Single farmers penalised by inheritance rules – MP

INHERITANCE tax on agricultural properties continues to penalise divorced and single farmers despite changes announced in the Budget, a Labour MP has warned.

- GEORGE THOMPSON

Tonia Antoniazzi, the MP for Gower, welcomed plans to ease the tax in Wednesday's Budget, but suggested the Government had failed to go far enough.

Speaking during the Budget debate on Thursday, she told the Commons: “I’ve got a large agricultural community (in my constituency), and I'm really concerned over the wellbeing of this community.

“No-one denies that we need to reform inheritance tax in the agricultural community, and I do genuinely welcome the small move that’s going to help farmers, and that’s the disposal arrangements where widowers can transfer relief to themselves from their spouse.