This blog gives you the latest topical news plus some informal comments on them from ShareSoc’s directors and other contributors. These are the personal comments of the authors and not necessarily the considered views of ShareSoc. The writers may hold shares in the companies mentioned. You can add your own comments on the blog posts, but note that ShareSoc reserves the right to remove or edit comments where they are inappropriate or defamatory.

Stamp Duty Review

The Office of Tax Simplification is currently undertaking a review of Stamp Duty. Stamp Duty is paid on share transactions, although there are numerous exceptions and ways to avoid paying it. Although this review seems to be primarily focussed on technical aspects and how to remove paper processes (still needed for off-market transfers for example), ShareSoc argues that the tax should be scrapped altogether.

Our full submission to the review can be read here: https://www.sharesoc.org/Stamp-Duty-Review-2016-12-24A.pdf.

This is a simple example of the work ShareSoc does to represent retail investors.

Roger Lawson 24/12/2016

Post Date: January 5, 2017

3 Comments

Graham fraser says:

5th January 2017 at 4:11 pm

What about a lower rate of Stamp Duty that was also payable on CFDs (eg 0.25%) Levelling the playing field between CFD trading and share trading.

Reply
- sharesoc says:
  
  5th January 2017 at 4:14 pm
  
  Looks like the OTS would like a meeting to discuss, so we might mention that then. Although clearly it would be preferable to remove stamp duty on all transactions to “equalise” matters.
  Roger Lawson
  
  Reply
Stephen Burke says:

6th January 2017 at 3:07 pm

Also ISAs and pensions are advertised as being tax-free, so it’s anomalous that stamp duty is still levied on them.

Reply

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Stamp Duty Review

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