Happy New Year to all our Clients!

SDLT First Time Buyers Relief

This relief expires on 24 March 2012. There are no transitional provisions. This means that any transaction with an effective date of 25 March 2012 or later cannot benefit from this relief, irrespective of the date of any contract or agreement.

Any notifications that attempt to claim this relief when the effective date is after 24 March 2010 will be charged with SDLT in the usual way.

SDLT Disadvantaged Areas Relief

The Finance Bill 2012 will contain a provision to repeal this relief for transactions with an effective date on or after 6 April 2013. It will further set a time limit for all relief claims for residential Disadvantaged Areas Relief of 5 April 2014. No claims for this relief will be accepted after this date.

Sending Maps and Plans to VOA

Maps and plans for SDLT notifications can be sent directly to VOA online.

Electronic schedules for leases and underleases that are subsidiary to the interest being transferred can also be sent to the same email address.

All practitioners are encouraged to use this facility whether the return is filed online or by paper.

Emails to VOA

When you send maps or plans you should also include your contact details and the UTRN of the relevant SDLT notification

http://www.easyconvey.com/propertyinformationforms.htm

Photo shows St Peter & St Paul Church, Godalming, Surrey.

Maria's CASA Tips:

We have now been in contact with many of you and arranged site visits. If you have not been visited by us we will be in contact to arrange a visit.

Visits have shown that there are many features in the latest version of CASA that can be of benefit and taking the time to alter your workflows and add in documents could be a valuable time saver when you get really busy.

Please take the time to review the documents folder on the link below and let us know of any documents that you would like to see in CASA. The link to the latest forms is on the bottom of the right side column.

News from the Support Team:

Land Registry Gateway Service now available

As mentioned in the last newsletter the work has now been completed with the Land Registry Gateway service. This will enable you to carry out property searches, Office Copies, bankruptcy searches etc. form within Casa. The results of the searches being stored directly into the matter history. You will need to register with the Land Registry to use the Gateway service and you must also be an existing user of the portal service. Please contact any member of the support team to find out how to apply to use the service.

You will need to install a certificate but the support team will do this once you have applied to join the service and have received the certificate.

News from the Development Team:

The Land Registry have told us that they will be enhancing the Business Gateway service to included applications and transfers. They are aiming to have the work finished by August and we in turn will then be able to start working on integrating this into CASA which we would hope to have available before the end of the year.

We are also now working on an enhancement to the emailing routine in CASA and the client I D Service.

January 2012