UK Solicitor - Property Stamp Duty Expert Opinion
Budget: £36 – £0 GBP
I am involved in a Spanish tax matter relating to a residential property in England that I purchased in October 2000. The Spanish tax authority is prepared, in principle, to accept an independent opinion from a UK solicitor on the stamp duty position and on what can be inferred from the Land Registry entry for the property.
The firm of solicitors that acted for me on the purchase in 2000 has since been taken over. The new firm have confirmed that they no longer hold any file or records of the original transaction, so it is not possible simply to obtain copy documentation from the original conveyancers. This is why I am seeking an independent, expert-style opinion instead.
I fully appreciate that you may not have been practising back in 2000. What I am looking for is not personal recollection, but a short written opinion based on:
- the legislation and stamp duty regime in force in October 2000;
- the Land Registry rules and guidance at that time; and
- any authoritative materials on the usual link between payment of stamp duty and completion of registration.
To make things as clear as possible, I have drafted a short note titled “Instructions for Opinion on UK Stamp Duty (October 2000 Transaction)”, which:
- sets out the basic assumptions to be made (e.g. the purchase price, date and Land Registry details); and
- lists the specific questions I would be grateful if you could address.
I’m very happy for you to adjust the scope as you think appropriate. I fully understand that:
- you will reach your own independent view;
- you will draft the opinion entirely in your own words; and
- your role is to explain the relevant UK law and practice, not to advocate for a particular outcome in Spain.
I expect to pay your usual rates for the work involved, including any time required to research historical law/practice. If helpful, I can provide:
- an official copy of the Land Registry title for the property; and
- any other contemporaneous documentation I am able to locate.
If this is something you might be willing to assist with, could you please:
- Let me know in principle if you are able to accept this instruction; and
- Provide a rough estimate of the likely time and cost of preparing such an opinion.
Many thanks in advance for considering this. I appreciate that this is a slightly unusual, historic and cross-border question, and I’m very grateful for any help you can offer.
The firm of solicitors that acted for me on the purchase in 2000 has since been taken over. The new firm have confirmed that they no longer hold any file or records of the original transaction, so it is not possible simply to obtain copy documentation from the original conveyancers. This is why I am seeking an independent, expert-style opinion instead.
I fully appreciate that you may not have been practising back in 2000. What I am looking for is not personal recollection, but a short written opinion based on:
- the legislation and stamp duty regime in force in October 2000;
- the Land Registry rules and guidance at that time; and
- any authoritative materials on the usual link between payment of stamp duty and completion of registration.
To make things as clear as possible, I have drafted a short note titled “Instructions for Opinion on UK Stamp Duty (October 2000 Transaction)”, which:
- sets out the basic assumptions to be made (e.g. the purchase price, date and Land Registry details); and
- lists the specific questions I would be grateful if you could address.
I’m very happy for you to adjust the scope as you think appropriate. I fully understand that:
- you will reach your own independent view;
- you will draft the opinion entirely in your own words; and
- your role is to explain the relevant UK law and practice, not to advocate for a particular outcome in Spain.
I expect to pay your usual rates for the work involved, including any time required to research historical law/practice. If helpful, I can provide:
- an official copy of the Land Registry title for the property; and
- any other contemporaneous documentation I am able to locate.
If this is something you might be willing to assist with, could you please:
- Let me know in principle if you are able to accept this instruction; and
- Provide a rough estimate of the likely time and cost of preparing such an opinion.
Many thanks in advance for considering this. I appreciate that this is a slightly unusual, historic and cross-border question, and I’m very grateful for any help you can offer.