Readers forum: Multiple dwellings relief

My husband and wife clients are retiring and downsizing their property. They have just sold their home and already bought a smaller one. They are now considering investing in a buy-to-let to provide a source of income. Currently there is no company in existence to buy any freehold properties for this purpose.

They have seen an ex-office block and that has been converted into eight flats. The freehold is valued at £880 000. There is no headlease and none of the flats are subject to a long lease. As I understand it the transaction would be a relevant transaction for the purposes of stamp duty land tax multiple dwelling relief as it involves the acquisition of more than one dwelling namely a property that contains eight flats.

On this basis the freehold would be treated as if it were an interest in the...