Simon Gerrard, chair of Martyn Gerrard estate agents, said: “These upcoming stamp duty changes will disproportionately affect first-time buyers in London, where housing is much more expensive, with 97 per cent of sales set to pay stamp duty from April.
He added: “It’s positive that most first-time buyers will still pay no stamp duty from April, but these changes hit those buying over £300,000 in southern England the most, where buying costs are already high.
Existing homeowners aren't immune either, with the proportion liable for stamp duty predicted to jump from 49 per cent to a staggering 83 per cent.
Currently, 21 per cent of first-time buyers pay the tax, but Zoopla estimates this will surge to 42 per cent after the upcoming changes.
The proportion of first-time buyers in England and Northern Ireland who will need to pay stamp duty will double from April, according to analysis by a property website.
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