Key points
- The government has accepted the majority of the Rock Review on agricultural tenancies and has begun implementing changes.
- Many organisations were opposed to the suggestion of FBTs that run for a longer period than the current short-term arrangements.
- It is considered that the move could permanently remove land from the tenanted market into ‘contracting models’ like CFAs.
The 2023 Budget ‘packed a surprising punch’ for farmers. Not just a consultation on the taxation of ecosystems but also consideration around farm tenancies as a large amount of UK farmland is let. The consultation called for views on restricting agricultural property relief (APR) at 100% to farm business tenancies (FBTs) that run for a minimum period of at least eight years. This is an area where there is a great deal of controversy following the Rock Review on agricultural tenancies (tinyurl.com/yc8h3bdd) and it is essential for...