Jeremy Clarkson is damaging farmers

[Pippyls67]

He should butt out of the inheritance tax debacle. As Victoria Derbyshire reminded him during the London protests, he admitted in news print, when he bought his farm it was to dodge inheritance tax. Now he’s jumping in the back of farmers who probably won’t in actual fact pay very much ( smaller farms than his) for his own mercenary agenda. Farmers need to distance themselves from him and ban him from public events. He’s muddying their message and making them look bad by association. Ps I understand farmers need their farms intact to pass on but tbh we all need to pass on our wealth. I run a business and it’ll be screwed by inheritance tax to some extent. I don’t like it but you have to get on with it. That’s just the way of things isn’t it. Gotta pay for the NHS, schools and essential services from somewhere. Farms will need to sell assets I get it. Yes the largest farms will shrink in size but you just have to diversify to make up the difference if you want the same level of income. That’s what we do in business. Also it will make (potentially) land available for incomers to the industry. Lack of new blood and chances to enter farming have been an issue for many years. This is partly a consequence of even the largest farms being ‘handed down’ intact.

Freeloaders LOL.

Who else can earn £3 million as a couple before paying IHT? And then they pay only half of the usual 40% and on top of that, they get a decade to pay it.

Treating them like freeloaders indeed!

KnittedCardi · Today 11:34
Really? Do HCP's work 24/7, 365, with no holiday, no sick pay, no pension, in the wind, rain and snow? I think not

No. Neither do farmers. 24/7, 365 days a year. It’s this sort of hyperbolic nonsense that losses farmers sympathy.

Nail on the head there. We NEED farmers to produce the food this country NEEDS rather than be reliant on foreign billionaires whether in terms of having to import food from elsewhere or growing food in the UK in farms owned by huge (often foreign) firms.

If, and it's a big IF, there's a problem with current IHT laws, then change the law to target the "rich" playing at being farmers and protect the genuine family farms. It's not rocket science.

As it stands, just like VAT on private school fees, it's nothing but politics of envy. Someone, somewhere, thinks that farmers are printing money and they want to give them a kicking as punishment. Nothing to do with what's right for the country. It's just like sixth form debating society these days rather than proper, thoughtful, research and evaluation of options, consequences, etc.

We’ll you’re wrong in both counts. But you would say that wouldn’t you. Sometimes home truths are a bit upsetting tho I get that. Ps I couldn’t be less political. It’s just good old down to earth common sense. People do tend to hide behind saying ‘it’s political’ when they don’t like hearing things. You’ll be calling it ‘fake news’ next! 😆

Why should landowners pay less IHT than the rest of us? Hard working farmers are as big a cliche as hard working families. Most of the farmers near us spend more time trying to get planning permission to build houses than working the land. The really hard workers re generally tenants who will not inherit multi-million pound estates

Visited my cousin at the weekend. Typical Yorkshire farmer. Needless to say this came up. He did is usual guff and said it was all.....!
He commented that his Grandad and Dad's generation bought up land from the landed gentry when they had to sell up for death taxes in the past. He said there are often(always) younger tenant farmers hoping to buy land and this gives them the opportunity.
His parents had put most things in trust when he was 25 he is now 60.
He did the same 10 years ago apart from DP(91) house and his own house. Neither of which will be subject to much inheritance tax.
I assume he has had good financial and legal
advice.

He’s upsetting all the right people, so I’d say he’s helping

Clarkson plays the know it all buffoon. But he plays that role pretty well and in doing so highlights a lot of issues that farmers face in running a business.

I think on balance most farmers would feel what he contributes is good for farming and awareness of it in general rather than bad.

anniegun
The really hard workers re generally tenants who will not inherit multi-million pound estates.

This. Their landlords generally don’t give a toss about their hardships, either.

All JC has done is highlight that farms can be used to avoid inheritance tax. It’s been a fact up until now, and not something that he was able to dictate.

He hasn’t don’t anything wrong, the farmers just don’t like it because now more people know of the unfair tax breaks they were getting.

I assume he has had good financial and legal advice

I would assume so too. Another privilege that only people with a few bob both need and can afford.

Are you a farmer

Where do you get your information? Farmers are a hugely varied breed.

I think this thread is a perfect example of the difference between town folk and country folk, who will simply never understand the other because it is just too far outside their frame of reference.

I don’t think it will become apparent until the price of a pint of milk goes through the roof and there’s no bread on the shelves.

That’s exactly what’s happening tho. IHT reforms won’t particularly affect smaller farms.

You’re just parroting cliches

@ColinOfficeTrolley earnings have nothing to do with IHT and farmers don’t earn £3m, the assets of the farm may be valued at £3m but that will not be money in the bank.

There is another relief for family businesses that meant some were fully exempt from IHT or only had to pay 50%. Labour have changed that exemption too.

But I don’t see many posters being outraged that family businesses used to be exempt, they just seem to have it in for farmers who were.

Disagree. The farmers I know are happy to have him highlighting issues that they would not be able to. He is quite transparent about the fact his position is different to most farmers.

Ive not come across an NHS worker that would cope with the reality of farming.

NHS staff bleating does give us a laugh though.

Plenty of jobs in agriculture for those that want them (excluded from minimum wage, working time directive etc)

Jeremy is probably one of the few farmers who will be impacted by inheritance tax .. upwards of 3 million in practise when around only a third of farms are valued over 1 million ?

The majority of farmers , especially those with smaller farms and smaller incomes , won't be affected but as always with inheritance tax it seems to trigger irrational responses

Of course they go on holiday. I know plenty of farmers and they all do. Close connection with the agricultural sector selling and visiting farms, many many farms - they all take holidays and they all have normal things like normal people living normal lives if they so choose.

If, and it's a big IF, there's a problem with current IHT laws, then change the law to target the "rich" playing at being farmers and protect the genuine family farms. It's not rocket science.

Protect the genuine family farms? Like applying it only to farms worth over £3 million if they include a family home owned by a couple, levying it at 20% over the £3 million rather than the 40% all other family businesses pay and giving 10 years to pay it?

Now we are talking common sense. Thank you.

I find it hard to think of a farm worth less than a million!

''Organise collective buying and collective machinery sharing.''

This is a great idea in principle, but generally all the wheat in one area tends to be ready to harvest in the same short period, so all the machinery would be needed at the same time. If its dry enough to harvest but the forecast is rain, you can't imagine the pressure this would cause.