Chancellor urged to use Autumn Budget to axe Family Farm Tax completely - 'lift this financial millstone from around the necks of our farmers'
Labour Chancellor John Healey should give the Northern Ireland farming community a “Hallowe’en Special” by axing the Family Farm Tax completely when he delivers his expected Autumn Budget at Westminster on 28th October,” Robert Carmichael, East Londonderry UUP Association chairman has said.
Mr Carmichael warned it was “absolutely essential” that the Chancellor use the 2026 Autumn Budget “to kill off the Family Farm Tax which has put the future of many farms in jeopardy”.
“With Stormont and council elections expected in May 2027, time is rapidly running out for the Labour Chancellor to unveil any guarantee to finally get rid of the dreadful Family Farm Tax,” he said.
"We in the UUP are making it one of our election pledges to lift this financial millstone from around the necks of our farming community by getting rid of this very harmful tax burden.
“However, the farming community cannot face another stressful winter waiting to see if the Chancellor can actually secure much-needed relief for our farmers".
He added that they “also need Prime Minister Andy Burnham to set out his agenda to revitalise the farming community, not just in Northern Ireland, but right across the United Kingdom”.
"As a matter of priority, both he and the Chancellor need to tell the Stormont Executive where they stand on the dreaded Family Farm Tax,” Mr Carmichael added.
"Indeed, our own Stormont Farming Minister also needs to get his act in gear and make it clear that it will become Executive policy to do whatever is possible to scrap this terrible tax completely.
"The cost of living crisis which is gripping our nation has also had a severe impact on our farming families, too”.
The East Londonderry UUP Association chairman added “whilst there have been some modifications to the Family Farm Tax, these amendments are only tinkering with the situation”.
"This so-called inheritance tax has truly become a financial millstone around the necks of the vast bulk of the farming community.
"Many farming families are already cash-strapped and it is essential that the Chancellor leads the way in getting rid of the inheritance tax burden once and for all.
"He has the perfect opportunity to do this by using his Autumn Budget to condemn the Family Farm Tax to to the political dustbin of history once and for all.
“That’s why we in the UUP are challenging the Chancellor to become abundantly clear what his economic strategy will be not just on boosting the farming industry generally, but what specific steps he will take as soon as possible to lift the Family Farm Tax noose from off the necks of our agricultural sector,” he added.