Stamp duty, a tax on house and land purchases, is becoming more lucrative for the government as house prices boom. Figures released on September 30th show that residential stamp duty receipts rose by 32% in 2013-14. The bonanza is focused on the south-east; central London in particular is coughing up more and more for the Treasury. Just one London borough—Kensington and Chelsea, home of bankers and oligarchs—now accounts for 6.9% of all receipts. That is more than all of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland combined.
Britain | Stamp duty
London weighting
Stamp duty receipts are booming. But they are heavily concentrated
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline "London weighting"
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