Govt tax take climbs as stamp duty and IHT receipts increase
Stamp duty receipts rose to £6.9bn between April and July 2026, up £0.5bn on the same period a year earlier.
Inheritance tax (IHT) receipts also increased, reaching £3.2bn in the first four months of the tax year. That was £0.1bn higher than in the corresponding period in 2025-26.
June 2026 was confirmed as having the highest monthly IHT receipts on record.
The government said IHT receipts are expected to remain elevated in the years ahead. It cited a combination of higher levels of wealth transfers following recent liable deaths, rising asset values, and the continued freeze on tax-free thresholds.
Thresholds will remain at their 2020-21 levels until at least 2030-31, a policy that is expected to bring more estates into the scope of the tax.
The government also said the increase in stamp duty receipts in May 2026 partly reflected weaker transaction levels a year earlier.
£2.5m paid to help broker clients benefit from greener homes
Sponsored by Halifax Intermediaries
It added that property transactions fell in 2025 after buyers brought forward purchases ahead of stamp duty land tax (SDLT) changes introduced in April 2025, creating a lower comparison base for this year’s receipts.
Focus has sharpened on Chancellor Healey’s first Autumn Budget.
Amid a subdued housing market in 2026 so far, calls have been made for stamp duty to be scrapped in an effort to stimulate transactions.
