Part-time farmers with a full-time job will qualify for Agricultural Relief and Stamp Duty Consanguinity relief if they spend 20 hours a week working on their farm.

The clarification to the 2014 Finance Bill was delivered by Finance Minister Michael Noonan in the Dáil this week. It follows concerns that a farmer with an off-farm job of 40 hours a week must work a further 40 hours on their farm to qualify for the reliefs.

While the wording in the Finance Bill was not changed, Minister Noonan said the Revenue Commissioners will publish a note for guidance that will specify that a normal working time, including on-farm and off-farm working time, approximates to 40 hours per week.

He also said that where anyone can show that their normal working time is somewhat less than 40 hours a week, then the 50% requirement will be applied to the actual hours worked, subject to the overriding requirement that the farm is farmed on a commercial basis and with a view to the realisation of profits.

The Minister also confirmed that a farmer with agricultural qualifications and who farms for profit automatically get the relief. Farmers also have four years to achieve the required qualifications.

Other amendments brought in include Stamp Duty Consanguinity Relief (the halving of the 2% rate to 1% for transfers between family members) which will apply to all qualifying transfers that take place until the end of 2015, regardless of the age of the transferor.

It will apply where the transferor is aged 66 or less from 2016.