New UK PM Burnham to shake-up stamp duty. Would the alternatives work for Australia?

A suggested property tax shake up in the UK would see stamp duty abolished in favour of an alternative form of property tax, raising eyebrows as to whether Australia’s eight different jurisdictions could ever pull off something similar.The actual relevance of the tax – as controversial in the UK as it is in Australia – has been a particular topic of interest in recent years for new prime minister, Andy Burnham.New United Kingdom prime minister, Andy Burnham has hit the ground running with his property reform agenda. Picture: GettyMr Burnham launched a campaign to return to parliament earlier this year while in his previous role as mayor of England’s third largest county, Manchester. Changing how property and land are taxed was central in this – replacing stamp duty with a land value tax based on the value rather than the buildings on it.Since Mr Burnham’s successful ascension to the top job in the Labour Party this week, property owners and taxpayers across the UK have been waiting to hear how the new prime minister will tackle his nation’s severe housing and cost of living issues.Mr Burnham was appointed unchallenged to the role after former PM Keir Starmer bowed to pressure to st...