First-time buyers could face six month stamp duty saving wipe out

There's nothing I like more than a massive drop of data to wade through - so HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) delighted me with a New Year treat last week when it dumped a huge spreadsheet on tax reliefs online. These figures cover the costs of all the tax reliefs the government provides, from the obvious (pension tax relief) to the downright obscure (insurance premium tax relief for spacecraft). Among this data is usually some little gems that highlight how spending, saving or income habits are changing. And one that struck me was on first-time buyers. The government provides tax relief on t...