1618 GMT - The U.K. government's increase on stamp duty on additional home purchases could see a rush of buyers either bringing their plans forward or trying to get their deal done before charges go up on April 1, says Tim Bannister, Rightmove's property expert. The duty will increase by 2 percentage points to 5%, the government said Wednesday. The move aims to raise revenue to help people buying their first homes. "It's still early days for the government and it's encouraging to hear its wider commitments to housebuilding, but we are hoping for more support for first-time buyers," Bannister writes. Shares in Taylor Wimpey and Barratt Developments are up 0.4% and 0.2% respectively, while shares in Bellway are down 0.5%. Persimmon's shares are flat. (cristina.gallardo@wsj.com)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
October 30, 2024 12:18 ET (16:18 GMT)
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