Chartered Accountants
Getting The Right Support For Your Agricultural Business
Different businesses will have different tax issues to consider whether those issues relate to VAT, Income Tax, Capital Gains Tax or Inheritance Tax (IHT) or in some cases, all of these.
One example of this is an equestrian business. It may be diversification as part of a farming business simply letting land for grazing or it may be a full livery yard providing services to the horse owners.
If we firstly look at VAT, the provision of grazing is the supply of animal feed and therefore zero rated and the provision of stabling is the supply of land and buildings are exempt. However, the supply of services such as feeding, turning out, or exercising is standard rated. So how do you deal with a single supply that includes all of these elements? And how does it impact on the input VAT you can recover?
The value of the assets used in running an equestrian business may be substantial and you will want to ensure relief from IHT is available on death. After all, you are running a business and therefore you should get Business Property Relief (BPR), shouldn’t you? If you are not providing livery services, then you are only letting land and buildings and may not qualify for relief.
There are no clear answers to some of the issues mentioned here and this highlights the importance of seeking advice from a specialist. We can offer advice on all aspects of tax and have knowledgeable experts who can provide reliable solutions that will suit your business. To discuss your circumstances, please email our EQ Taxperts or call your local office contact.
Alternatively, if you would like advice on any matter affecting your agricultural business, please contact a member of our EQ Agriculture team via [email protected] or call 01307 474274 / 01334 654044.
