What is a TA10 form?
A TA10 form is one of the documents you’ll fill in when selling a house, and getting it right matters more than most sellers realise. This guide explains what the form covers, why it’s legally binding, and how our conveyancing team can help you complete it accurately at the start of your sale.
Most sellers have never seen one of these forms before their first house sale, so it’s easy to underestimate how much weight it carries. By the end of this guide, you’ll know exactly what to expect when you receive it.
What is a TA10 form and why does it matter?
The TA10 form is the Law Society’s Fittings and Contents form. Your conveyancing solicitor will send it to you, usually alongside the TA6 property information form, right at the start of the sale.
Put simply, it’s a fixtures and fittings form that records exactly what the seller intends to leave behind and what they plan to take with them. Without it, buyers and sellers are left guessing.
The form exists to stop confusion later in the process. It sets out, item by item, exactly what’s staying at the property and what condition it should be left in.
Buyers rely heavily on this document when deciding what they’re actually paying for. A clear, accurate fixtures and fittings form helps both sides move towards exchange without last-minute disagreements.
What’s the difference between fixtures and fittings?
Before filling in a TA10 form, it helps to understand the legal distinction the form is built around.
Fixtures are generally items attached to the property in a way that makes them part of the building or land. They’re usually expected to remain at the property unless the seller clearly states otherwise on the form.
Fittings and contents are generally movable items that don’t form part of the building. The seller can take them away, include them in the sale or agree a separate price with the buyer.
Common examples of fixtures include:
- Fitted kitchen units and integrated appliances
- Boilers and central heating systems
- Built-in wardrobes and fitted shelving
- Wired-in smoke alarms and doorbells
- Bathroom sanitary ware such as basins and baths
Common examples of fittings include:
- Curtains, blinds and curtain poles
- Freestanding washing machines, fridges and cookers
- Mirrors, artwork and wall hangings
- Rugs and freestanding lamps
- Garden furniture and portable barbecues
What does the TA10 form cover?
A fixtures and fittings form is broken down into sections, and you’ll work through each one room by room. For every item listed, you simply tick whether it’s included, excluded, or not present at the property.
If you’d like to sell an excluded item to the buyer, there’s space to suggest a price, which then becomes the starting point for negotiation between the parties or their estate agents.
The main sections of the TA10 form usually include:
- Basic fittings, such as light switches and burglar alarms
- Kitchen appliances, noting whether each is fitted or freestanding
- Bathroom fittings including taps, towel rails and shower curtains
- Carpets, listed by room
- Curtains and curtain rails, listed by room
- Light fittings, listed by room
- Fitted units such as wardrobes and shelving
- Outdoor items including sheds, plants and clothes lines
- Television and telephone points and aerials
- Any stock of fuel left on site
- Other items that don’t fit elsewhere on the form
Not sure what counts as a fixture in your sale?
It’s a common sticking point, especially with items like integrated appliances or garden features that sit somewhere between the two categories. Our team can talk you through anything you’re unsure about before you sign, which is far easier to sort out early than after contracts have been exchanged. Contact us if you need help deciding what should be included or excluded from your TA10 form.
When do you need to complete a TA10 form?
You’ll normally receive your TA10 form as soon as you accept an offer and instruct a conveyancing solicitor. It arrives as part of your contract pack alongside a handful of other paperwork.
It’s worth completing these forms as soon as they land in your inbox. Chasing paperwork is one of the most common reasons a sale slips behind schedule, and a prompt fixtures and fittings form keeps your transaction moving.
Other forms and property information that may be requested during the early stages of the sale include:
- The TA6 property information form
- A TA7 leasehold information form, if applicable
- Your energy performance certificate
- Any guarantees or warranties for the property
Need Help With Your Property Sale?
Our experienced conveyancing solicitors can guide you through the TA10 form and manage your property transaction from start to finish.
Is the TA10 form legally binding?
The completed TA10 form is normally included in the contract documentation for the sale. Once contracts have been exchanged, the seller is expected to leave or remove items in accordance with what has been agreed on the form.
If you remove something that was marked as included, substitute it for a different item or leave something that was meant to be removed, the buyer may be entitled to pursue a legal remedy. Your solicitor should therefore be told about any proposed changes before exchange.
Keep a copy of your completed form to hand when preparing to move. You can then check what should remain at the property before handing over the keys.
Do you have to complete a TA10 form?
The TA10 form isn’t generally required by a specific Act of Parliament, but it is a standard part of the residential conveyancing process and will usually be requested by the buyer’s solicitor.
Refusing or failing to complete it is likely to result in additional enquiries about what is included in the sale. That can create uncertainty for the buyer and delay progress towards exchange.
If your sale is part of a property chain, delays in providing the form can affect the connected transactions as well. Completing it carefully and returning it promptly is one of the simplest ways to keep the sale moving.
Does stamp duty apply to items on your TA10 form?
Fixtures that legally form part of the property are generally included in the amount on which Stamp Duty Land Tax is calculated.
Genuinely movable items, commonly referred to as chattels, may be treated separately. However, any division of the purchase price between the property and the chattels must be just and reasonable. Simply assigning an inflated amount to furniture or other movable items won’t necessarily reduce the buyer’s SDLT liability.
If you’re considering how fixtures, fittings or contents may affect the calculation, HMRC’s guidance on fixtures, fittings and chattels explains its approach. Our stamp duty calculator can also provide an indicative estimate.
How a conveyancing solicitor can help with your TA10 form
A good conveyancing solicitor won’t just post the form through your letterbox and wait. They’ll flag anything on your fixtures and fittings form that looks inconsistent with your other paperwork, or that could cause the buyer’s solicitor to raise a query later.
Our residential conveyancing team reviews every TA10 form we receive before it goes back to the buyer’s side, catching the small errors that tend to hold up an otherwise straightforward sale.
Because we work on fixed fees, you’ll also know exactly what our conveyancing solicitor involvement costs from the outset, with no surprise charges for the extra time spent getting your paperwork right.
Ready to get expert help with your TA10 form?
Selling a house involves more paperwork than most people expect, and an incomplete or unclear TA10 form can result in additional enquiries. Our residential conveyancing team can guide you through the form and the wider sale process from instruction through to completion.
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