[News] Farmers

[ManOfSussex]

And they also run over badgers in tractors for fun. This is T'Pau.

 

[abc]

On a rather nice non controversial note, protesting farmers were asked to bring produce with them and donate to a food bank set up especially by City Harvest. The latter say they have been ‘overwhelmed’ and the donations will be distributed to 400 food banks across London.
Whether or not you support their cause, it’s a refreshing way to protest

 

[beorhthelm]

Not sure if there have been any comments on this but why can't the farmers 'gift' the farm to their children and, providing they don't die within 7 years, it won't be subject to IHT? Also, take out life insurance for the next 7 years to cover IHT if you die within that period!

something i've pondered, i suppose there's mistrust of family (though then why so bothered!) or they die with little warning without making plans. likewise making a holding company must have some disadvantage or it's an obvious better setup, especially with all the plant involved.
train of thought has a flip side, why anyone would be buying land just for the IHT loophole when they could be using the 7 year rule. or trusts.

 

[S.T.U cgull]

I was a member at Hassocks before the owner sold it, apparently £50,000 rent from the club per annum wasn’t enough for him, but seeing Bellway selling small 4 beds north of £600k suggests a few million was made.

I wasn’t aware that the BH course was still due to be transferred, assuming they extended the lease as the original one expired a few years back? Quids in for the Oak Barn if a development is added

Double quids in as the Oak Barn owners are the current owners / to be sellers of the Par 3 course..!

No exact timeline on when it will close, told to me by one of their Pro’s..

 

[Bozza]

I am serious. I am aware of previous farmers gripes and complaints, but I am not aware of a protest of this scale before, with them driving to Downing Street and flooding the media. Even the first two links you posted demonstrate this with “take to Tesco to task” and “complain over supermarkets” etc being as radical as it’s got. Maybe I have missed it but the current protests seems another level entirely. Why now?

Your posts seem to indicate you've made your mind up on that, regardless od what anyone else may say.

Anyway, here's two farming protests in central London that happened under Tory governments. There's probably more, but you have the same search tools as me if you are genuinely interested.





I was mulling this whilst walking the dog in the freezing pissing rain, and I came to the same conclusion as @dsr-burnley. As with the Winter Fuel Payments, it feels like a sound policy that has been poorly or lazily implemented such that worthy cases are caught up in it adversely.

I know next to nothing about farming, and knew literally nothing about farm inheritance before Reeves' party piece a few weeks back. I had no idea that farmers had an Inheritance Tax waiver.

But since then, I've listened and read to try and understand the reasoning behind the angst, and there does seem to be some merit. And, as often is the case with these things, the little guy will be impacted the most. The big guy will have access to lawyers and accountants who will help them minimise how they get hit.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Not sure if there have been any comments on this but why can't the farmers 'gift' the farm to their children and, providing they don't die within 7 years, it won't be subject to IHT? Also, take out life insurance for the next 7 years to cover IHT if you die within that period!

Until this sudden announcement which no one knew about there was literally no need, it's that simple.

 

[WATFORD zero]

You do realise the classification of a farm includes non producing ones with horses on? Many smallholdings with farm in their name are no more than large gardens with big pets.

64% of commercial farms in britain are unviable and consist of large gardens with big pets ?

I have no idea whatsoever, I can only go by the actual statistics that the Government publish

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

64% of commercial farms in britain are unviable and consist of large gardens with big pets ?

I have no idea whatsoever, I can only go by the Government published facts

Government published facts! There's your problem, facts my arse.

 

[Bodian]

But since then, I've listened and read to try and understand the reasoning behind the angst, and there does seem to be some merit. And, as often is the case with these things, the little guy will be impacted the most. The big guy will have access to lawyers and accountants who will help them minimise how they get hit.

It will be the 'middling' guy that will be impacted the most.

The little guy, like most of us in the non-farming world, won't be affected by IHT anyway.
The big guy, as you say - will pay for a fiddle.
The middling guy (those with say £4m-10m farms) are the ones that will be affected and will have to change or lose out.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Government published facts! There's your problem, facts my arse.

The UK agriculture industry is made up of 209,000 farm holdings, using 17 million hectares of land (70% of the UK land total in 2023). The average UK farm size is 82 hectares. However, almost half of all farms are less than 20 hectares in size.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...ng-evidence-key-statistics-accessible-version

And I really can't be arsed to look up again, but I suspect the vast majority of 'family owned' farms are in the 64% of less than 100 acres

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

The UK agriculture industry is made up of 209,000 farm holdings, using 17 million hectares of land (70% of the UK land total in 2023). The average UK farm size is 82 hectares. However, almost half of all farms are less than 20 hectares in size.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...ng-evidence-key-statistics-accessible-version

And I really can't be arsed to look up again, but I suspect the vast majority of 'family owned' farms are in the 64% of less than 100 acres

Suspect?

 

[vegster]

May have misheard the report earlier, but I think someone said tescos profits are around 3 percent, so the margin is fairly small

Sainsburys only made 137 million after tax, how much will be wiped out with increases NI/wage etc?


Only had one ear on it, so may have misheard

If only the shareholders could accept 10p less on their annual dividend ? Then maybe farmers could get a fairer price and the supermarkets could pay the extra NI AND pay their staff just that bit more so they don't need to claim Universal Credit to top up their wage ? .....nah, let's wait for trickle down economics to kick in...hopefully.

 

[WATFORD zero]

It will be the 'middling' guy that will be impacted the most.

The little guy, like most of us in the non-farming world, won't be affected by IHT anyway.
The big guy, as you say - will pay for a fiddle.
The middling guy (those with say £4m-10m farms) are the ones that will be affected and will have to change or lose out.

Exactly the same as the rest of Britain and, unless i'm mistaken, didn't we think these were the people who could pay a little more to dig us out of this ?

Going after the Big guys is a little more complicated but still needs doing

 

[vegster]

On a rather nice non controversial note, protesting farmers were asked to bring produce with them and donate to a food bank set up especially by City Harvest. The latter say they have been ‘overwhelmed’ and the donations will be distributed to 400 food banks across London.
Whether or not you support their cause, it’s a refreshing way to protest

This time of year I bet its all Pumpkins....

 

[WATFORD zero]

Suspect?

Well I've proven you wrong on the other stuff you claimed was wrong and to be honest, I reallt can't be arsed to look it up.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Well I've proven you wrong on the other stuff and to be honest, I can't be arsed to look it up.

Have you really?

I'm off this thread far too many who know f*** all about the countryside and farming google shit and become an authority. Pointless arguing.

Enjoy your artisan bread.

 

[MJsGhost]

64% of commercial farms in britain are unviable and consist of large gardens with big pets ?

I have no idea whatsoever, I can only go by the actual statistics that the Government publish

My parents have a small holding, which almost certainly counts as a farm in those statistics (it's registered as a farm business).
Just 6 or 7 acres and a small flock of sheep these days just as a hobby. It has never made a profit and that is not down to clever accounting (I submit my dad's tax return every year!)

 

[WATFORD zero]

My parents have a small holding, which almost certainly counts as a farm in those statistics (it's registered as a farm business).
Just 6 or 7 acres and a small flock of sheep these days just as a hobby. It has never made a profit and that is not down to clever accounting (I submit his tax return every year!)

It's what I've always quite fancied

But I'd be surprised if me and your mum and dad were representative of 64% of British farms. Could you do my tax ?

 

[MJsGhost]

It's what I've always quite fancied

But I'd be surprised if me and your mum and dad were representative of 64% of British farms. Could you do my tax ?

You might be surprised at the number of hobby farmers / smallholders there are, as well as other small-scale rural businesses classified as farms and officially a commercial operation. The reality is that they are little more than a hobby or (in modern parlance) a side-hustle. Someone with room for an extra horse might set up a livery business for example, but it's not really a commercial operation in the full sense (might allow a few things to be run through the books as business expenses, mind...)

 

[MJsGhost]

Could you do my tax ?

I don't even do my own - I'm smart enough to pay someone that knows what they are doing