Minister dodges farm tax numbers during intense BBC interview
A top minister repeatedly avoided giving clear numbers about farms affected by new inheritance tax during BBC show. The tax change starting in 2026 targets farm assets over £1M
During last nights BBC Question Time Nick Thomas-Symonds the Paymaster General got stuck in an awkward back-and-forth about inheritance tax numbers (which some call the tractor-tax)
The tax plan announced back in october targets farm assets worth more than £1M with a 20% charge starting from apr-2026. When asked about affected farms Thomas-Symonds kept repeating “27 percent of total“ without giving real numbers; this happened four times in a row
The Government figure is about 27 per cent of the total. Per year its around about 500 [farms] overall
Show host Fiona Bruce tried getting specific numbers suggesting maybe 54‚000 farms would be hit - but the minister didnt confirm or deny this figure. The policy makes farmers worried theyʼll need to sell family land to pay taxes: which could break-up many farms
The Treasury quickly denied rumors about softening the rules for people over 80 (about changing gift timing rules). A Treasury person said: “we remain committed to fully implementing the policy and are not considering mitigations“
