While the Stamp Duty ( SDLT ) holiday has finished at the end of September there is still tax relief available for first-time buyers. The first-time buyer with no other property anywhere else in the world or interest in property anywhere else in the world...

Franchisees – acquiring a franchise business and some key considerations If you are looking to start a business, rather than starting a new business from scratch it may be best for you to buy into an established franchise business.  In this...

Franchisors - franchising your business and some key considerations Franchising is a way of expanding your business with the assistance of other third parties (known as ‘Franchisees’) who pay you for the right to operate the business under your...

Stamp duty rates are due to return to the levels which were in place prior to 8th July, 2020 as from the 1st October 2021.   We advise all our clients purchasing residential property in England and Wales to budget for paying Stamp Duty Land Tax...

A company share buyback is when the company itself purchases the shares of a shareholder, as opposed to a third party purchaser, and the shares are cancelled. In this article we will be concentrating on share buybacks carried out by private limited...

The amount of stamp duty tax you’ll need to pay depends on many factors, including how much you pay for the property, the location of the property, whether you have a UK passport, when you buy and whether you’re a first-time buyer. It also...

Stamp Duty Holiday Is Ending The stamp duty holiday was introduced in July 2020 just as the country was coming out of its first coronavirus lockdown to encourage people to purchase homes. It meant that home buyers could be saving up to £15,000 if they...

95% Mortgages are Back It is no secret that first time buyers are struggling to get onto the property ladder especially with the current booming house market and the current average UK house price being around £235,000. The average deposit for...

In December 2020, we predicted what might happen after the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (Furlough Scheme) ended on 30 April 2021. At the time, the most likely scenarios seemed that the government would introduce a new (highly controversial) scheme...

What is a Property Survey? A property survey is a detailed inspection of a property’s condition. They are a good way to avoid unexpected repair costs further down the line. Getting a survey for a property will give you an idea of just how much you...

On 3 March 2021, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a raft of plans and policies to support people and businesses through (what are hopefully) the final stages of the Covid-19 pandemic.  As well as an extension to the Stamp Duty holiday and extended...

Before proceeding with a business or share purchase, it is important that a buyer gathers as much information about the target business or company as possible to understand what it is taking on, as when a buyer acquires a business or the shares of a company...

The temporary Stamp Duty holiday, first announced by the Government on 8 July 2020, means that if you are buying a home to the value of £500,000 you will not pay any Stamp Duty. You now have until 30 June to complete on a purchase to make the Stamp...

Leasehold Reform 2021 – announcement from Robert Jenner 7 January 2021 We set out below some comments and observations on the current proposals in order to put them into context and which we hope will be useful.  Please note the announcement,...

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (the Furlough Scheme) is due to end on at the end of April 2021, just four short months from now. But what will come next? As the Covid-19 pandemic continues, the Government will be under pressure to provide further...

If you are intending to sell or purchase a business, one of the first matters to decide upon and agree with the other side is whether the transaction should be a share sale/purchase or an asset sale/purchase transaction. To assist in deciding which type of...

Starting a business is always a risk, but doing so when in the midst of a global pandemic is particularly challenging. However, with the way we live and work having rapidly changed, many people are embracing the opportunity to start working for themselves. ...

Introduction to the 2021 to 2023 Help to Buy Scheme As of the 1st April 2021 the current Help to Buy equity loan scheme will be restricted to first-time buyers and regional property value price caps will be introduced. You can apply for the new scheme from...

Cross Option Agreements and Shareholders’ Agreements – Now more important than ever As ‘Lockdown 2.0’ begins, it is now even more important than ever for business owners and shareholders in jointly owned businesses to consider what...

Call for urgent action ahead of stamp duty holiday deadline  The Law Society, while recognising the stamp duty land tax (SDLT) holiday as an important support and stimulus for the residential conveyancing market during the coronavirus (COVID-19)...

The recent case of Pullman Foods Ltd v The Welsh Ministers and another [2020] EWHC 2521 (TCC) (23 September 2020) ( HHJ Keyser QC) plays an important reminder to all potential tenants of commercial property to understand and review their repairing...

The Importance of Heads of Terms in a Business or Share Acquisition/Sale The Heads of Terms is the document used at the start of a commercial transaction to set out the main terms of the agreement between the parties before due diligence is carried out and...

Following Companies House’s decision in April this year to temporarily pause voluntary strike off applications in response to coronavirus (COVID-19), Companies House have confirmed it will resume processing such applications from 10th September 2020. ...

Some recent changes to planning legislation that have been designed to boost development have been implemented. Do I need planning permission for change of use? Before negotiating a lease or buying a property, it is vital for owners and tenants to consult on...

Wills witnessed over video link software such as Zoom and FaceTime will be made legal, the Government has announced. This will be welcome news to many people who have been isolating due to the Coronavirus/Covid-19 pandemic. The law states that a Will must...