There was a high-stakes parliamentary debate recently regarding proposed changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) starting in April 2025. There are concerns that these reforms threaten the survival of family farms in Northern Ireland, a sector described as asset-rich but cash-poor. Opponents argue the changes force land sales to cover inheritance tax, jeopardizing generational succession and rural investment. The Treasury defends the reforms, stating they target relief currently skewed toward the wealthiest estates while maintaining significant relief for smaller farms, including a £1 million threshold and interest-free payment options.

Key Takeaways

• Proposed changes to APR and BPR are feared to have devastating consequences for family farms, particularly in Northern Ireland where the vast majority (99%) are family-run.
• Farming is often described as "asset-rich but cash-poor," meaning farmers lack liquid funds to pay large inheritance tax bills without potentially selling off parts of the farm.
• Critics argue the changes stifle growth, as farmers are holding back investment in machinery or maintenance to prepare for potential tax demands.
• The Government aims to restore economic stability and fairness, noting that the current reliefs disproportionately benefit the wealthiest estates (40% of APR was claimed by just 7% of estates).
• The reformed relief structure will offer 100% relief on the first £1 million of combined agricultural/business assets, plus 50% relief thereafter. Payments can also be spread over 10 years, interest-free.

Discussion

Considering the Government's goal to achieve fairness by targeting relief skewed towards the wealthiest estates and the counter-argument that the proposed £1 million threshold unfairly impacts small, high-value family farms, how should policymakers balance the need for public funding with supporting generational succession in agriculture?

Source: Family Farming in Northern Ireland
Volume 774: debated on Tuesday 28 October 2025

Support the show

Follow and subscribe to 'The Bench Report' on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube for new episodes daily: thebenchreport.co.uk

Subscribe to our Substack

Shape our next episode! Get in touch with an issue important to you - Producer Tom will grab another coffee and start the research!

Email us: [email protected]

Follow us on YouTube, X, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok! @benchreportUK

Support us for bonus and extended episodes + more.

No outside chatter: source material only taken from Hansard and the Parliament UK website.

Contains Parliamentary information repurposed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0...