Pressure grows for property tax reform
Thursday 27th August, 2026
Labour figures and think tanks are urging Andy Burnham to replace council tax and stamp duty with an annual proportional property tax in the UK.
This gives Rightmove a natural chance to comment on how proposed tax changes could affect buyers, sellers and housing demand across the UK.
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Why have we flagged this?
Proposals to replace council tax and stamp duty with a proportional property tax could materially affect buying, selling and renting decisions, giving you an opportunity to share market data on regional prices and demand.
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Thinking...
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Expert comment
Call for annual property costs beside asking prices
Argue that any move to proportional property taxation should make yearly property costs as visible as the purchase price.
Expert comment angle: Offer Rightmove’s property-market spokesperson to consumer finance and housing journalists, with the specific view that buyers need one comparable annual-cost figure covering tax, energy and insurance.
Why: It turns an abstract tax debate into a practical change that would directly affect every homebuyer.
Newsjack
Launch a postcode property-tax calculator
Create a simple tool showing how a proposed annual property tax could change a household’s costs by location and property value.
Newsjack angle: Build the calculator using Rightmove asking-price data and clearly labelled scenarios, then offer it exclusively to BBC consumer, MoneySavingExpert and national finance desks.
Why: A visual, personalised tool would make a complicated policy proposal immediately understandable and highly shareable.
Data idea
Map listed homes by proposed property-tax bands
Show the percentage of current Rightmove listings falling into different property-value bands across major UK towns and cities.
Data to investigate: Analyse your property listing data as one source to calculate the share of homes listed in each value band by location.
Why: It gives journalists a concrete map of where a proportional property tax could have the greatest relevance, without pretending to predict individual bills.