Burnham opens door to wealth tax Tax Andy Burnham has refused to rule out a wealth tax as part of his economic agenda, saying the country needs a “greater sense of fairness”. In his first formal interview since being all but confirmed as the next Prime Minister, the former Manchester mayor warned that decisions on tax were “going to be difficult” and [...]
Here’s how a levy on assets could work, just don’t call it a wealth tax Opinion Debate around wealth taxes have become a meme, far too ideological and not technocratic enough. But there is a way to raise a levy on assets without distorting the economy, says Tim Sarson Last week I was scanning the list of topics I’d written about for Morning Wire in the last two years and there [...]
London luxury property at mercy of Labour chaos, not Iran war Property Labour party infighting, not the Iran war, is the primary factor shaping the ongoing slump in London’s luxury property market, experts have said. While inflation fears caused by the Iran war had been blamed for the capital’s stagnant prime property market, speculation around the tax regime of a potential successor to Starmer is emerging as [...]
Housebuilders on hook for mansion tax if they fail to sell property after a year May 20, 2026 Property developers will be forced to pay the Labour’s new mansion tax if they take more than a year to offload newly built luxury homes, raising fresh fears that housebuilders will be further disincentivised from building homes in the capital. As part of plans included in a Treasury consultation document, housing developers will be liable [...]
Mansion tax to hit 165,000 homeowners April 3, 2026 The mansion tax is expected to hit 165,000 homeowners in its first year, more than the 120,000 that was previously thought. The levy will hit 45,000 more properties than had been initially forecast, according to the fiscal watchdog, and thousands could successfully appeal the tax. The mansion tax, introduced at last year’s Budget, will not [...]
Brits push down house prices to dodge mansion tax February 26, 2026 House sellers are already pushing sale values below £2m in a bid to avoid the coming “mansion tax” on expensive homes. The high-value council tax surcharge (HVCTS) is not due to be implemented until April 2028 but estate agents Hamptons have found Brits are already taking steps to avoid the levy. The “mansion tax” charge [...]
Non-dom exodus: Top London dealmaker quits UK for Switzerland February 3, 2026 One of London’s most successful private equity dealmakers has left the UK for Switzerland, adding to the wave of wealthy individuals quitting Britain in the wake of the government’s crackdown on wealth. Kurt Bjorklund, the executive chair of Permira who until recently was the buyout giant’s managing partner, relocated to the low-tax jurisdiction in the [...]
High earning families at risk of losing thousands due to Budget measures December 8, 2025 The measures introduced in this year’s Autumn Budget could leave a typical high earning family thousands out of pocket, new research has found. According to analysis from wealthtech advisory platform Y TREE, high earners could lose out on nearly £280,000 over the next twenty years as a result of Reeves’ Budget policy changes, jumping to [...]
Mansion tax is an ‘assault’ on London’s property market November 27, 2025 The UK’s new ‘mansion tax’ is set to hit homeowners in London hard, particularly for middle-class Londoners who have seen the price of their property balloon in the last two decades. Chancellor Rachel Reeves introduced a new high-value council tax surcharge for owners of properties valued at over £2m in her second Budget on Wednesday. [...]
How will the Budget impact your personal finances? November 27, 2025 It’s the day after Rachel Reeves’ crunch Budget, and while the Office of Budget Responsibility leak may be the main talking point, after months of speculation we finally know how personal finances will be impacted. As expected, Reeves extended income tax freezes and introduced a range of smaller taxes, in moves that are expected to [...]