SDLT Surcharge on second homes 

Yesterday’s Autumn Statement announced that buyers of ‘additional properties’ will be charged an extra 3 per cent rate of stamp duty land tax (SDLT) from next April.
The phrase ‘additional properties’ explicitly includes second homes as well as residential lets. The 3 per cent surcharge will be added to the usual SDLT rate for the property’s price band.
With the current top rate of SDLT for individuals acquiring UK residential property standing at 12 per cent, this will result in purchasers paying rates of up to 15 per cent on affected properties, noted Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co. However, the surcharge will not apply to corporates and funds owning more than 15 residential properties.
– See more at: http://www.step.org/news/second-home-buyers-hit-stamp-duty-surcharge?j=1551753&e=kevin@dndlaw.com&l=346_HTML&u=25765856&mid=1062735&jb=0#sthash.cOyI8z17.dpuf