Stamp Duty - Buy to Let + First Home

rexmedorum

SDLT_Geek said:

rexmedorum said:

as far as I understand it the only way to "avoid" the stamp duty would be to move into one of you buy to lets (and possibly sell it to buy something else after that).
If you ten bought another buy to let you'd again have the extra stamp duty of course, so it probably wouldn't be worth it unless the home you want to live in is very expensive.

Living in a BTL property for a short while in order to gain a fiscal advantage is unlikely to work.  The occupation would lack the required "degree of permanence and expectation of continuity" for it to count as a "residence".

Clearly you'd have to actually move in for a considerable period, not just pretend.

Crashy_Time

[Deleted User] said:

If you are a buy to let landlord, you need to be attentive to tax rules both in terms of compliance but also to ensure that you are tax efficient. If you've reached this point without being au fait with second home stamp duty, you need to refocus. 

Very good advice.