Farmers gather outside Macclesfield Town Hall to protest inheritance tax changes
Farmers gathered in Macclesfield to protest the planned inheritance tax changes.
Tractors filled Market Place on Monday (March 24) as local farmers came together to make their voices heard.
One Macclesfield farmer, who has asked not to be named, has called for 'a complete reversal' of the inheritance tax system.
"In my 55 years, I have never known a government treat farmers so badly," she said.
"Farmers currently get a return on their assets of just one per cent.
"Because we are getting such a terrible return on our investment, it is impossible to pay the tax.
"We can't pay the tax without selling our assets.
"We are going to lose food security."
She added: "Labour are supposed to be there for the working man and nothing better epitomises the working man than a self-employed farmer who works 365 days a year.
"If my husband is ill, there's no sick pay. He has to work.
"That's why we've not got all the farmers here today, because they are working.
As it stands, farmers are almost entirely exempt from inheritance tax thanks to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief.
However, from April 6, 2026, this relief will be capped at £1 million, with farmers paying an inheritance tax of 20 per cent on land and assets over this value.
This is lower than the standard inheritance tax of 40% and can be paid in instalments over 10 years interest free.
Farmers at Monday's protest in Macclesfield also raised concerns about compulsory purchase reforms and the closure of the Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme.
"The general public aren't aware of how many assets are required to make the food," said one farmer in attendance.
"We could all sell our assets and clear off to the moon but what good does that do for the nation?
"We are here to produce food and nothing else."
She continued: "I've got a fifth generation here. He's six years old and he's already learning the trade.
"We've been lambing for the past week or two and my son-in-law is up most of the night.
"He is working an eight-day week and most farmers do.
"They're up first thing in the morning and a lot of them are still going come 10pm at night."
At a recent meeting of Cheshire East Council's economy and growth committee, Macclesfield councillor Rob Vernon explained how the government was not introducing a new tax.
He said: "This is the removal of a tax break that the farming community has enjoyed for 41 years, that others are not afforded.
"In fact, it's not the removal of a tax break, it's only the relaxation and reduction of a tax break because farmers still will not pay the same levels of inheritance tax that everybody else does on their land."
Tim Roca, the Labour MP for Macclesfield, has been approached for comment.
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