Which one of you has upset George Osbourne then? The chancellor announced in his autumn statement that a new stamp duty surcharge of 3% (minimum) would be introduced for anyone purchasing an additional residential property from the 1 April 2016. Whilst full guidance on the new rules is not expected until the end of March, the government did issue a consultation document on the 28 December 2015 which offers so guidance as to how the new stamp duty rates will be applied:

Property Value  // Basic SDLT // SDLT Rate on additional properties               

£0-125,000 // 0% // 3%

Over £125,000 to £250,000 // 2% // 5%

Over £250,000 to £925,000 // 5% // 8%

Over £925,000 to £1.5m // 10% // 13%

Over £1.5 million // 12% // 15%

Please note that this additional tax will also apply if you buy a home for yourself without selling your existing home within 18 months. It is expected, however, that you will be able to appeal this.