Homebuyers are being warned to avoid Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) scams, following a landmark Court of Appeal decision.

HMRC is warning buyers to be vigilant of tax agents offering to secure (SDLT) repayments on their behalf where repairs are needed to a property they have bought.

Some agents have suggested that, for a fee, they can reclaim SDLT the buyer has already paid by saying that the property is non-residential because it’s uninhabitable.

But HMRC says that making claims of this kind often leave the homeowner liable for the full amount of SDLT, plus penalties and interest.

A recent Court of Appeal judgment in the case of Mudan & Anor v HMRC has confirmed that housing in need of repair is chargeable at the residential rates of SDLT, and that repayment claims based solely on a property’s condition are not valid.

HMRC says it is taking decisive action on spurious SDLT repayment claims, using civil and criminal powers.

Anthony Burke, HMRCs Deputy Director of Compliance Assets, said:

‘The Court of Appeal’s decision is a major win, protecting public funds. Homebuyers should be cautious of allowing someone to make a SDLT repayment claim on their behalf. If the claim is inaccurate, you could end up paying more than the amount you were trying to recover.’

Internet link: HMRC

President Trump’s decision to charge import duties for low value goods entering the US is a major blow to the UK’s SME exporters, says the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).

Under an Executive Order issued by the President, duties will be payable on goods valued under $800 from 29 August 2025. These will be in line with the rates applied to other goods from each country in accordance with its tariff rates.

For most UK goods export sectors this means the tariff rate they used to have plus the additional 10% reciprocal rate applied to most UK goods since April.

Alternatively, for the first six months only, a specific rate of $80 per item would apply to low value packages from the UK entering the US. After that period, the duties described above will be enforced on all packages of UK origin in scope.

William Bain, Head of Trade Policy, said:

‘This development has been coming for several months but is still a major blow to UK exporters to the US. Smaller firms and sole traders, who have invested strongly in e-commerce sales internationally, will be worst hit.

‘But the UK is in a comparatively advantageous position in terms of these additional duties compared with those faced by other countries.

‘The EU is also likely to scrap its de minimis threshold by 2028, and the UK government is launching a review into removing the threshold here too.’ 

Internet link: White House BCC

The government is set to tackle late payments to businesses with significant legislative reforms.

Late payments cost the UK economy £11 billion a year and shut down 38 businesses every day, according to the government.

The new laws are set to give stronger powers to the Small Business Commissioner to empower them to wield fines, worth potentially millions of pounds, against the biggest firms who persistently choose to pay their suppliers late.

Following the legislation, the UK will have the toughest late payments laws in the G7, the government added.

The legislation is part of reforms to back small businesses and unlock growth as part of the Plan for Change.

Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: 

‘This country is home to some of the brightest entrepreneurs and innovative businesses in the world, and we want to unleash their full potential by giving them back time and money to do what they do best – growing our local economies.

‘Our Small Business plan – the first in over a decade – is slashing unnecessary admin costs, making it easier for businesses to set up shop and giving SMEs the financial backing they need.

‘This is our Plan for Change in action, putting more money in people’s pockets, boosting local communities and ensuring Britain is a great place to do business and thrive.’

Internet link: GOV.UK

HMRC has split fuel advisory rates for electric cars depending on where drivers charge their company cars due to the price discrepancy between home and public chargers.

From 1 September 2025, the single rate for fully electric cars will be abolished and replaced with two different rates reflecting whether a car is charged at home or on a public charger.

The rate will be 8 pence per mile for home charging and 14 pence per mile for public charging. This will replace the current universal rate of 7 pence per mile.

These rates will be reviewed quarterly in line with petrol and diesel advisory fuel rates.

HMRC said:

‘The ‘Domestic electricity cost per kilowatt-hour’ is the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero annually published figure, uprated with the latest estimate of electricity prices from the Office for National Statistics.

‘The ‘slow or fast public charge cost per kilowatt-hour’ is the Zapmap public charging price index monthly published figure for slow or fast chargers (charging speed less than 50 kilowatts), uprated with the latest estimate of electricity prices from the Office for National Statistics.

‘A higher amount than the advisory rates can be used as long as you can show that the fuel cost per mile is higher. Therefore, if the public charger used is higher in cost per mile than the new advisory rate introduced for public charging, a higher rate can be used as long as you can show the cost per mile is higher.’

Internet link: GOV.UK

HMRC has issued a warning to be on high alert for scams linked to Winter Fuel Payments after receiving 15,100 reports of bogus activity in June.

Fraudsters have been targeting vulnerable individuals using SMS messages and phishing websites. During June, HMRC took action to remove 4,600 fake websites linked to Winter Fuel Payments.

HMRC is urging individuals to be alert to suspicious communications and to report any suspect phone calls, emails or texts via GOV.UK. HMRC will never contact people by text to claim Winter Fuel Payments or request personal information.

Anyone who is eligible for Winter Fuel Payments will receive the payments automatically without having to make a claim. Any recovery of the payment for pensioners whose total income is over £35,000 will be collected via Pay As You Earn (PAYE) or self assessment, dependent on how the individual pays tax on their income.

Kelly Paterson, HMRC’s Chief Security Officer, said:

‘Don’t be fooled by these attempts by scammers to take your money or access your personal information.

‘Never let yourself be rushed. If someone contacts you saying they’re HMRC, wanting you to urgently transfer money or give personal information, be on your guard. If a phone call, text or email is suspicious or unexpected, don’t give out private information or reply, and don’t download attachments or click on links.

‘I’m urging people to be alert to scams relating to Winter Fuel Payments and to report any suspicious texts, phone calls or emails to HMRC.’

Internet link: HMRC