Autumn Budget 2026 Confirmed for 28 October: What Landlords Should Watch For

Chancellor John Healey has confirmed the Autumn Budget will land on Wednesday 28 October, the earliest Autumn Budget since 2021. For landlords, the useful news isn't really the date itself. It's what's already been ruled out, what's already locked in regardless of anything said on the day, and what's still a genuinely open question.

Here's where things stand a little over two months out.

The Date, and Why the Timing Is Notable

Healey confirmed 28 October in a video statement, saying his first Budget will be built on fiscal discipline, will meet the government's fiscal rules, and aims to give households and businesses more stability to plan around. It's his first Budget since taking over as Chancellor.

The earliest-since-2021 framing matters mainly for one reason: it leaves less time than usual between confirmation and delivery for the pre-Budget speculation cycle to run its course. If you've seen a headline this month claiming a specific tax change is "coming" at the Budget, treat it as informed guesswork rather than settled fact unless it traces back to a government statement.

Already Ruled Out: The Single Property Tax Overhaul

The biggest reassurance for landlords this run is what Prime Minister Andy Burnham has already taken off the table. Weekend press reports suggested the government was reviewing an overhaul of stamp duty and council tax, potentially replacing both with a single tax based on property value. Burnham shut that down directly in his first interview as PM, saying it "won't happen in the next Budget," and confirmed stamp duty itself will not be reformed on 28 October either.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Autumn Budget 2026?

Wednesday 28 October 2026. Chancellor John Healey confirmed the date in a video statement in early August, making it the earliest Autumn Budget since 2021.

Will stamp duty be reformed in this Budget?

No. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has explicitly ruled out reforming stamp duty in this Budget and ruled out replacing stamp duty and council tax with a single proportional property tax at this moment in time, following weekend press reports that such an overhaul was under consideration.

Is the mansion tax happening?

The High Value Council Tax Surcharge, on residential properties valued at £2 million or more in 2026 prices, is confirmed to start in April 2028. It was announced at the 2025 Budget, and a consultation on its design closed in July 2026. It will not appear again as new news in the October Budget, since the policy and its charges are already set, but it is one of the few property tax measures already locked in.

Are the property income tax rises from April 2027 affected by this Budget?

No. The rise to 22%, 42% and 47% property income tax rates from 6 April 2027 was legislated in the Finance Act 2026, which received Royal Assent in March 2026. Nothing in the October Budget can change that without fresh legislation, and there is no indication the government intends to revisit it.

Could Capital Gains Tax or Section 24 change at this Budget?

It is genuinely unknown. CGT rates, Section 24 finance cost relief, and SDLT surcharge levels are all areas commentators are watching, but nothing has been confirmed or ruled out either way. Treat any specific prediction you read before 28 October as speculation, not fact.