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A homeowner who paid more than £50,000 in stamp duty after moving in March 2026 received a letter offering help to claim a refund for contents included in the purchase. The underlying tax rule is real, but HMRC says claims need evidence that the contents were separately negotiated, and tax experts warn that inflated or unsupported claims can lead to repayment, interest and penalties.
A homeowner who paid more than £50,000 in stamp duty after moving house in March 2026 has received an unsolicited letter offering help to reclaim tax on contents included in the purchase. The tax rule behind the offer is genuine, but HMRC warns homeowners to be cautious: a refund claim needs evidence that qualifying items were separately negotiated and priced as part of the original transaction.
The letter, addressed with the phrase “property tax adjustment – important information enclosed,” promoted a website called sdlttax.com. It said many buyers pay too much stamp duty because the tax applies to land and buildings, not contents. The firm claimed its customers typically receive refunds within six weeks, that its average refund is worth thousands of pounds, and that it had secured thousands of refunds worth tens of millions since 2020. Those figures are claims made in the letter; the report does not independently verify them.
The homeowner said the seller had left carpets, blinds, curtains and light fittings, as well as a freestanding cooker said to cost about £4,500 new and a washing machine and tumble dryer estimated at about £1,500 to replace. The letter said an inspector could visit for a 45-minute survey and gave March 2027 as a deadline to establish whether the buyer had overpaid. The homeowner also received a similar letter from a different firm. The first letter identified its sender as MJS Tax Advisory Limited, trading as SDLT Tax, and said no fee was due if no refund was obtained, but did not specify the fee payable after a successful claim.
HMRC’s guidance says certain movable contents, or chattels, can be excluded from the amount on which stamp duty land tax (SDLT) is charged. But the buyer needs evidence from the conveyancing process that a genuine amount of the price was attributed to those items through a separate negotiation—for example, items listed and priced in the sale contract. Having contents in the property at completion is not, on its own, enough. HMRC says buyers may amend a return within 12 months of its filing deadline or make an overpayment relief claim within four years, subject to the relevant rules.
Evidence Can Make or Break a Claim
The distinction between movable contents and the property itself can affect the taxable purchase price, but the potential refund is not simply based on adding up what the items would cost to buy new. Tax expert Dan Neidle of Tax Policy Associates said values should reflect realistic secondhand prices, including age and condition. A costly new cooker, for instance, does not establish the current value of a used item or prove that any part of the purchase price was separately paid for it.
The financial exposure can extend beyond losing a fee. Neidle warned that HMRC may investigate a claim after a refund has been paid. If it finds the claim was not justified, the buyer could have to repay the full refund, with interest and potentially penalties, even if a claims firm has already kept its fee. Neidle said firms commonly charge 20% or more of a refund, though the terms of the firm in this case were not stated in the letter described.
That leaves homeowners weighing a possible tax recovery against the quality of their paperwork and the terms of any service. HMRC says it is relatively straightforward to make a claim directly online, meaning a paid intermediary is not necessarily required. But the available account does not establish whether this homeowner has a valid claim or what amount, if any, could be recovered.
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What HMRC Counts as Contents
SDLT generally applies to the purchase of land and buildings. HMRC’s guidance says qualifying movable items such as carpets, curtains, blinds, light shades, freestanding furniture and non-integrated white goods may be treated as chattels rather than part of the taxable property price. The key issue is not merely whether those items were present, but whether the sale price properly allocated a real amount to them.
HMRC says items normally not regarded as chattels include fitted kitchen units, cupboards, sinks, wall-mounted ovens, fitted bathroom sanitary ware, central heating systems and intruder alarm systems. The guidance also distinguishes freestanding appliances from integrated ones. A buyer seeking relief needs to support the claim with contemporaneous transaction evidence, such as an itemised contract reflecting a separate negotiation.
The homeowner’s letter also said SDLT Tax was regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and operated on a no-refund, no-fee basis. The report described those statements as claims in the letter; it did not establish the firm’s regulatory status or disclose its successful-claim fee. The homeowner’s concern followed a large tax bill and a message that appeared to identify the purchase date, but the source material does not explain how the firm obtained that information.
“Homeowners should be cautious when receiving letters from firms promising stamp duty land tax refunds.”
— HMRC, as quoted in the report
The Buyer’s Evidence Is Unknown
It is not clear whether the homeowner’s sale contract, conveyancing file or other documents show that any part of the agreed price was separately attributed to the carpets, curtains, appliances or other contents. Without that evidence, the reported list of items does not establish entitlement to relief. Nor does the account provide an independent valuation of the items in their used condition.
The precise fee and contractual terms offered by MJS Tax Advisory Limited were not given. The homeowner’s account says the letter disclosed no fee for a successful claim, and the report says HMRC and the company’s director, Michael Brownsdon, were approached for comment; the supplied material does not include their responses. It also does not establish whether the firm’s claims about refund totals, turnaround times, inspection arrangements or regulation have been independently checked.
There is no confirmation that the homeowner has submitted a claim, received a refund or been contacted by HMRC about one. The March 2027 date was stated by the firm in its letter; the account does not explain how that date relates to the statutory claim deadlines or whether it applies to this buyer’s circumstances.
Check the Contract Before Acting
The next practical step for a homeowner considering a claim is to review the original sale contract and conveyancing records for an itemised, separately negotiated price for qualifying contents. Any proposed values should reflect the items’ secondhand condition and age, rather than their original or replacement cost. Buyers should also read an intermediary’s terms carefully, including the fee, what support it provides if HMRC challenges a claim, and whether it offers any help recovering its fee.
HMRC’s guidance allows qualifying buyers to amend a return within 12 months of the filing deadline or use an overpayment relief claim within four years, subject to the applicable conditions. The homeowner can check whether either route remains available for their transaction and make a claim directly if the evidence supports it. The report did not state whether HMRC or the firm later responded, or whether the homeowner decided to proceed.
Until the documents and terms have been checked, the letter’s promised refund should be treated as an offer, not confirmation that tax was overpaid. Any claim may be reviewed by HMRC, and the outcome depends on the facts and evidence for the individual purchase.
Key Questions
Can buyers claim stamp duty back for contents included with a home?
Sometimes. HMRC guidance says qualifying movable contents may be excluded from the SDLT calculation where a genuine part of the sale price was attributed to them. Buyers need evidence of that separate negotiation, such as an itemised sale contract; the mere presence of contents is not enough.
Do carpets, curtains and appliances qualify?
HMRC lists items such as carpets, curtains, blinds, freestanding furniture and non-integrated white goods as examples of chattels. Integrated or fixed items may be treated differently. Eligibility depends on the item and the transaction evidence.
Can a buyer use the items’ new replacement prices?
Tax expert Dan Neidle said valuations should reflect realistic secondhand values, taking account of age and condition. A new purchase price or replacement cost does not by itself show the value of used contents in a home sale.
What could happen if HMRC challenges a refund?
Neidle warned that a buyer may have to repay the full refund, plus interest and potentially penalties, if HMRC finds the claim was not justified. The fee already paid to a claims firm may not be recoverable; the outcome depends on the firm’s contract and circumstances.
How long does a buyer have to claim?
HMRC’s guidance, as described in the report, says a buyer may amend a return within 12 months of its filing deadline or make an overpayment relief claim within four years. Deadlines and eligibility should be checked against the buyer’s own transaction; the letter’s March 2027 date is not, by itself, confirmation of a claim deadline.
Source: thisismoney.co.uk
