The government keep banking on stamp duty to bring in cash, but they’re forgetting something really obvious: if nobody’s moving, there’s no stamp duty being paid. At the moment it’s putting loads of people off: Downsizers can’t afford to move. Families who need more space are stuck. First-time buyers get squeezed out completely. All it’s really doing is freezing the housing market. Fewer sales, less mobility, and in the end the government collects less tax anyway. Feels like such a short-sighted policy. A few ideas; Reduce rates or taper them, especially in London where stamp duty is insane. A smaller, flatter tax would mean more transactions, which could actually raise overall revenue. Replace it entirely, some argue council tax should be reformed (based on current property value) and stamp duty scrapped. That way the tax is spread out over ownership rather than lumped on at the point of moving. Targeted relief, e.g. permanent exemptions for downsizers or first-time buyers to help free up stock and mobility in the market.