In the Budget the Chancellor revolutionised the pensions market by giving millions of pensioners who had carefully saved for their retirement the freedom to decide for themselves how to spend their pension savings. Now in the Autumn Statement the Chancellor has improved Stamp Duty by taking action that quite frankly should have been taken years ago, Until the Autumn Statement the system meant that the whole purchase price was taxed at a given rate if it exceeded a certain figure by even £1. This system distorted the market meaning people whose property was valued at around a changing point for Stamp Duty would do all they could do stop their property being charged the higher rate of duty. Now Stamp Duty operates like Income Tax with a nil rate band and each higher band being taxed at a set rate. This means that in the North West just 3 people in a thousand will pay more tax and 997 out of a thousand will pay the same or less tax.