While the main talking point of the Budget will remain the NHS, the latest Budget will do little to endear him to first-time buyers as he has left the upper limit to which zero stamp duty applies at £60,000. Stamp duty was largely ignored despite rumours that it might be increased to around £250,000, with some hoping for a tiered system
And although Brown mentioned that he would abolish stamp duty avoidance he did not explain how this would be done.
Inheritance tax was another issue that has caused consternation as Brown only increased the nil rate band from £242,000 to £250,000. Many people in the industry wanted to see this substantially higher to factor in higher property prices
