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Article: STAMP DUTY DELAY WRECKS SALES ; Estate agents attack irresponsible Darling
- Article from:
- The Evening Standard (London, England)
- Article date:
- August 7, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2008 Evening Standard - London. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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HOUSE sales have begun falling through because of Alistair
Darling's hints of a stamp duty "holiday", it was revealed today.
Furious estate agents reported that some buyers have pulled out
at the last minute in the hope that they may escape paying thousands
of pounds in tax by hanging on.
The industry begged the Chancellor to end the damaging
speculation by making an immediate announcement on his plans.
Some agents accused him of ham-fistedly making the stricken
property market worse. One branded him "irresponsible".
But despite fears of bigger falls ahead and the risk of a
recession, the Bank of England this afternoon held base interest
rates at five per cent. It decided that the risks of ...