TaxPayers' Alliance: Cut stamp duty to help property market

The Taxpayers' Alliance (TPA) is calling for a stamp duty cut in next month's Autumn Statement, claiming it "distorts the property market so much", and even government reviews have suggested it should be abandoned.

In a personal film for BBC2's Daily Politics, Matthew Sinclair claimed the levy on house sales - raising about 1% of taxes collected by the government - could be "cut with very little impact on the public finances".

Stamp duty is paid at 1% for homes costing at least £125,000, 3% for those above £250,000, and 4% for houses selling for more £500,000, with higher figures for those with seven-figure price tags.

Mr Sinclair - chief executive of the Taxpayers' Alliance, which campaigns for lower taxes and highlights claims of government waste - debated his film with Conservative MP Grant Shapps and Labour MP Michael Dugher, and the full version is on iPlayer for seven days

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