Farmers opposed to inheritance tax changes stage Sussex 'supermarket sweep'
They're visiting sites across the county to drum up support
Farmers are taking their tractors tosix supermarkets across Sussex today (Friday 17th) as they campaign against proposals to enforce inheritance tax on farmers.
From April 2026, inherited agricultural assets worth more than 1 million pounds will be liable to 20 per cent tax - that's half the usual rate.
The Final Straw group, which comprises around 100 farmers from Sussex and Surrey, will be delivering letters to seven sites asking for their support in securing 'desperately needed' support for the sector.
Their journey begins at the Tesco in Broadbridge Heath near Horsham, before making stops at Lyons Farm Retail Park in Worthing, the Tesco and M&S stores at the Holmbush Centre in Shoreham, Sainsbury's in Portslade, Tesco in Hove and Asda in Hollingbury in Brighton.
A spokesperson for the group said:
"Labour’s budget will have a devastating impact on farms, many of which have been held in the same family for generations.
"Labour stated that they weren’t going to introduce Inheritance Tax (IHT). They said they wanted a new relationship with farmers, they said they backed British farming, and they said they wanted a budget for growth. Farmers have been misled; the British public has been misled.
"Farmers aren’t making vast amounts of money to pay this inheritance tax bill; the average household share of farm business income was £22,200. Farming is not a 9-5 job; it’s a 5-9 job.
"Farmers put in unbelievable hours, often without much reward other than the pride of growing food for the nation.
"Increasing costs of production, climate change, and restricted incomes mean many farmers are operating at a loss.
"The UK has the cheapest food in Western Europe, which is only possible because of government support that is now being withdrawn from UK farmers. Margins are already tight or non-existent; food prices will have to go up, or farmers will have to go out of business."
A statement on the Government's website says:
"The government is better targeting these reliefs to make them fairer, protecting small family farms.
"The latest figures show that the top 7% (the largest 117 claims) account for 40% of the total value of agricultural property relief. This costs the taxpayer £219 million. The top 2% of claims (37 claims) account for 22% of agricultural property relief, costing £119 million.
"It is not fair for a very small number of claimants each year to claim such a significant amount of relief, when this money could better be used to fund our public services."