Changing duty on commercial leases

James, C.

Changing duty on commercial leases - 2003 - Journal of the Law Society of Scotland 48(7) July 2003, 56-7(2) .

Government has proposed radical changes to the amount of stamp duty paid on leases with effect from 1 December 2003. Examines the changes that the Finance Bill will bring to the payment of stamp duty. The existing regime will be replaced by a one percent charge on the Net Present Value (NPV). The NPV equates to the total rent payable over the term, discounted at a rate of 3.5% per annum to reflect that payments due in the future are worth less than if they were payable instantly. Comments that the NPV is not an easy calculation with a number of variables to take into account. Table comparing the proposed stamp duty with the current one.


STAMP DUTY
FINANCE BILL 2003
NET PRESENT VALUE
COMMERCIAL LEASES
VALUE ADDED TAX