Tax for housebuilders

Our tax team works closely with our housebuilder team on all transactions on which the firm is instructed by housebuilders. 

We can provide tax advice on a standalone basis to clients or operate alongside and supporting the residential development team. The team has an in-depth knowledge of corporation tax, VAT, CIS and stamp duty land tax in particular.

We advise on:

• structuring complex housebuilding transactions;
• equalisation structures;
• mitigating the tax problems involved in joint land ownership and collaboration structures, including the use of cross-options and land-pooling trusts to maximise the legitimate tax efficiency of transactions and improve the outcomes for our clients; 
• all the tax aspects of development transaction structuring including site assembly, golden brick, mixed use and joint ventures; 
• the drafting and implementation of policies and procedures for anti-money laundering and anti-tax evasion; and
• the tax treatment of payments and compensation relating to ground rent clauses and cladding remediation.

Tax partner James Gopsill is a recognised expert on VAT on property transactions and stamp duty land tax. For over 10 years, James was the consulting editor for LexisNexis Encyclopaedia of Forms and Precedents for VAT on Property, Stamp Duty Land Tax, Stamp Duty Reserve Tax and Stamp Duty and has contributed to the corporation tax, VAT and SDLT commentary for the encyclopaedia’s volumes on the sale and development of commercial land.