Example Added to SDLT16040: Sale and Leaseback Arrangements Explained

SDLT Sale and Leaseback Relief: Archived HMRC Example Page

This HMRC manual page is only an archive note and does not contain any substantive guidance or example on SDLT sale and leaseback relief. Its sole purpose is to say that the example formerly on this page has been moved to SDLTM16040, so anyone researching the topic should use that replacement page and check the underlying legislation.

  • The archived page does not explain the legal conditions, scope, or operation of sale and leaseback relief.
  • HMRC states that the example previously on this page has been moved to SDLTM16040.
  • The page should not be relied on as current guidance, because it contains no operative material beyond the archive notice.
  • In practice, it is only a signpost directing readers to the replacement manual page.
  • Any proper analysis should consider SDLTM16040 alongside the legislation, as HMRC manuals reflect HMRC’s view rather than the law itself.

Scroll down for the full analysis.

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SDLT sale and leaseback relief: archived example page

This page concerns an HMRC manual entry that has been archived. The source does not set out a substantive rule. It simply states that the example previously on this page was moved to another manual page, SDLTM16040.

What this rule is about

The topic is sale and leaseback arrangements within the SDLT reliefs and exemptions part of HMRC’s manual. In broad terms, sale and leaseback rules deal with transactions where a property is sold and then leased back as part of the same overall arrangement. Those rules can affect whether SDLT is charged, and on which parts of the arrangement.

However, this particular source page does not explain the legal conditions, the scope of the relief, or how the example works. It is only an archival note.

What the official source says

The official source says that the page is archived and that the example has been added to SDLTM16040.

That means this page should not be treated as containing the current explanatory example. The relevant material is intended to be read on the replacement page instead.

What this means in practice

If you were looking to understand HMRC’s example of how sale and leaseback relief operates, this page will not help on its own. Its practical effect is simply to redirect you to SDLTM16040.

You should not try to infer the content of the example from this archived page, because no example text is given here.

How to analyse it

For practical use, the right approach is:

  • recognise that this page contains no operative guidance beyond the archive note
  • locate SDLTM16040, which HMRC identifies as the page now containing the example
  • read that example alongside the underlying legislation, because HMRC manual material explains HMRC’s view but is not itself the law
  • check whether the point you are considering is about the sale, the leaseback, or the overall linked arrangement, as sale and leaseback issues often depend on how the steps fit together

Example

Illustration: a reader searches for an HMRC example on sale and leaseback relief and lands on this archived page. The correct conclusion is not that HMRC has withdrawn the topic, but that the example has been moved. The reader should go to SDLTM16040 to find the substantive example.

Why this can be difficult in practice

Archived manual pages can be misleading if read in isolation. A reader may assume there is no current example, or may cite the archived page as if it still contained operative guidance. Here, the difficulty is not legal interpretation but source management: the page is only a signpost.

There is also a wider point. HMRC manuals are useful for understanding HMRC’s approach, but the legal position ultimately depends on the legislation and, where relevant, case law. A moved or archived example does not itself change the law.

Key takeaways

  • This source page is archived and contains no substantive example.
  • HMRC says the example was moved to SDLTM16040.
  • For any real analysis of sale and leaseback relief, you need the replacement page and the underlying legislation.

This page was last updated on 24 March 2026

Useful article? You may find it helpful to read the original guidance here: Example Added to SDLT16040: Sale and Leaseback Arrangements Explained

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