent decrease) in taxes on the North Sea to remind ourselves that not all tax increases have been artful or led to the government meeting their own deficit targets let alone removing it.

I'm minded to believe these are old fashioned tax increases that are popular because 'other' people pay them. Quite interesting to see how they play out because they target a specific group of investors rather than BTL as a whole but I find it difficult to believe Osborne has an underlying grand plan for BTL.

You’re probably right, Government actions can be read into in many ways, but at the end of the day I doubt there is a significant amount of expertise that goes into these decisions, more knee jerk reactions in an attempt to retain power at the next election, and that being the primary driver for anything any government does

carslet

BTL like other investments will always work if you can and are able to get things right,

Buying houses cheap, at auction or people needing to sell. where you can get at least 10% return from the rent .

Don't try to make a living from it or extra cash it can only be as a savings or investment vehicle. put anything you earn into paying it off as soon as you can if you have a mortgage