Sir, - As the Minister for Finance prepares his Budget, surely it is now time for him to abolish, or at least lower substantially, the punitive rates of stamp duty on the purchase of second-hand homes. There can be no justification for this duty.
It represents a tax on "movement" from one place of residence to another.
It must be paid each time when moving to another second-hand home - in many instances a move not of the homeowner's choosing, but impelled by a change of circumstance.
It mainly affects those who can least afford to pay it - young couples purchasing their first home or trading up for more space as they start a family.
It does not include a "sliding scale" . Hence "ordinary" homes now fall into the net.
It was never index linked - the intention at the outset was that it should apply only to substantial homes.
It must be paid up front and cannot be funded from borrowings.
It restricts choice when buying a home, leaving many people with no option but to purchase a newly built property (the majority of which are distant from workplaces, resulting in greater commuting times and poorer quality of life).
It has a greater effect on those seeking to buy a home in Dublin and larger cities due to the higher property prices in urban areas.
In addition, the current threshold of £150,000 is ridiculous, given that the average second-hand starter home in Dublin and the cities costs well in excess of this.
Go on, Charlie, give home-owners a real "break" this time round! - Yours, etc.,
Clive Groarke, Hillcrest Manor, Dublin 6W.