Should we keep my girlfriend's flat as an 投資? We're worried about high 税金 法案s

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I'm worried about the 政府's 計画（する）s to 二塁打 会議 税金 on second homes. My girlfriend and I both 分かれて own a one-bed flat each.

We are ready to take the next step in our 関係 and move in together and use my flat as our main home. Rather than sell her flat, we would like to keep it as an 投資 and let it out.

ーするために switch it to a buy-to-let mortgage I need to put in an extra £10,000 and the 計画（する） is to make it a 共同の mortgage.

From left to 権利: Henry Lowe, partner at accountants Mercer & 穴を開ける, Jessica Cowell, 長，率いる of lettings at Hamptons in Putney, Alan Knightly, 上級の 長，率いる of lettings at Hamptons City 支店

But this will mean I have two mortgages and essentially two homes. Will this then make us liable for 二塁打 会議 t ax?

I'm also 利益／興味d in understanding whether keeping the 所有物／資産／財産 as a 賃貸しの would be a good 投資 and what the 可能性のある 税金 関わりあい／含蓄s are?

Ed Magnus of This is Money replies: It is true that second homeowners could see their 会議 税金 二塁打 from April 2025.?

However, this will be 目的（とする）d at those who leave their homes empty for long periods of time. It shouldn't 適用する to you and your girlfriend who ーするつもりである to let the 所有物／資産／財産 out.?

会議s will soon have the ability to 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 an 'empty homes 賞与金' if a home is left empty for 12 months or more.

Earlier this month, The Department for Levelling Up, 住宅 and Communities 発表するd?it would 許す 会議s to 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 二塁打 会議 税金 on 所有物／資産／財産s after 12 months of 存在 empty.?

This is 負かす／撃墜する from a two-year grace period that was 輪郭（を描く）d the Levelling Up and Regeneration 行為／法令／行動する, which was made 法律 in October 2023.

However, each 会議 must wait at least a year before bringing the extra 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金s in, so the earliest the new 支配するs will happen is April 2025.

How much you 支払う／賃金 will depend on how long the 所有物／資産／財産 is left empty.?

For example, you could be 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金d three times your normal 会議 税金 法案 if your home has been empty for five years or more.?

The 会議 will consider the home empty unless you furnish it and 占領する it for more than six weeks in a 列／漕ぐ／騒動, によれば the HomeOwners 同盟.

The 支配するs are different in Scotland and むちの跡s, so check with your 会議 to see what's happening in your area.?

Buy-to-let has been 攻撃する，衝突する by a 一連の 税金 （警察の）手入れ，急襲s in 最近の years, but 所有物／資産／財産 投資するing still remains popular with those who like the familiarity of bricks and 迫撃砲.?

Perhaps one of the most painful of 最近の 税金 changes to 攻撃する，衝突する landlords is the loss of mortgage 利益／興味 救済.?

以前, a landlord with mortgage 利益／興味 支払い（額）s could take off that entire cost before calculating their 税金 法案 on the remaining 利益（をあげる）. This meant they got 救済 at their highest 税金 率.

Now, the mortgage 利益／興味 is not fully deductable before 支払う／賃金ing 税金, albeit you'll get 税金d at 20 per cent on the slice of your rent equal to your mortgage 利益／興味 costs.

You'll also have to factor in letting スパイ／執行官 costs, if you decide to use one, 維持／整備 costs and さまざまな regulatory 料金s, 含むing gas and 電気の safety checks.?

The 所有物／資産／財産 also needs to have a 最小限 Energy 業績／成果 証明書 率ing of E ーするために be let.

However, if you're a comfortable with all the 税金 and regulatory 必要物／必要条件s, 歴史的に 所有物／資産／財産 has risen in value over the long 称する，呼ぶ／期間／用語 - of course in some 場所s it 成し遂げるs better than others.

If you live in an area where people want to live and work and whic h is の近くに to decent 輸送（する） links, then the chances are you'll attract tenants.

Rents also tend to rise over time. In fact, Zoopla 報告（する）／憶測d earlier this month that 普通の／平均（する） UK rents have risen by 29 per cent since just before the start of the pandemic.

On the up: The 普通の／平均（する） rent in Britain was £948 a month in January 2020? and is now £1,223?

For 専門家 advice we spoke to?Henry Lowe, partner at accountants Mercer & 穴を開ける, Alan Knightly, 上級の 長，率いる of lettings at Hamptons City 支店 and Jessica Cowell, 長，率いる of lettings at Hamptons in Putney.

Will they be liable to 支払う／賃金 extra counc il 税金?

Jessica Cowell:?ーに関して／ーの点でs of 会議 税金, if they're letting their 所有物／資産／財産 to a long-称する，呼ぶ／期間／用語 tenant then the renter 支払う／賃金s the 会議 税金 themselves.?

They just have to 支払う／賃金 会議 税金 on their main 住居. Although, if the buy-to-let is empty (i.e. between tenancies), then they'll be liable.?

Henry Lowe 追加するs:?Your 賃貸しの 協定 should 始める，決める out who 支払う／賃金s 会議 税金.?

Typically, it's the tenant, but some tenants are 免除された, for example 十分な time students. Check with your 地元の 当局 first before deciding who to rent it to.

Is buy-to-let a good 投資??

Alan Knightly replies:?With rents 一般に at all time highs over the last 12-24 months, landlords have been 得るing good incomes from their 賃貸しの 投資s.

However this has been 相殺する somewhat by two 重要な factors ? 多重の 利益／興味 rises since 2022, 影響する／感情ing 月毎の 去っていく／社交的なs, and high インフレーション having a 示すd 影響 on 重要な landlord costs - すなわち by higher 維持／整備 costs and service 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金s.

The good news is that インフレーション is quickly 落ちるing and as such the 期待 from the 財政上の markets is that the Bank of England will follow 控訴 in lowering 利益／興味 率s two or three times by the end of 2024.?

In 新規加入, we 推定する／予想する rents to 持続する their 現在の high levels, meaning that landlords should 推定する／予想する to see more return from their 投資 in the 近づく 未来.?

賃貸しの 圧力s: Alan Knightly of Hamptons says he 推定する／予想するs rents to stay high

Jessica Cowell 追加するs: Although it depends わずかに on the area,?keeping 持つ／拘留する of 所有物／資産／財産 is 一般に a good idea as you 明白に hope for 資本／首都 評価 over time.?

Renting out the 所有物／資産／財産 can also 許す the tenant to help 支払う／賃金 負かす／撃墜する the mortgage, turning a 可能性のある sunk cost into an income-生成するing 資産.

While quick returns shouldn't be 推定する／予想するd, buy-to-let 投資s 一般に 要求する a long-称する，呼ぶ／期間／用語 horizon for 安定した and 相当な returns across the UK.

にもかかわらず high 現在の 利益／興味 率s, rents in Britain have recently seen the highest 増加する in a １０年間.?

This 傾向 最高潮の場面s strong 賃貸しの 需要・要求する and the 可能性のある for 強健な 賃貸しの 産する／生じるs, offsetting higher borrowing costs.

To those who wait:?Jessica Cowell of Hamptons says buy-to-lets 要求する patience to 支払う／賃金 off

What are the 税金 関わりあい／含蓄s??

Henry Lowe replies: On the wider 税金 関わりあい／含蓄s, when you rent out a 所有物／資産／財産 you will have to 支払う／賃金 所得税 on the 賃貸しの 利益（をあげる） after 確かな expenses, which 含む letting スパイ／執行官 料金s, 修理s and 維持／整備.?

There is a flat 率 所有物／資産／財産 allowance of £1,000 per year that might be easier to （人命などを）奪う，主張する if your expenses are いっそう少なく than or around about this 人物／姿／数字.

You will need to 服従させる／提出する 税金 returns to 支払う／賃金 the 税金. A 税金 削減 can be （人命などを）奪う，主張するd for the mortgage costs but only on 20 per cent of the 利益／興味, so this should be factored into your choice of mortgage.

To 得る a 共同の mortgage both of you may need to own part of your girlfriend's flat.?

Depending on which of you is the higher earner you need to think about how you 株 the 所有権, as the 分裂（する） of taxable income will be in 割合 with your 有益な 所有権.

A 行為 can be used to 移転 a 百分率 of the flat 所有権 to you. Even if no money changes 手渡すs, the 移転 will be 扱う／治療するd as a 処分 for 資本／首都 伸び（る）s 税金 (CGT) at the flat's market value.?

税金ing 需要・要求するs:?Henry Lowe of Mercer & 穴を開ける says landlords must stay on HMRC's good 味方する

The good news is that, assuming this has been her main 住居, then no CGT should be 予定.?

You may still be liable for Stamp 義務 Land 税金 (SDLT) if you take on part of your girlfriend's mortgage.

If your girlfriend decided it would be better to 移転 所有権 of the 賃貸しの 所有物／資産／財産 to a 限られた／立憲的な company, which might be 有益な if a more 相当な 未来 lettings 商売／仕事 is 想像するd, CGT would 普通は be a cost.?

Again, in this instance, as it has been her main 住居, she shouldn't have to 支払う／賃金 it, but there may be SDLT to 支払う／賃金 by the company.?

The mortgage would need to be held in the 指名する of the company and not your girlfriend.

When thinking about the 未来 sale of 所有物／資産／財産 that hasn't been your main 住居, 公式文書，認める that from 6 April 2024, the 率 of CGT 落ちるs from 28 per cent to 24 per cent for higher 率 earners.