The Chairman of The Society of Licensed Conveyancers has slammed the Government's proposal to require conveyancers who submit Stamp Duty returns, to register as tax advisers.
10th Feb 20261 615 2 minutes read The Negotiator
The Society of Licensed Conveyancers (SLC) is railing against the Government’s decision to require conveyancers who submit Stamp Duty returns to register as tax advisers.
During the recent committee stage of the Finance Bill, the Government confirmed it intends to proceed with the proposal, despite widespread opposition across the legal and conveyancing sectors.
The SLC warns that the proposal will cause consumer confusion, market disruption and unnecessary duplication of regulation.
Letter to ChancellorThe SLC has written directly to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to urge the Government to reconsider the proposal and to exclude Licensed Conveyancers from its scope.
The Society made clear that Licensed Conveyancers are not tax advisers, are not authorised to give tax advice, and act solely as agents.”
In its correspondence, the Society made clear that Licensed Conveyancers are not tax advisers, are not authorised to give tax advice, and act solely as agents when submitting SDLT returns as part of the conveyancing process.
The SLC says the proposal would include Licensed Conveyancers, despite the fact that they are specialist property lawyers regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) and already subject to a robust and comprehensive regulatory regime.
Conveyancers are not tax advisersCommenting on the proposal, Simon Law (pictured), Chairperson of the Society of Licensed Conveyancers, said, “Licensed Conveyancers are not tax advisers and are not permitted to provide tax advice. Requiring them to register as tax advisers simply because they submit SDLT returns on behalf of clients is misleading, unnecessary, and fundamentally misunderstands their role.”
Simon Law adds, “We have made our concerns clear to the Chancellor. This proposal risks confusing consumers about the role of conveyancers and undermines the clarity of the existing regulatory framework. Licensed Conveyancers are already tightly regulated by the CLC, and there is no justification for duplicating regulation where no problem has been identified.”
The new requirement is scheduled to take effect on 1 May 2026, with official guidance yet to be published.
With so little time to prepare and no guidance available, this policy creates real uncertainty.”
“With so little time to prepare and no guidance available, this policy creates real uncertainty for conveyancers and their clients,” Simon Law says. “Any disruption to the conveyancing process ultimately affects home buyers and sellers.”
No evidence of non-complianceThe SLC also highlights that there is no evidence of systemic non-compliance with SDLT obligations by Licensed Conveyancers that would justify the additional regulatory burden.
“If the Government’s objective is to improve tax compliance, this proposal misses the mark,” Simon Law concluded. “We strongly urge HM Treasury to reconsider this approach and to exclude Licensed Conveyancers from the tax adviser registration requirement before it causes unnecessary confusion and disruption.”
TagsAngela Rayner Stamp Duty Society of Licensed Conveyancers stamp duty 10th Feb 20261 615 2 minutes read The Negotiator Share Facebook X LinkedIn Share via Email