Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate her Department has made of the number of a) farms b) agricultural businesses and c) non-agricultural businesses that will pay additional inheritance after April 2026 following proposed changes to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief.

Compared to Budget 2025, the expected number of estates claiming agricultural property relief (including those also claiming business property relief) affected by the reforms in 2026-27 halves from 375 to 185. Around 85% of estates claiming agricultural property relief in 2026-27, including those that also claim for business property relief, are forecast to pay no more inheritance tax on their estates under these changes.

Excluding estates only holding shares designated as ‘not listed’ on the markets of recognised stock exchanges, the reforms are also now expected to result in up to 220 estates across the UK only claiming business property relief paying more inheritance tax in 2026-27. This is a reduction from up to 325 such estates forecast to pay more at Budget 2025. This means just over 80% of such estates making claims are forecast to not pay any more inheritance tax.

Further information is available in the updated Tax Impact and Information Note (TIIN) which was published on 9 January: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/changes-to-agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief.

As is normal practice, the Exchequer cost of these changes will be considered by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) and published at the Spring Forecast.