Alistair Darling was resisting calls last night to make an announcement on stamp duty despite evidence that homebuyers are delaying purchases because of the uncertainty surrounding the tax.

Estate agents reported that buyers were pulling out of purchases and cancelling viewings in the hope that they would avoid paying the tax if they waited until later in the year.

The Chancellor withdrew from an interview linked to the subject last night, two days after refusing to rule out that he planned to suspend stamp duty temporarily in an attempt to stimulate the housing market.

Mr Darling had said that he was considering a number of measures to “help people with housing”. His remarks provoked widespread speculation that the measure would be introduced this autumn.

The Treasury last night described as “simply wrong” claims that the Government had put forward a proposal on stamp duty. “These stories are based on speculation. As we have consistently said, there are a number of options we will need to consider to help businesses and people through what is undoubtedly a difficult time,” it said in a statement.

Richard Hair, an estate agent in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, said that he had closed the sale of a house on Monday for £280,000, but after the Chancellor’s comments the buyer said that he was considering pulling out because he might save on the stamp duty of £8,400. “The purchaser rang and asked to have an extra 3 per cent off the price because he was going to have to pay stamp duty, which he might not have to pay later.” The vendor was refusing to lower the price, Mr Hair said, and the deal could fall through.

Doug Sleaper, of Townends, said that a buyer in the agent’s branch in Staines, Surrey, was ready to make an offer on a £765,000 property but had decided to hold back until October because he might save £35,000 in stamp duty. Five people had suspended their searches at the agent’s office in Brook Green, West London, as a direct result of the uncertainty.

Mr Sleaper said that even though it was explained to potential buyers that any changes to stamp duty would be unlikely to benefit transactions at the high-end of the market, purchasers were still deciding to wait.

Peter Bolton-King, head of the National Association of Estate Agents, said that Mr Darling needed to clarify his intentions urgently. “If the Government is serious about doing something to help this situation we need them to actually come out and say what it is they’re going to do,” he said.

Philip Hammond, Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said: “The last thing we need is a government that is making things worse by deliberately creating uncertainty over stamp duty. Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling should stop playing short-term games with the housing market and start to show the leadership this country needs.” The Tories have said that they would lift the threshold permanently for first-time buyers to £250,000.

Stamp duty is levied at 1 per cent for houses from £125,001 to £250,000, 3 per cent for £250,001 to £500,000 and 4 per cent above that. It will be difficult for Mr Darling to cancel stamp duty, not least because it contributes £6.5 billion a year to public finances.

The Chancellor has commissioned Sir James Crosby, the former chairman of HBOS, to consider how banks and building societies can be encouraged to start lending again at levels that people can afford. Sir James has said that no consensus exists.

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