Moving from UK to Ireland - stamp duty query

M

mja

Guest
Hello everyone (first post!)

My wife and I (and new baby arriving any day now..) are moving to Ireland from the UK, and we're trying to get an idea whether we qualify as first time buyers in respect of paying stamp duty.
I am selling my property in the UK and our new home in Ireland will be our only residence, my wife (who is Irish) has never owned or part-owned a property before. We have no plans to derive any rental income from the purchase.

We've been looking at various properties, but for many, the addition of stamp duty puts them outside our price-range, or else would mean that we would have to make v. low offers that would be unlikely to secure us the home of our dreams!

We have looked at the Citizens Information site - and it seems as though we qualify for stamp-duty exemption in every respect apart from the fact that (only) I have owned a house (abroad) before.

Any advice or pointers gratefully received.
 
You are not a FTB unless you inherited the property in question. Your wife would be a FTB if she bought alone but since you will presumably be buying jointly you are jointly not FTBs for SD purposes (although you should be for owner occupier mortgage interest tax relief purposes). There is lots of talk of the FTB spouse going on the mortgage/property deeds in such situations to avoid SD but I believe that this is usually or always dodgy. Don't forget that all owner occupiers (FTB or not) are exempt from SD on new builds under 125sqm.
 
I think you know the answer yourself!

You are not a first time buyer. If you buy a new house though by virtue of being owner occupiers you would not pay stamp duty.

mf
 
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