In recent years taxes on land and property have increased dramatically. What used to be relatively small expenses can now be a significant part of a property buyer's or seller's budget. As each year goes by they become more complex and expensive.

Some of the taxes to plan for include:

• Stamp Duty Land Tax: many years ago this was a flat rate charge of 1%. In some cases it is now charged at 15% or even more. There can be huge differences between residential land and non-residential land. If a developer buys a redundant factory site for £2m in the hope of building much needed private and social housing the SDLT will come to £80,000. If the same developer were to buy a tired old house in the hope of building the same housing on the site the SDLT bill will come to £213,750.

• SDLT extra 3% charge: if buying a residential property that is not your main residence then an extra 3% is charged. This new law can be complex and confusing and lead to unexpected consequences.

• Mortgage tax relief: usually expenses of running a business can be offset against its profits. From April next year buy to let landlords who are individuals will not be able to claim all their mortgage interest payments against tax. This could easily make the difference between a profit and a loss.

• Capital Gains Tax: if you are selling a property that is not your principal private residence then CGT can be payable on the profit.

In some cases it may be possible to structure a deal that can minimise the tax payable. However, it is important to seek good advice first to ensure that the structure works and is legally sound.