FURIOUS farmers are ready to "go militant" over Rachel Reeves' new tractor tax, the National Farmers Union boss has warned.
Tom Bradshaw insisted British farms are in real jeopardy from the Government's 20 per cent tax on properties over £1 million.
He slammed Treasury figures as "wildly off" , saying nearly two-thirds of farms will be hit by the inheritance tax raid - far more than the 27 per cent claimed.
The NFU chief's warning came right after a heated meeting with Environment Secretary Steve Reed earlier this morning.
The Cabinet Minister had hoped the talks would ease tensions and reassure farms about their concerns.
But as he emerged from the meeting, Mr Bradshaw said: "We fully dispute the figures the Treasury has been using and we’ve played back Defra’s own figures.
“So, the Treasury is saying only 27 per cent of farms will be within scope of these changes, Defra’s own figures suggest that two-thirds of farms will be in scope.
“How they can have that wide a discrepancy within Government is quite unbelievable."
Calling on ministers to swiftly U-turn on the tax raid, he said: "There’s certainly no resolution today, we’ve made very passionately our perception clear: that this tax change is completely unfair."
The NFU boss also warned of of unprecedented anger in the industry, saying: "I have never seen the weight of support, the strength of feeling and anger that there is in this industry today.
“Many of them want to be militant.
“Now we are not encouraging that in any way shape or form but government need to understand that there is a real strength of feeling behind what this change means for the future of family farming in this country.
“We’ll wait to hear from government and treasury and see if we can get to a resolution.”
The Chancellor yesterday doubled down on her claim that only a "very small number" of farms will be hit by her changes.
She claimed in "most cases" a farm worth £3million can be passed on without paying any tax.
She told the BBC: "After that the tax rate for inheritance tax for agricultural property is 20 per cent compared to 40 per cent that everyone else pays, and you can pay that over a ten-year period interest-free...
"I don’t think it is affordable to carry on with a relief like that when our public finances are under so much pressure."
A government spokesperson said: "We understand concerns about changes to Agricultural Property Relief and the Defra Secretary of State and Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury met with NFU President Tom Bradshaw today.
“Ministers made clear that the vast majority of those claiming relief will not be affected by these changes. They will be able to pass the family farm down to their children just as previous generations have always done.
“This is a fair and balanced approach that protects the family farm while also fixing the public services that we all rely on. We remain committed to working with the NFU and listening to farmers.”
By MARTINA BET, Political Correspondent
THE recent decision by Chancellor Rachel Reeves to impose a 20 percent inheritance tax on properties valued over £1 million has sparked outrage among farmers.
They say the tax raid could cripple family farms, which often operate on razor-thin margins and face unique financial pressures.
But ministers are doubling down on claims that only a “small number” of farms will be affected, pointing to Treasury analysis that suggests just 27 percent will be hit.
This morning, NFU President Tom Bradshaw slammed the figures as “wildly off” and insisted nearly two-thirds of farms could actually feel the pinch.
His frustration highlights a growing divide between the government’s perception of the agricultural sector and the reality faced by farmers on the ground.
Land values vary dramatically by region, and a one-size-fits-all tax threshold doesn’t cut it.
In high-value agricultural areas, many farms are worth well over £1 million, while others may not even come close, skewing the real picture.
With farmers already battling skyrocketing costs, it is almost beyond question this tax could have devastating consequences for the future of British agriculture.
And no matter how much the Government tries to hide behind their analysis, the truth is that farmers’ concerns won’t just fade away.
