Treasury dismisses stamp duty talk

Stories that the government has decided to introduce a stamp duty holiday for buyers are "simply wrong" and "based on speculation", the Treasury has stated.

The comments from the government department come in the wake of suggestions that such a move will be introduced by chancellor of the exchequer Alistair Darling in the November pre-budget statement, following a BBC radio interview this week in which he said he was looking at various measures he might introduce to help the housing market.

This has led to fears that some buyers will hold back from making transactions until any new measures are announced, as these could benefit them when buying a home.

However, the government will not be pressured into making an early announcement to end this uncertainty, housing minister Caroline Flint has said.

In an interview on the BBC Newsnight programme, Ms Flint confirmed stamp duty was one at a number of areas under consideration but stated the government will not be pushed into an announcement before November.

Those wanting to avoid uncertainty about stamp duty can avoid the issue if self building a home.