United Kingdom, and particularly London, property has for many years been a popular mode of investment for foreign investors and indeed, at one recent time, it was estimated that some 60% of London residential property was owned by offshore companies. London real estate has also performed well in investment terms.

There are no restrictions on the ownership of real estate in the United Kingdom by non-residents and, other than the matters which influence the choice of the property itself, perhaps the most important factor to be taken into account is the impact of the various forms of taxation which will be encountered. These can be divided into direct and indirect taxes:

Indirect taxes

Stamp duty

Stamp duty is levied on the purchase price at rates, which range from 1% for a property costing