Angela Rayner’s admission that she underpaid Stamp Duty Land Tax on her £800,000 flat has made headlines for political reasons. But behind the politics lies a story that every property buyer and every conveyancer should take seriously.

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Most buyers do not understand SDLT. Many assume their conveyancer is responsible for working it out. The reality is that SDLT is a tax calculation, not a legal one. Conveyancers are experts in property law, but they are not tax specialists. Expecting them to spot every nuance in SDLT legislation, from trust interests to replacement of main residence rules, is unrealistic. It places an unfair and unnecessary burden on professionals who already carry enormous workloads.

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This is the real lesson from the Rayner case. Complexity does not carry a label. It hides in ordinary transactions that appear straightforward on the surface. Clients believe they have had advice. Conveyancers believe they have simply completed a return. That space between what the client thinks has been done and what the conveyancer believes they are doing is exactly where mistakes happen. And when they do, it is almost always the conveyancer who ends up carrying the reputational and professional risk.

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We built Compass precisely because of this problem. Every case goes through a structured process that forces the right questions, uncovers the hidden factors, and provides an audit trail backed by indemnity. Trusts, replacement rules, additional dwelling rates, reliefs and exemptions are all flagged automatically. The blind spots that derail cases like this are closed off before a return is filed.

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This is not about blaming lawyers. It is about recognising the limits of their role and giving them the tools to protect themselves and their clients. SDLT should not be left to memory, instinct or client disclosure. Clients cannot disclose what they do not know is relevant. Conveyancers cannot be expected to probe every corner of tax law. A consistent, rigorous process is the only way to be certain that the right outcome is reached every time.

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For buyers the message is simple. Do not assume your conveyancer is calculating your tax. Ask for clarity. Make sure there is a proper SDLT process in place. Peace of mind starts with knowing who is responsible and whether they are using the right system.

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For conveyancers the message is even clearer. SDLT risk is not theoretical. It is real, it is reputational, and it is entirely avoidable. Compass is not a tool for the unusual or the high value transaction. It is a safeguard for every transaction.

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Angela Rayner’s case may dominate the headlines because of politics. But the real wakeup call is for the property industry. SDLT mistakes do not just happen to deputy prime ministers. They happen every day in conveyancing offices up and down the country. The difference is that most of those stories never make the news.

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The time has come for conveyancers to close the gap that has been left open for too long. Buyers deserve certainty. Professionals deserve protection. And the sector deserves better than to be in the headlines only when something goes wrong.

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Video Case Study - Angela Rayner SDLT Calculation

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In this video our MD, Ryan Hannah shows the exact point in the Compass system where this mistake would have been caught, and why it could never have become the national scandal it is today.

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With Compass, the key questions are asked every time. Clients cannot simply forget to disclose trusts or previous ownership. When the right question is answered, Compass automatically calculates the correct tax liability.

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In Angela Rayner’s case, that means the correct £70,000. This is exactly why we built Compass: to protect conveyancers and homebuyers from costly mistakes and reputational risk.

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Contact Lidia Quinlan Email: lquinlan@compass.tech to understand more about our solutions for Property Professionals and start your 2 week free trial, or book a demo.

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