Chancellor George Osborne refused on Friday to deny a report that he is considering imposing capital gains tax on foreign property investors.

Leading up to Osborne’s December 4 Autumn Statement on Britain’s finances, local media have reported that he is considering imposing a capital gains tax on the sale of second homes in Britain owned by foreign investors.

“Well, I am only a month off my Autumn Statement so I am not going to comment on specific tax affairs – it’s not a leak that comes from anyone near me,” Osborne told the BBC when asked about the reports.

“The only reason I don’t want to deny it is because I don’t want to then get into a whole list of other things you are going to ask me about,” he said.

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