Farage has ‘expensive week’ seeking tax advice over partner’s Clacton property

Nigel Farage has said he “paid a lot of money to make sure we have done everything right” regarding the purchase of a home in his constituency.

The Reform UK leader told the BBC he had had a “very expensive week” seeking advice from tax experts as he faced questions over the Clacton property.

Last year, following his election as Clacton’s MP, Mr Farage claimed in a series of interviews that he had bought a house in his constituency.

But it subsequently emerged the property had actually been bought by his partner, Laure Ferrari, leading to accusations from the Labour Party that he had “misled” the public.

Labour chairwoman Anna Turley urged Mr Farage to “urgently come clean with the public as to whether he financially contributed towards the purchase of this property”, and asked whether Ms Ferrari had bought the property so he could “avoid paying his fair share of tax”.

On Friday, Mr Farage denied providing any money for the purchase and insisted the correct amount of tax had been paid.

He said: “The money was legally hers, she bought the house. I don’t have any financial stake in it whatsoever – other than she lets me stay there.”

Mr Farage told reporters he had sought the advice of a King’s Counsel (KC) tax expert about the situation.

“I have paid a lot of money to make sure we have done everything right,” he said.

The MP added that he was “really concerned” that some media reports were “beginning to stray” into “libel territory”.

He added: “I have done everything I can to prove everything I have done has been legal and correct.”

Questions over the home have resurfaced after Angela Rayner resigned last week over underpaying stamp duty on a seaside flat she bought this year.

Had Mr Farage bought the Clacton property himself, he would have been liable to pay a higher rate of stamp duty as he already owns at least one other property.

But Ms Ferrari was not liable to pay the higher rate as she did not own another property.

It would not be illegal for Mr Farage to gift or transfer money to his partner for her to buy a property in her own name and pay the lower rate of stamp duty.

But the MP denies doing this, saying instead that Ms Ferrari was able to purchase the property herself using family wealth.

Mr Farage’s lawyers Grosvenor Law said in a statement they had received written advice from a KC that “concludes that there is no underpayment of SDLT (stamp duty land tax), that SDLT paid was properly calculated and that there is no basis to suggest there has been any improper avoidance or evasion of tax in respect of the purchase”.