UK Land Tax

Inheritance Tax, UK IHT, UK Taxes, Agricultural Property Relief, Business Property Relief, Gift and Inheritance Tax

The UK Autumn Budget 2024 announced changes to the current Agricultural and Business Property Inheritance Tax regimes.  From 6^th April 2026, the combined Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief will be restricted to the first £1 million on “qualifying assets.”  The Chancellor of the Exchequer delivered her Budget on 30th October 2024, announcing 100% relief for the first £1 million pounds of combined assets and 50% Relief thereafter.  Currently, Agricultural Relief offers two potential rates of Inheritance Tax Relief.  These depend on the circumstances of ownership. These rates will remain in place until 5^th April 2026.

Old Regime – Agricultural Property Relief

Agricultural Property Relief is an Inheritance tax relief for farmers and landowners.  It provides for either 50% or 100% relief on the agricultural value of land and certain buildings.

For the 100% Relief to apply:

1. the property must be in the owner’s vacant possession i.e. the owner or transferor has the immediate right to vacant possession of the property or the right to obtain it within the next twelve months.

2. the land must be let with the tenancy having commenced on/after 1st September 1995.

3. the land must be let and conditions regarding vacant possession must be complied with – This applies by concession.

4. the owner had been entitled to his interest in the property since before 10th March 1981 and has met the conditions for ‘Working Farmer Relief”.

The 50% Relief is available in circumstances where the above conditions aren’t met.

If the property is owner-occupied, it must have been owned and used for agricultural purposes for at least two years ending with the date of the transfer.  If, however, the property is let to a tenant, it must have been owned by the transferor for at least seven years, ending with the date of the transfer, and the land must have been actively farmed during that time.  The property must not be subject to a binding contract of sale on disposal.

Additional rules apply in relation to successive transfers.

Agricultural property includes agricultural land or pasture, grazing land, cottages, farmhouses, farm buildings, woodlands and buildings used in intensive animal rearing, etc.

Old Regime – Business Property Relief

Business Property Relief is a relief from IHT which applies to the transfer of relevant business property.  100% relief is available on the following assets (i) a business or interest in a business operating as a sole trade or partnership and (ii) shares in an unlisted trading company which the donor has owned for a minimum of two years

50% Relief is available on the transfer of shares in a quoted trading company where the donor has a controlling interest (i.e. 51%) in the company.  The 50% rate also applies to land and buildings, including plant and machinery, where those assets are used by the donor’s partnership or by a company they control.

With regard to lifetime gifts, Business Property Relief is only available on death provided the donee still owns the relevant business property at the time of death.

If the business owns investments, Business Property Relief is restricted to the business assets. In other words, BPR does not apply to any ‘excepted assets’ in the balance sheet. An ‘excepted asset’ is one which is not used wholly or mainly for the purposes of a trade.

New Regime

From 6^th April 2026, the combined Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief will only be available on the first £1 million on qualifying assets. If the individual owns qualifying assets above this threshold amount of £1 million, the rate of the Relief will be reduced to 50% of the excess.  This means, from 6^th April 2026, an effective IHT tax rate of 20% will apply to the value of qualifying assets above £1 million.

Assets automatically qualifying for the 50% relief rate will not use up the £1 million allowance.

It’s important to keep in mind that any unused part of the £1 million allowance cannot be transferred between spouses in the way that the NIL Rate Band can.

This allowance will not apply to AIM-listed shares and other similar shares not listed on a recognised stock exchange.  Instead, they will be entitled to the 50% rate of Relief.

The new rules will apply for lifetime transfers on/after 30th October 2024 in situations where the donor dies on/after 6^th April 2026.

The Inheritance Tax liability arising on assets which qualify for Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief can be paid by way of equal annual instalments, over a ten-year period, in certain circumstances.

Full exemptions for transfers between spouses and civil partners will continue to apply i.e.  any agricultural and business assets left to a surviving spouse or civil partner will be tax free.

For further information, please click:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-property-relief-and-environmental-land-management

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/what-are-the-changes-to-agricultural-property-relief

Following the Inheritance Tax changes in the Autumn Budget 2024, it’s time to consider the practical consequences and what you can do to protect your family wealth.  For expert advice and assistance, please contact us on queries@accountsadvicecentre.ie

Please be aware that the information contained in this article is of a general nature.  It is not intended to address specific circumstances in relation to any individual or entity. All reasonable efforts have been made by Accounts Advice Centre to provide accurate and up-to-date information, however, there can be no guarantee that such information is accurate on the date it is received or that it will continue to remain so. This information should not be acted upon without full and comprehensive, specialist professional tax advice.

UK Taxes. Income Tax, Corporation and Business Taxes, Capital Gains Tax, Stamp Duty, Land Tax, Inheritance Tax.

In today’s Budget, there were a number of UK tax changes and tax policy announcements aimed at supporting businesses and enhancing living standards under Income Tax, Capital Gains Tax, Inheritance Tax, Savings & Investments, National Insurance, Pensions, Trust Tax, Property Tax, Corporation and Business Tax.  However, this brief article will only focus on Stamp Duty and Land Tax.

The Chancellor announced today that the government will extend first-time buyers relief to all first-time buyers of shared ownership properties in England and Northern Ireland.

The relief will not apply to purchases of properties valued over £500,000.

This amendment will apply to relevant transactions with an effective date of on or after 29^th October 2018.  The measure will also apply retrospectively to transactions with effective dates on or after 22^nd November 2017, which was the date first-time buyer’s relief was originally introduced.

The relief must be claimed in an SDLT Return or by amending an SDLT return which has already been filed.

For those who completed their transaction before 29^th October 2018, the opportunity to amend their SDLT Return will be extended by a further 12 months until 28^th October 2019.

A technical correction was included to extend the time frame in which the 3% SDLT on additional dwellings can be reclaimed.  This applies to situations where an individual sells his or her home within three years of making a replacement purchase.  The amendment, which comes into effect from 29^th October 2018, extends the reclaim period from three to twelve months following the sale of the old home.

For further information, please click: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/budget-2018-overview-of-tax-legislation-and-rates-ootlar/budget-2018-overview-of-tax-legislation-and-rates-ootlar

For a full and comprehensive UK tax advisory and filing service, please contact us today at queries@accountsadvicecentre.ie

Please be aware that the information contained in this article is of a general nature.  It is not intended to address specific circumstances in relation to any individual or entity. All reasonable efforts have been made by Accounts Advice Centre to provide accurate and up-to-date information, however, there can be no guarantee that such information is accurate on the date it is received or that it will continue to remain so. This information should not be acted upon without full and comprehensive, specialist professional tax advice.

UK Taxes. UK Capital Gains Tax (CGT). Full Cross Border and Expat Tax Services. UK CGT Reliefs

Current UK Legislation

Principal Private Residence Relief (PPR) is a capital gains tax relief on the disposal of an individual’s only or main residence.  Under current U.K. legislation, an individual can claim relief for any period where the relevant property is deemed to be the individual’s “Principal Private Residence” (PPR).  The individual can claim Principal Private Residence relief for the final eighteen months of ownership providing the property had been that individual’s principal or main residence at any point during his or her ownership.  In other words, the final eighteen months always qualify for Principal Private Residence Relief even if the dwelling was no longer the individual’s only or main residence.  Lettings relief currently provides relief of up to £40,000 to individuals who let out a property which is or has been their main or principal residence.

Budget 2018 Amendments

The government proposes to make the following two changes with effect from April 2020:

1)      The Lettings Relief will be reformed so that it only applies where the owner of the property is in “shared-occupancy” with a tenant.  The relief can reduce the capital gain, per person, by up to £40,000, giving a potential tax saving of up to £11,200 (£40,000 x 28%) and

2)      The final period of exemption, which applies if a property has been an individual’s PPR at any point during their period of ownership, will be reduced from eighteen months to nine months.   There are no proposed amendments to the thirty six months that are available to disabled persons or those residing in a care home.

The government will consult on the proposed changes before legislating.

For further information, please click:  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/private-residence-relief-budget-2018-brief

As Cross Border Tax Advisors, we provide a full and comprehensive UK tax advisory and compliance service including liaising with HMRC on your behalf.  For further information, please contact us through queries@accountsadvicecentre.ie

Please be aware that the information contained in this article is of a general nature.  It is not intended to address specific circumstances in relation to any individual or entity. All reasonable efforts have been made by Accounts Advice Centre to provide accurate and up-to-date information, however, there can be no guarantee that such information is accurate on the date it is received or that it will continue to remain so. This information should not be acted upon without full and comprehensive, specialist professional tax advice.