Thousands rush to complete before stamp duty deadline

Movers based in England will likely be trying to beat March’s stamp duty deadline as it draws closer. The 575,000 homes going through a legal completion process represent a large proportion of Rightmove’s prediction of 1.15 million final transactions for the whole of 2025.

Rightmove’s stamp duty report identifies an estimated 74,000 moves, which include 25,000 first-time buyers, that will just miss the March 31st deadline and complete in April instead. Should they complete in April, it will be at a combined cost of £142 million in extra tax.

The hope of an extension is fading, but with the Spring Statement arriving just before the deadline, this would be an opportune moment to announce a short extension to help these movers, who had a reasonable expectation of beating the stamp duty deadline, but due to delays in the process will just miss out.