Farmers arrive in Whitehall despite the last minute ban on all tractor convoy protests against the Labour government’s budget in London today.
https://t.co/zZqGukE614
Feeling down?
This thread of Robin Williams will put a smile on your face 🧵
1. Robin Williams visited paralyzed Christopher Reeves, disguised as an accented doctor, and humorously threatened a rectal exam, making Reeves laugh for the first time after his accident.
@MagnificoCleary@lewis_goodall You think farms would manage with 1970s machinery and compete against foreign imports??? This investment in farm machinery is needed to compete.
A FARMER'S TALE
My dad is a farmer - single man. The farm has been in the family for a long time - it's worth £4m quid in total. We make £40k per year from the farm.
Dad dies, we get 1m tax free, but suffer 20% of £3m, which is 600k, on the rest. Can't afford it, sell the farm.
I've still got £3.4m. What am I gonna do with it? I buy a property portfolio, driving housing prices up in my local area, and rent it out to you.
Where I used to make a 1% return on my assets, I now make 5%. I am getting richer for doing a lot less, though I have had to give up producing food for you to eat in super markets.
I'm okay, because I'm rich, but Britain either produces less food, or BlackRock produces food for you.
Britain's food supply is gradually more and more controlled by foreign investors, but I can still eat good because I'm rich.
I did try to warn you that this would happen, but you insisted you wanted me gone. So I am currently living in my second home in Spain sipping margaritas and collecting about 10 grand a month from the letting agency.
You are eating bugs. Happy?
(Anon).
@MrJamesMay And it’s no longer agricultural land. Same with solar and other businesses, no longer APR. May be BPR which should also not have changed. CGT in any sale
@LBC For once you are wrong James OB. Listen to what the farmers are saying. The farm is not an asset that generates significant money. It’s not a play thing like a sports car. It’s a way of life that will disappear along with a safe food supply.
Farmers. I know that you have been shafted today. But please don’t despair. Just look after yourselves for five short years and this shower will be gone.
1/ As ever with APR and agricultural tax I will take the soundings from tax people who can explain it to me better, but off the bat...
The new Govt will have to prepare for a *big* fight on this - from all farming unions, all main opp parties and - not insignificantly - Clarkson
Devastating new inheritance tax band for farmers - announced in the Budget.
The first £1m of combined business and agricultural assets will continue with no inheritance tax at all, but for farm assets over £1m, inheritance tax will apply with 50% relief - at an effective rate of 20% - applicable from April 2026.
Considering that a £1m farm value only reaches around 65-70 acres, and most farms are significantly bigger that that in acreage, so many family farms will be hammered by this new beyond £1m / 20% inheritance rate. The total inheritance tax amount will put so many generational farms at risk. Most farmers don’t have spare cash to pay this and their assets are tied up in the land value. So many family farms may have to sell land or even their farms to pay the inheritance tax.
Horrendous.
#Budget2024