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'This is a massive humiliation for the Government on one of its flagship policies,' one top Tory jabbed

Labour's controversial mansion tax could face delays amid a bitter row with civil servants over working from home.

Officials are preparing to introduce the High Value Council Tax Surcharge from April 2028, but concerns have reportedly emerged over "productivity, quality and delivery timescales".

HMRC attempted to increase office attendance for staff working on the scheme from three to four days a week last month, before the Government backed down after fierce union opposition.

The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) warned the move could contribute to "burnout and sickness absence" for workers.

HMRC has insisted its flexible working arrangements pose no threat to the rollout of the tax.

Tory frontbencher Alex Burghart seized on the row, saying: "You will hear no complaints from the Conservatives about the Government delaying the introduction of their spiteful and vindictive tax.

"But there is a massive irony in the fact that this policy has been thrown into disarray because of a dispute between the Labour ministers and their union paymasters."

He added: "This is a massive humiliation for the Government on one of its flagship policies."

The so-called mansion tax will hit owners of properties worth more than £2million with additional annual bills of up to £7,500, depending on the value of their home.

Officials will have to assess around 2.4 million properties as part of preparations for the levy.

HMRC valuation agents will be able to visit homes to determine whether properties breach the £2million threshold, with homeowners who deny inspectors access potentially facing criminal prosecution and fines.

The enforcement powers have already sparked a furious backlash from senior Conservatives.

Shadow Chancellor Sir Mel Stride branded the measures a "sinister assault on civil liberties".

He said: "We may have changed Prime Minister, but it's the same old story with Labour - how can we raise taxes to pay for more benefits? Now they have chosen a sinister assault on civil liberties as their latest method.

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"Andy Burnham and Angela Rayner are sending their council tax police to people's homes so they can drag them into paying their new family homes tax.

"This is a tax on aspiration, on working hard and investing well, and Labour will stop at nothing to make as many people as possible liable for it."

Sir James Cleverly, the former Shadow Housing Secretary, has also attacked the inspections as "snooping".

He said: "Hard-working families and pensioners face the prospect of HMRC tax inspectors snooping around their gardens and inside their homes, to justify hiking taxes on them.

"Even homes which are below the new tax thresholds face these intrusive checks, with the threat of criminal prosecutions and fines if people refuse."

The latest dispute over the tax emerged after HMRC staff were reportedly given just four days' notice that they would be expected to spend four days a week in the office.

The PCS argued that problems surrounding delivery of the mansion tax were "unlikely to have arisen suddenly" and said it would work with HMRC to find "alternative ways forward".

Kim Hendry, of the PCS, told The Telegraph: "The proposed increase to four days a week in the office, with fewer than four working days’ notice, would have placed unnecessary and unfair pressure on our members."

Ms Hendry added that the union would "consider all the tools", including industrial action.

A spokesman for the HMRC said: "Our flexible working arrangements pose no risk to the delivery of the High Value Council Tax Surcharge.

"Where there is a clear business need to do so, we can require staff to attend the office more than the standard 60 per cent.

"We are looking at what office attendance is needed for these teams to deliver the best service for our customers."