Family farm tax crisis: UUP MP Robin Swann handing petition into Parliament urging government to halt plans for dramatic tax which threats Northern Ireland farms
UUP MP Robin Swann is presenting a petition in Parliament this evening calling on government to halt plans for a dramatic hike in inheritance tax on family farms.
The petition, organised in collaboration with the Ulster Farmers Union, was being handed in at 7pm today.
It read “that the government should uphold the Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief on inheritance tax on farms; notes the petition by the Ulster Farmers’ Union on this topic with over 15,000 signatures; and further notes the disparity between the DEFRA and DAERA statistics on the number of Northern Ireland farms impacted by this change.
“The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government take immediate action to stop the removal of the Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief on inheritance tax on farms.”
This petition was signed by the leadership of the UFU on behalf of the 15,000 signatories of their public petition.
Ahead of the introducing of the petition, Mr Swann said: “In my constituency of South Antrim, we have 1,068 active farms and I have heard directly from so many of them. They have shared with me the hurt and worry that they now have the wake of the introduction of this tax. The future of their farms, and the livelihoods of their children and grandchildren are now in question.
“Half of our farms in Northern Ireland are to be impacted, and two-thirds of our dairy farms. The Westminster government still won’t acknowledge this and are refusing to accept the DAERA stats which back this up - but the impact in Northern Ireland will be like nowhere else in the UK.”