Land Transaction Tax statistics: May 2021

Our monthly releases are published as data tables on this page and datasets on the StatsWales website.

They include monthly updates on the number of:

• reported notifiable transactions and tax due
• reported notifiable transactions by type
• transactions and tax due by tax band
• refunds for higher rates residential transactions

Please note:

• monthly statistics are data-only updates with no commentary
• quarterly statistics include the latest statistical commentary
• annual statistics present a greater level of detail, including analysis within Wales and analysis using the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation

Monthly, quarterly and annual statistics can be found on the Land Transaction Tax series page.

LTT rate change and impact of coronavirus (COVID-19)

The data in this release should be considered in the context of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This had a significant impact on the number of property transactions and tax due during different parts of 2020-21, with a significant fall at the start of the year partly offset by marked rises later in the year. It should therefore be borne in mind when viewing changes between all time periods included here, and any equivalent figures a year earlier.

The national lockdown imposed on 23 March 2020 resulted in the housing market being mainly closed until it was partially re-opened on 22 June. At that point, house viewings could take place in vacant properties along with house moves where a sale had been agreed but not yet completed. The market was then more fully opened on 27 July to coincide with a change in LTT rates on that date effective until 30 June 2021. Although there were some further local lockdowns imposed during the period reported in this release (end December 2020), these appear to have had only a minor impact on transaction counts and the recovery referred to above. There were further changes to LTT rates effective from 22 December 2020.

In our quarterly release for January to March 2021, we presented the weekly number of transactions submitted to the Welsh Revenue Authority. On this page, we have updated the chart presented in that release (up to the week beginning 8 May). Please see the quarterly release for January to March 2021 for commentary on and explanation of this chart.