Stamp duty reform slammed

The government has been slammed over its controversial stamp duty reforms.

The Conservative Party has condemned the government for failing to provide enough time in Parliament to discuss the new reforms.

The government plans to implement a new stamp duty regime at the beginning of December through the Finance Bill.

The change will see licensees charged duty based on the length of the lease rather than one year's average rent. It is feared that this could put the cost of a lease up by tens of thousands of pounds. The government has granted the industry a reprieve with leases worth less than £150,000 being exempt.

It could also have an effect on the major tenanted pub companies which would be forced to increase the price of their leases to cover the extra charge.

But the government has been criticised for limiting the amount of time MPs could discuss the new Finance Bill and it has run out of time to discuss the new stamp duty proposal.

Conservative shadow financial secretary Mark Prisk, quoted in the magazine Property Week, said: "This new property transfer tax is incomplete, unconsidered and represents not a modernisation of stamp duty but a New Labour stealth tax.

"The government programmed the debate so it could pass a new tax through the House without proper scrutiny.

"This is another episode in a saga of mistakes made in the government's ill-considered attempt to modernise stamp duty."

But Mark Hastings, spokesman for the British Beer & Pub Association, believes there is still time for the industry to get its voice heard.

He told thePublican.com: "The system proposed is open to further consultation and the process is underway."

"The government is taking views from those who are affected by the news.

"There is still plenty of time for the government to listen to the views of our sector."