# Ukrainian flat owner faces £9,000 Scottish home tax bill

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/orkney-couple-face-9k-second-home-tax-on-shrapnel-hit-kyiv-flat/
- Published: 2026-11-08T20:22:23+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-08T20:32:33+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16276535/Orkney-couple-face-9k-second-home-tax-shrapnel-hit-Kyiv-flat.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: Europe, UK, World

## Key points

- Couple withdrew an Ayrshire home offer over a potential £9,000 tax bill.
- The charge applies because she owns a flat in Ukraine.
- Scottish ministers say they will look into the couple’s concerns.

## Summary

Kateryna Stepanovych and her partner Mattias Lindgren withdrew an offer on a home in Ayrshire after learning she could owe £9,000 in Scottish second-home tax because she owns a flat in Ukraine. The case has prompted calls to review how the rules apply to people who fled conflict and are trying to settle in Scotland.

Stepanovych, 38, bought the Kyiv flat in 2018 and moved to Britain in 2023 after Russia’s invasion; the building was hit by shrapnel that May. Scotland’s Additional Dwelling Supplement can add an 8 per cent charge when a buyer owns another property, including overseas, on top of Land and Buildings Transaction Tax. Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth said there was no provision to waive the levy, while First Minister John Swinney said he would raise the case with Revenue Scotland.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.