UK Farmers

[SunQueen24]

Can someone please explain to me what today is all about?

I haven’t fauxed any sympathy. I’ve said I want to understand it better, which the ensuing discussion has aided.

Yup, they’ve just made a bad situation far worse.

I wouldn’t sell farmers out I just wouldn’t automatically exempt them all from tax.

Op I thought you wanted all farms to be owned by the local authority?
Collective farming didn’t end well in the Soviet Union - but maybe you can give some examples of where it has worked since you think it’s a good idea?

But on the low wages they take from farming, they wouldn't be able to raise a mortgage big enough to pay off that tax. The land in many area is so over valued due to holiday homes, caravan parks, sea views, national parks access, etc etc etc They would be snapped up by rich second home owners or commercial holiday companies and no longer be farmed.
A small holding around where I am would go for over 1 million and that isn't a farm big enough to make any living off. So an actual proper farm of a few hundred acres would be lost.

They may have huge assets but they tend to have very little cash.

If they want to access the cash they have to sell off the assets which they will never get back, and if the asset is land it will be yet more land that become a playground to the rich, rather than the vital job of producing food.

I said, and I quote “Local Authority owned farms seems sensible” I didn’t say I was adding it to my Christmas list. Perhaps you could add proof reading/comprehension skills to yours.

Please go away; there are a lot of people on this thread trying to understand what’s going on and some of us are trying to help them to understand. If you don’t care about your food source and don’t care about people then just crawl under a rock and allow less mealy mouthed people to educate themselves. Farmers’ suicides will be on your conscience 😠

If farmers were given 7 years to prepare like everyone else it wouldn’t be so bad.
As it is the Treasury have even refused a compromise re 80plus year olds. They still think that’s fare.
No it isn’t.

Labour should be considering other ways of making and saving money

Why not save £101,712,000 / year by not giving prisoners tuck money for example.

@AMFA i have grown up in a farming community! I have friends who are farmers (very wealthy) and know farmers who don't own any land and are getting upset about this! I know only too well it's not a 9-5 job, I'm not ignorant! I understand how farming and families work, and how these assets have traditionally been passed down for many generations.

I also know MANY, MANY people that work insanely hard without any assets! I never see these same farmers above jumping on any political cause or wanting to support nurses/teachers etc! I know many families whose assets have been decimated by inheritance tax, leaving them with nothing. Homes that have been in the family for years.

Because I have grown up surrounded by farmers, I have also heard many times before the disdain many have for the average Joe! Just like you, they band the word 'ignorant' around and look down on anyone that isn't a farmer or aren't pro hunting or pro Tory!

Op ok, you said “Local Authority owned farms seems sensible’

Why does it seem sensible?
In that case why not all businesses owned by the local authority?

If everyone should be equal as you’d like @SometimesCalmPerson then everyone should pay for their own care when they are elderly……yes everyone!

@potatocakesinprogress your hope that closing the loophole might bring the price of agricultural land back to realistic levels per acre is the only silver lining I can see.

There are definitiely wealthy people using farmland to shelter wealth from IHT. I even know a few. I don't have a problem with their heirs taking a haircut.

The small dairy farmer across the valley from my office is not part of the hunting, shooting, fishing brigade.

Have you anything useful to add or are you just here to get offended?

@AMFA I'm sorry to come across frustrated, as I know there will sadly be some genuine people affected by this! But it grinds my gears when Farage, Clarkson etc etc jump on the bandwagon! It sadly loses sympathy for me! I would NEVER wish financial struggle on anyone, but I believe those at the top of the ladder in farming should pay their fair share! Hopefully a common ground can be reached!

I’d like to see a way to protect farming and farmland, but not to curtail assets and leave them exempt from certain taxes but open to profiting in other ways by disposal that aren’t consistent with farming. But I know that isn’t what this tax is about.

I am genuinely interested to know why you think the local authority owning all farms is a ‘sensible’ idea.
You must have reasons or you wouldn’t have posted that in reply to a pp asking you what should happen.

That’s quite frightening really. I knew it was bad - just anecdotally from my own experience but 40% in one year is a hell of alot.

@38thparallel you shall have to wonder because I genuinely don’t think you’re sincere in your interest.

It was the inheritance tax that tipped farmers into taking action but it's been brewing for sometime. It's been taken up by 'back British farming campaign' which is a wider campaign to support British farming & not just about tax.

In my area we arranged a coach and many of the farmers who have gone don't own any land at all & are juggling grazing on ever depleting land. Every year people are giving up, food production moves abroad, housing, storage & solar are replacing working farms.

It's in everyone's interest to join the back British farming campaign.

@Serencwtch it's sad then, that Tory MPs who are at the march didn't care enough to do anything to help farmers over the last 14 years if it's been brewing for years!

Yeah Brexit cost the farmers loads so very hypocritical to have farage there

Farage just loves a bit of drama.

We all know what an opportunist Farage is. He’d back anything if it gave him coverage!

I feel a bit differently about Clarkson as he has done a lot to highlight the uniqueness and difficulties of farming.

Those at the top of the ladder should absolutely pay their fair share, and if a farm is sold within a few years of inheritance then IHT should be paid.

Loopholes that benefit the wealthy (like Dyson and Clarkson) should be shut down. Iirc closing tax exemption loopholes would bring in billions, it’s always a bit suspicious that politicians are keen to turn a blind eye to them!

This current shambles is all because most farmers are set to be in big trouble over this decision, farmers who genuinely are not wealthy. Food security should be a priority.

They can bypass inheritance tax just like if u have a house by gifting farm to kids before they die under the seven year rule

@AMFA from a PR point of view the NFU or whoever are organising the marches need to get rid of Farage and Clarkson as mouth pieces (unless Clarkson comes out to say 'yes tax me, but not my impoverished farmer friends.' I understand his show has done a lot for the farming community, but he is also an opportunist!