Hundreds of farmers in Northern Ireland have taken to the streets in protest against changes to inheritance tax. The protests, led by tractor rallies, are aimed at the government’s recent decision to cap Agricultural Property Relief (APR) for inheritance tax, a move that has taken many in the farming community by surprise. The government maintains that most farms will not be affected, but farmers remain deeply concerned about the impact of the policy.
Alan Chambers, a 13th-generation farmer from Seaforde, expressed his fears that his family would be forced to sell land to pay a tax bill of around £1 million if he were to pass away. He stressed that this would decimate the farm that he and his brother had built over many years of hard work.
Carl Ward, a dairy farmer from Hillsborough, attended the rally with his nine-year-old daughter Annabelle, hoping she would one day inherit the family farm. He criticized the government for treating family farmers unfairly, claiming that it showed little understanding of how farming operates in Northern Ireland and the number of families that would be negatively affected by the changes.
In Londonderry, around 150 tractors gathered to protest, with farmers displaying placards denouncing the new tax. Amy McCollum, a student from Coleraine, attended the rally to advocate for the future of farming, expressing her desire to return to work on her family farm. Robert Moore, another farmer, called the tax “heinous” and argued that it was unjust and unfair, with the potential to force families to sell land to cover the costs.
Andrew Little, a second-generation dairy farmer from County Fermanagh, also voiced his concerns about the tax. He described the tax burden as a “kick in the teeth,” explaining that while farmers are accustomed to weathering difficult years, a tax bill of several hundred thousand pounds could devastate their businesses. He emphasized that many farmers are “asset-rich but cash-poor,” with their assets tied up in land and equipment rather than readily available cash.
The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) has estimated that nearly half of all farms in Northern Ireland may exceed the £1 million threshold, making them liable for inheritance tax at a rate of 20%. Dairy farms, which tend to be larger and have more valuable assets, are particularly vulnerable to these changes. Farmers like Andrew Little fear that the policy will drive people away from agriculture, negatively impacting not just farmers but the wider rural economy as well.
The rallies are the latest in a series of protests that have included petitions and meetings, such as one in November at the Eikon Exhibition Centre in Lisburn. Farmers have voiced their determination to fight the tax changes, stressing that their livelihoods are under threat and that they are committed to ensuring a future for farming in Northern Ireland. Despite the government’s stance, farmers remain hopeful that their concerns will be heard and that the policy will be reconsidered.
