There was no change to either the rates or bands of land and building transaction tax in the Scottish Budget but the additional dwelling supplement – the tax charge on second homes – has risen from 4% to 6%.
Additionally, there will be no limit on the council tax increases that local authorities can implement next year.
While benefits will increase by 10.1% in line with UK Government plans.
Helen Morrissey, senior pensions and retirement analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: “It was a day of high drama with the Scottish Budget postponed for thirty minutes while questions were asked about potential briefings to media.
“However, there was no such dramas for many would-be house movers, with no changes announced to either the rates or bands for land and building transaction tax.
“However, those looking to buy a second property or buy-to-let are not so lucky, with the additional dwelling supplement increasing from 4% to 6% from tomorrow. It’s an extra cost that could add thousands of pounds to a property purchase and, in these current tough times, it could be enough to put people off taking the plunge.
“Another potential concern for people with squeezed budgets was the announcement there would be no limit on council tax increases from next year. After being frozen for several years, this potentially paves the way for big increases which will batter people’s pockets further.”
