The UK’s farming community united in London this week (19 November) to protest against the government's changes to Inheritance Tax (IHT) as announced in the Autumn Budget.
Our assistant land agent, Tom Knowles joined longstanding clients to demonstrate in Whitehall, where members of the NFU and CLA organised a mass lobby of MPs.
Tom reports: “In the Autumn Budget, planned reforms to IHT and Agricultural and Business Property Relief were announced, representing devastating consequences for farmers and the whole agricultural industry.
“As many of our clients are generational farmers, we felt it was important to stand alongside them in London and collectively urge the government to reverse its decision. Undeterred by the classic British weather, over 20,000 protestors made a powerful statement and subsequent headlines across all media platforms.
“As part of the demonstration, farmers donated to local London foodbanks, raising 6.6 tonnes to help address food poverty,” adds Tom.
Our director, Trevor Wells, who is a Fellow of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers and a partner in a farming business, comments: “Having previously set plans in place to safeguard against unnecessary IHT, the recent changes are going to affect the vast majority of farms, with more farmers being forced to consider selling or restructuring all or some of their holdings, which is disastrous for both British produce and generational businesses.
“If you’re worried about what this might mean and would like to understand more about your options ahead of the April 2026 deadline, please get in touch. Our team has extensive experience handling probate and IHT cases and can advise on the best course of action to reduce the impact as much as possible,” concludes Trevor.
