The IFA has sought to make ground on its campaign get active farmers exempt from the residential zoned land tax (RZLT).
Following comments made by An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar last week that “anomalies” in the tax will be addressed, potentially through primary legislation, IFA president Tim Cullinan has now written to Minister for Finance Michael McGrath seeking a solution exempting farmers.
In a letter seen by the Irish Farmers Journal, Cullinan said that while such a U-turn is awaited, impacted farmers continue to worry about their “ability to continue farming”.
“Since the RZLT was first mentioned in the Finance Act 2021, the IFA has been contacted from an ever-expanding number of farmers who are concerned about the implications this tax will have on both their farms and families”, he wrote.
Meetings
The IFA president highlighted that since the onset of the land tax legislation, IFA has met with Minister McGrath and his officials to explain how this tax imposes serious implications for famers and to endeavour to find a workable solution for all.
The IFA continues its campaign to make farmers exempt from the RZLT. \ Odhran Ducie
Cullinan referenced the comments made by An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in the Dáil on Tuesday, 9 May: “I spoke to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage; the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform about this last week.
“We do accept that anomalies have arisen in cases where somebody has sought a de-zoning or where it is R2 land and we do want to fix it.
“It may require a change in primary legislation to do so. We should have an answer in the next couple of weeks."
Crux
The IFA president described Varadkar’s comments as the “crux of what IFA has been requesting since the introduction of the RZLT on genuinely farmed agricultural land and it is what we have raised in many meetings with your officials”.
“At this stage I am requesting further engagement with you on this matter so that a workable solution, that excludes all farmers who do not wish to develop their land, can be incorporated into the RZLT legislation,” he wrote to Minister McGrath.
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Government accepts anomalies for farmland in zoned land tax - Taoiseach
The IFA has sought to make ground on its campaign get active farmers exempt from the residential zoned land tax (RZLT).
Following comments made by An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar last week that “anomalies” in the tax will be addressed, potentially through primary legislation, IFA president Tim Cullinan has now written to Minister for Finance Michael McGrath seeking a solution exempting farmers.
In a letter seen by the Irish Farmers Journal, Cullinan said that while such a U-turn is awaited, impacted farmers continue to worry about their “ability to continue farming”.
“Since the RZLT was first mentioned in the Finance Act 2021, the IFA has been contacted from an ever-expanding number of farmers who are concerned about the implications this tax will have on both their farms and families”, he wrote.
Meetings
The IFA president highlighted that since the onset of the land tax legislation, IFA has met with Minister McGrath and his officials to explain how this tax imposes serious implications for famers and to endeavour to find a workable solution for all.
The IFA continues its campaign to make farmers exempt from the RZLT. \ Odhran Ducie
Cullinan referenced the comments made by An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in the Dáil on Tuesday, 9 May: “I spoke to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage; the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform about this last week.
“We do accept that anomalies have arisen in cases where somebody has sought a de-zoning or where it is R2 land and we do want to fix it.
“It may require a change in primary legislation to do so. We should have an answer in the next couple of weeks."
Crux
The IFA president described Varadkar’s comments as the “crux of what IFA has been requesting since the introduction of the RZLT on genuinely farmed agricultural land and it is what we have raised in many meetings with your officials”.
“At this stage I am requesting further engagement with you on this matter so that a workable solution, that excludes all farmers who do not wish to develop their land, can be incorporated into the RZLT legislation,” he wrote to Minister McGrath.
Read more
Government accepts anomalies for farmland in zoned land tax - Taoiseach
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