Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Newsroom from a report by Mortgage Solutions. Read the original article for full details.

Stamp Duty Receipts Down 6% Year-on-Year, HMRC Reports

HMRC figures show that stamp duty land tax receipts totalled £4.3 billion in the first four months of 2026, a 6% decrease compared to £4.6 billion in the same period last year. In April alone, stamp duty receipts reached £1.3 billion, which is slightly higher than March but unchanged from April 2025.

Coventry Building Society noted that the decline in receipts occurred despite more property purchases being liable for stamp duty, following the reduction of the nil-rate threshold from £250,000 to £125,000 on 1 April 2025. The mutual reported that buyers have paid £16.4 billion in stamp duty since the threshold change.

Last year’s activity was influenced by buyers rushing to complete transactions before the new threshold took effect. The change has resulted in more homes falling within the stamp duty bracket, but overall receipts have not increased as expected.

For letting agents and inventory clerks, these figures highlight ongoing shifts in the UK property market and the impact of tax policy changes on transaction volumes and buyer behaviour.

Inheritance Tax Receipts Also Decline

Inheritance tax (IHT) receipts for April 2026 totalled £715 million, a decrease of £65 million compared to the same month last year. This figure is also slightly lower than the £755 million collected in March. Since the start of 2026, £2.6 billion has been paid in IHT, down from £2.7 billion over the same period in 2025.