Halifax updates IHT tax grab

Figures published by the lender suggest about 12% of all owner-occupied properties, some 2.1 million, are now valued above the £275,000 threshold. This is up almost three times from the 800,000 properties estimated to be above the then IHT threshold in the third quarter of 2000. As a result, the Treasury is estimated by Halifax to be on target for a £3.4bn tax take from the market in fiscal 2005/6 - up from £1.6bn in 1996/7. The situation is, of course, linked to the rate of house price inflation over the past decade, which has not been met by rising IHT thresholds set by governmen...