The UK government has refunded £ 127 m ( $ 110 m ) in stamp duty tax to 10,700 tenants , who paid too much after the introduction of the 10 % " second property surcharge " in April of last year . The measure was implemented to slow the buy - to - sell boom , but critics said that it hampered homeowners who bought a second property before selling their first . HMRC has been obligated to undertake transactions at an average cost of £ ##500 each .
The UK government has refunded £127m ($165m) in stamp duty tax to 10,700 homeowners, who paid too much after the introduction of the 3% "second property surcharge" in April of last year. The measure was implemented to slow the buy-to-let boom, but critics said that it hampered homeowners who bought a second property before selling their first. HMRC has been obligated to repay transactions at an average cost of £11,869 each.