We face paying £9,000 tax even though our second home is in a war zone

A Ukrainian woman who fled to Scotland after Russia invaded her homeland has been told she could face a £9,000 property tax charge because she still owns a flat in Kyiv. Kateryna Stepanovych, 38, discovered the potential charge when she tried to buy a house in North Ayrshire with her Scottish partner Mattias Lindgren. The couple were told the Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS) charge would apply because she already owned a property overseas.

Kateryna bought the small flat in 2018, before Russia's invasion. She fled the war zone in 2023, leaving the property behind. The conflict has seen shrapnel strike the front of her 10-storey apartment building, damaging its exterior and a neighbouring property.

Her own flat remained undamaged. The couple, who currently live in Stromness in Orkney, only became aware of the £9,000 charge when they put down an offer on the property they were planning to buy and Mattias looked through the paperwork from their solicitor.