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Lower tax but stricter rules: what landlords should do next

Buy-to-let landlords had mixed feelings about changes announced in the Budget – and now investors have a decision to make
March 12, 2024
  • Chancellor cuts capital gains tax on properties by 4 percentage points
  • But the 'furnished holiday lets' regime removal kills a haven for investors
  • It's time to decide (again): sell up or go professional

Last week’s Budget may have been a damp squib for voters, but changes to the landlord tax system will have a long-lasting impact and force property investors to make a decision.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is to scrap the ‘furnished holiday lets’ (FHL) regime from April 2025 and reduce the capital gains tax (CGT) rate for property sales from next month. Combined, experts say the two changes provide further encouragement to landlords to either leave the market or professionalise their operations.

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