Bank of Scotland has estimated that 9% of home buyers in Scotland paid at least 3% stamp duty in 2006, compared with a bill of 1% in 2001. Home buyers in these transactions were faced with a stamp duty bill of at least £7,500.

Rising house prices and the lack of movement of the stamp duty threshold has greatly increased the tax revenue from property transactions.

Bank of Scotland estimates that 160,000 Scottish homes are now valued above the £250,000 stamp duty threshold, compared with 25,000 homes five years ago.

The higher stamp duty thresholds - £250,000 and £500,000 have been unchanged since their introduction in 1997 despite a 175% increase in the average UK house price over that period.

If the higher stamp duty thresholds had been increased in line with house price inflation since July 1997, the £250,000 threshold would now stand at £680,000 and the £500,000 threshold would be £1,360,000.

Tim Crawford, group economist, at Bank of Scotland, said: “Almost one in ten home buyers in Scotland faced a 3% stamp duty bill last year, compared to only 1% five years ago. Bank of Scotland calls on the government to increase the stamp duty thresholds in line with the increase in house prices since the mid 90’s and to commit to index linking all the stamp duty thresholds to house price inflation in the future.”