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Original poster

Anyone else in the South East worried about Andy Burnham bringing in a land tax?

944 replies

Beachbooks · 22/06/2026 12:17

With it looking likely that Andy Burnhan will be the next PM, I was interested to see if anyone else in London / the south east were worried about potential tax raises specifically around the land tax rather than stamp duty ?

A lot of my friends who live locally are worrying that he will make the land tax for the South East so high in proportion to other areas of the UK that it will be financially very difficult to afford but then also extremely difficult to sell!!

BTW we have very standard house and garden but we live in an expensive area

OP posts:
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poetryandwine · 22/06/2026 20:28

Apologies for crossposting with @5128gap

poetryandwine · 22/06/2026 20:26

Please stop and think, OP. Some London boroughs, including Westminster and Kensington&Chelsea, have amongst the lowest CT rates in the entire UK. That doesn’t make sense. It should be rationalised.

Burnham isn’t stupid and he knows how to count. Why on earth would he set about losing support in the manner you suggest? Even if he liked the idea, for which there is zero evidence. Perhaps this gossip is being spread by the political opposition. I would put £££ on that.

Having lived in America for over 15 years I favour what Americans refer to as a property tax. I agree that the elderly should have some protection, but disagree with those who like the California system which was voted in by a famous referendum, Prop 13. State services have been suffering ever since, especially the education system. Prop 13 was too extreme.

I agree stamp duty seems pointless at best.

5128gap · 22/06/2026 20:20

nearlylovemyusername · 22/06/2026 20:02

Can you share the link please?

I don't want to share details of my property situation and council tax I pay so not to be outing, but my SIL lives in Westminster in a one bed 400sqft ex council flat and pays 1450 council tax. I wouldn't call it virtually no council tax for this type of property. Given that pp pays 4k for 4 bed house I'd say Westminster is overcharging.

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You just need to Google council tax bands Westminster to find out exactly what is charged. It ranges from £1050 in band D to £2100 in band H.
In Blackpool (the most deprived LA in the UK) for comparison band D is £1675, band H £5026.
Westminster has one of the lowest CT charges in the UK.

BoredZelda · 22/06/2026 20:20

Beachbooks · 22/06/2026 12:17

With it looking likely that Andy Burnhan will be the next PM, I was interested to see if anyone else in London / the south east were worried about potential tax raises specifically around the land tax rather than stamp duty ?

A lot of my friends who live locally are worrying that he will make the land tax for the South East so high in proportion to other areas of the UK that it will be financially very difficult to afford but then also extremely difficult to sell!!

BTW we have very standard house and garden but we live in an expensive area

He hasn’t even laid out his policies yet. Why start making things up?

Carouseloflife · 22/06/2026 20:18

TopPocketFind · 22/06/2026 14:34

Sticky Toffee pudding for sure, and some Everton mints on the side

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Prefer Lardy cake smothered in marg

HumberSquid · 22/06/2026 20:18

deedee176 · 22/06/2026 20:15

How hilarious and conveniently naive of you. London subsidises the entire county. I pay more than that in CT

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And one of the reasons for this is that investment in London has been prioritised over the rest of the country for many, many years.

deedee176 · 22/06/2026 20:18

London and the SE are the only areas in the entire UK which generate more in tax revenue than it receives in public spending. You’d be totally fucked without us

deedee176 · 22/06/2026 20:15

MrsPapillon · 22/06/2026 12:59

I’m paying £4000+ a year CT in the north for a 4 bed and receiving practically nothing in way of services in return. It’s about time London paid its fair share for all the wonderful things on offer there like excellent transport, museums and parks instead of owning a £2m house and paying £1200 a year. I’d welcome a land tax.

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How hilarious and conveniently naive of you. London subsidises the entire county. I pay more than that in CT

BIossomtoes · 22/06/2026 20:14

nearlylovemyusername · 22/06/2026 20:02

Can you share the link please?

I don't want to share details of my property situation and council tax I pay so not to be outing, but my SIL lives in Westminster in a one bed 400sqft ex council flat and pays 1450 council tax. I wouldn't call it virtually no council tax for this type of property. Given that pp pays 4k for 4 bed house I'd say Westminster is overcharging.

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https://www.westminster.gov.uk/council-tax/council-tax-bands-and-charges#how-much-council-tax-will-i-pay-for

The highest council tax in Westminster is just over £1k. The highest where I live is five times that and the lowest is £1.6k.

Council Tax bands and charges | Westminster City Council

Find out about bands, current Council Tax charges and additional premiums and published notices about Council Tax.

https://www.westminster.gov.uk/council-tax/council-tax-bands-and-charges#how-much-council-tax-will-i-pay-for

TopPocketFind · 22/06/2026 20:08

Molly499 · 22/06/2026 16:09

Suggested on another thread a few days ago -

Maybe they should take a multi pronged view to make it really fair -

Tax on property based on the number of bedrooms/bathrooms
Tax on number of people living in property with children included.
Tax on the size of the garden.
Credit if you don't use state education but have children.
Credit if you have private health care.

This will stop people in the South being penalised for having an expensive property which is something out of our control, plus we are already at a disadvantage because of this. I have an old 4 bed/ 2 bath house worth almost £2 million so not large at all. We do have a very big garden and outbuildings/sheds so perhaps should pay more for this.

It needs to be equal accross the country and should include 'use' of services.

Why those credits?

NeverDropYourMooncup · 22/06/2026 20:06

nearlylovemyusername · 22/06/2026 20:02

Can you share the link please?

I don't want to share details of my property situation and council tax I pay so not to be outing, but my SIL lives in Westminster in a one bed 400sqft ex council flat and pays 1450 council tax. I wouldn't call it virtually no council tax for this type of property. Given that pp pays 4k for 4 bed house I'd say Westminster is overcharging.

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Go to outer London and you'll find people in newer built social accommodation paying over £4k a year when they don't even own the property and will never earn enough to buy there or anywhere else.

nearlylovemyusername · 22/06/2026 20:02

BIossomtoes · 22/06/2026 18:52

Someone living in Westminster is currently paying virtually no council tax for services that are the envy of the rest of the country.

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Can you share the link please?

I don't want to share details of my property situation and council tax I pay so not to be outing, but my SIL lives in Westminster in a one bed 400sqft ex council flat and pays 1450 council tax. I wouldn't call it virtually no council tax for this type of property. Given that pp pays 4k for 4 bed house I'd say Westminster is overcharging.

maureenponderosa · 22/06/2026 19:46

Didn’t see this thread and started another on Property.

In principle, I’m for the abolition of SDLT. But as I have just paid £30,000 in Stamp Duty a few months ago, the prospect of now paying a stamp duty-replacement tax is pretty galling.

MrsKateColumbo · 22/06/2026 19:40

If it's just to replace council tax it looks like i'll be paying the same regardless as even though my home is very average for the area my house got bumped up the bands at some point before I bought it.

Im actually open to paying more tax if we actually saw more effective policing, roads and schools. As ever im sure it will be squandered whatever is raised....

catspyjamas1 · 22/06/2026 19:36

Not worried. Higher rate tax payer with a small mortgage and house value. Can't wait and it is needed!

catspyjamas1 · 22/06/2026 19:36

Not worried. Higher rate tax payer with a small mortgage and house value. Can't wait and it is needed!

suburburban · 22/06/2026 19:30

I worry as we currently buying a house in SE and paying high SD, I don’t want to be stung again.

GeneralPeter · 22/06/2026 19:22

Land tax is a much better system than SDLT. But yes it will hit London / SE hardest.

Hopefully it will be applied to council and social housing like all other, to help drive more efficient allocation of very valuable and scarce central land.

5128gap · 22/06/2026 19:20

Molly499 · 22/06/2026 18:45

Because children would be counted for the tax as members of the household, maybe at only 50% if under school age.

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Ah, thank you.

Hadit16 · 22/06/2026 19:17

@nearlylovemyusername “North in particular“what are you talking about? Liverpool, Manchester, all the wonderful cities in your country? Stop whining.

Settlersa · 22/06/2026 18:57

So it's nothing to do with garden size then just what your house is worth. I thought ours would be more but the link above says quite a bit less.

BIossomtoes · 22/06/2026 18:52

nearlylovemyusername · 22/06/2026 18:49

London already pays for all your public services - London and SE are the only net contributing areas in the UK, which means they pay in tax more than they receive in services. All other regions, North in particular, receive government funding from the money paid by London and SE. Obviously it's not enough for you.

@Beachbooks , there won't be (or very unlikely) to be a higher tax rate on land value in London or SE, but because the value of land in these areas as so much higher, the tax amounts to be paid will be significantly higher than in the rest of the country.
So @MrsPapillon living in her 4 bed in North will likely pay a fraction of tax payable by someone living in a shitty studio flat in e.g. Wimbledon. But because of redistribution of government funds, as they already do now, that LVT paid by Wimbledon studio resident will go to fund wonderful services to the owner of 4 bed detached house in North.

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Someone living in Westminster is currently paying virtually no council tax for services that are the envy of the rest of the country.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 22/06/2026 18:51

Beachbooks · 22/06/2026 12:37

The only issue with this is that house prices have gone up in my area that someone who bought their house 30+ years ago would be paying far less than someone who bought a flat today!

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Meh, can't get excited about that when it already happens for people in rented accommodation built after x date, where they pay a huge amount of council tax compared to a Victorian villa valued in the 1990s.

Housebashing · 22/06/2026 18:51

Beachbooks · 22/06/2026 12:40

@PinkNBlueBunnies that’s a good point re the leasehold / freehold. I imagine funds would be diverted from the wealthier councils to the not so wealthy ones so would you even see the benefit of the additional tax?!

Wasn’t that what Rishi sudmack was gleefully claiming he done? And wanting a round of applause for it.