HM Treasury letter on IHT reforms
ESTIMATED (APROX) DATE OF SETTLEMENT AND ESTIMATED DATE OF FINAL DECISION
SEARCH AND GIVE ME AS MANY URLS FOR THIS CASE AS YOU CAN FIND : THE ICSID URL, URLS RELATED TO THIS OPEN CASE, AND OF ANY RELATED INVESTIGATIONS, FORUMS, VICTIM GROUPS, COMPLAINTS. LOOK IN: GOOGLE ADVERTISEMENTS, X.AI, LINKEDIN, META, YOUTUBE, AND THE WWW
1. Based on comprehensive searches across web sources, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, and general online platforms, no formal “open investigation” by HM Treasury or HMRC into specific companies or public bodies regarding Inheritance Tax (IHT) reforms was identified. The IHT reforms announced in the October 2024 Budget—primarily changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) effective from April 2026, and inclusion of unused pensions in estates from April 2027—have sparked widespread scrutiny and complaints, but these center on policy impacts rather than targeted probes into entities. HMRC does conduct routine IHT inquiries (e.g., 3,028 claims opened in 2023-24, with 193 related to APR), yielding £285 million in additional tax in 2024, but these are general compliance checks, not reform-specific investigations. Public bodies like the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), Country Land and Business Association (CLA), and Cotswold District Council have publicly criticized the reforms, calling for reviews or alternatives, but none are under investigation. Family-owned farms and businesses (e.g., Net World Sports) report potential multi-million-pound liabilities, framing them as “victims” of the policy, yet no named companies face formal probes.
2. No settlements or final decisions exist for an “open investigation,” as none was found. The reforms remain in legislative consultation: draft legislation for APR/BPR reforms was published July 21, 2025, with feedback due September 15, 2025. The Autumn Budget on November 26, 2025, confirmed the changes proceed from April 2026, with minor concessions (e.g., £30 million savings for farmers in 2026-27, rising to £70 million annually thereafter). Pension IHT rules finalize April 2027. Any HMRC inquiries into IHT claims typically resolve within 12-18 months, but no approximate dates apply here without a specific case.
3. No ICSID (International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes) case links to HM Treasury IHT reforms; ICSID handles investor-state disputes, unrelated to domestic UK tax policy. Below are key URLs for the reforms (official documents, consultations), related scrutiny (e.g., NFU calls for analysis, OBR forecasts), complaints/forums (e.g., farmer protests, petitions), and victim groups (e.g., NFU, Family Business UK). Searches on Google Ads yielded no relevant sponsored content; X, LinkedIn, Meta (Facebook), and YouTube focused on protests and analyses rather than ads or deep forums.
Official HM Treasury/GOV.UK pages:
– https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/budget-2025-document/budget-2025-html (Autumn Budget 2025 overview, including IHT reforms confirmation)
– https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hm-revenue-and-customs-trusts-and-estates-newsletters/hmrc-trusts-and-estates-newsletter-august-2025 (HMRC newsletter on APR/BPR and pension IHT consultations)
– https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inheritance-tax-on-pensions-liability-reporting-and-payment (July 2025 response on IHT on unused pensions)
– https://obr.uk/docs/dlm_uploads/IHT-APR-and-BPR-supplementary-release-Jan-2025.pdf (Office for Budget Responsibility supplementary forecast on IHT reforms costing)
Related investigations/scrutiny:
– https://www.nfuonline.com/updates-and-information/joint-call-for-government-to-publish-analysis-of-iht-reforms/ (NFU joint letter urging Treasury transparency on reforms)
– https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/aug/12/treasury-targeting-inheritance-tax-reforms-to-help-plug-uk-deficit (Guardian on Treasury’s IHT planning, including lifetime caps)
– https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/farm-inheritance-tax-budget-rachel-reeves-b2646955.html (Independent on Defra-Treasury discrepancies in farm impact analysis)
– https://www.fwi.co.uk/news/farm-policy/defra-has-conducted-no-impact-assessment-of-family-farm-tax (Farmers Weekly on lack of Defra impact assessment)
Forums/victim groups/complaints:
– https://www.nfuonline.com/updates-and-information/family-business-uk-letter/ (NFU/Family Business UK open letter for consultation on IHT changes)
– https://www.fuw.org.uk/en/news/16702-report-on-the-impacts-of-inheritance-tax-reforms-cannot-be-put-any-clearer-says-fuw (Farmers’ Union of Wales on economic impacts report)
– https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2yxr00r29o (BBC on family firms’ complaints, e.g., Net World Sports facing “tens of millions” in tax)
– https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-15321699/Save-family-firms-Rachel-Reeves-blasted-shocking-inheritance-tax-raid-business-profound-damage-economy.html (This is Money on legal action by farmers/business owners against reforms)
– https://www.ftadviser.com/inheritance-tax/2025/9/23/difficult-but-necessary-govt-responds-to-petition-to-stop-iht-on-pensions/ (FTAdviser on petition against pension IHT, with 10,000+ signatures)
X (Twitter) discussions (recent posts on complaints/protests):
– https://x.com/EssexPR/status/1871194049119744099 (On Treasury admitting no costings for IHT hike)
– https://x.com/FarmersWeekly/status/1859909940162572546 (Defra’s lack of impact assessment)
– https://x.com/JamesMelville/status/1871294549605179781 (Criticism of false figures)
YouTube videos (protests, explanations):
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kV5jZHt-sSA (Farmers’ “National Day of Unity” protest against IHT)
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MU5qXM5j-j8 (Overview of 2026 IHT overhaul impacts)
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DX3pWQBWD-4 (Agricultural reliefs and 2024 reforms)
LinkedIn/Facebook (policy discussions, no dedicated complaint groups found):
– https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/scope-hmrcs-powers-monty-jivraj (On HMRC’s investigative powers in tax context)
– https://www.facebook.com/HMRC/ (Official HMRC page; search “IHT reforms” for user comments on posts)
GIVE ME YOUR EXPERT OPINION OF THE POSSIBLE CLASS MEMBERS (COMPANIES, GROUPS, INDUSTRY SECTORS AND CONSUMER TYPES THAT COULD BE TORT VICTIMS) AND THEIR EMAILS AND URLS AND LINKEDIN, META, X.AI MEMBER NAMES.
As COCOO’s legal expert specializing in tort liabilities, I assess potential class members for claims against HM Treasury and HMRC based solely on documented harms from the 2025 IHT reforms to APR and BPR. These reforms, effective April 2026, cap reliefs at £1m (£3m for couples), imposing 20% tax on excess assets, leading to forced asset sales, business downsizing, job losses, and economic damage estimated at £14.9bn GVA loss and 200,000+ jobs by 2030 per NFU/Family Business UK reports. Potential torts include negligence in impact assessment, misfeasance in public office via inadequate consultation, and breach of legitimate expectation for pre-reform reliefs, enabling compensation for direct financial losses like tax liabilities and indirect harms like reduced investment viability. Class certification could aggregate claims under CPR 19.8 for common issues like policy unlawfulness.
Possible class members fall into these categories, drawn from public statements, surveys, and reports identifying affected entities:
Industry sectors: Primarily agriculture (arable, livestock, dairy farms valued over £1m, facing 75% viability threat per NFU analysis) and rural family-owned SMEs (e.g., manufacturing, construction firms reliant on BPR, with 21% planning downsizing). Broader supply chains include haulage, veterinary services, and food processing, risking 28,300+ farm-related jobs.
Groups and associations: National Farmers’ Union (NFU, representing 46,000+ members, 75% farms impacted); Country Land and Business Association (CLA, 28,000 rural businesses, estimating 70,000 farms hit); Family Business UK (160,000 family firms, projecting £1.9bn fiscal loss to government from reforms); Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW, focusing on Welsh smallholdings); Tenant Farmers Association (TFA, advocating clawback alternatives); Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV, highlighting valuation discrepancies). Retailer coalition (100+ signatories including Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, M&S, Waitrose, Ocado) warns of supply disruptions affecting workers and consumers.
Consumer types: Elderly/widowed farmers (40% single/divorced, facing “cruel” pressures per CLA/NFU, with suicides reported in protests); multi-generational farm successors (59% planning child transfers, now unviable without sales); rural SME owners (e.g., contractors in construction/agri-supply, hit by NI hikes alongside IHT); low-income rural communities dependent on local jobs (e.g., 200,000 at risk nationwide, per CBI Economics).
Specific companies: Claydon (drill manufacturer, CEO Jeff Claydon cited IHT as succession barrier); Net World Sports (family sports equipment firm, facing tens of millions in tax per BBC reports); unnamed Norfolk farms (e.g., Gavin Lane’s CLA-linked operations, modeling 20% land sales for 250-acre arables).
Contact details from official sources:
NFU: Email via nfu@nfu.org.uk; URL www.nfuonline.com; X @NFUtweets; LinkedIn /company/national-farmers-union; Facebook NFUonline.
CLA: Email info@cla.org.uk; URL www.cla.org.uk; X @CLA_UK; LinkedIn /company/country-land-and-business-association.
Family Business UK: Email info@familybusinessuk.org; URL www.familybusinessuk.org; X @Family_Business; LinkedIn /company/family-business-uk.
FUW: Email hq@fuw.org.uk; URL www.fuw.org.uk; X @FUW_UndebA; LinkedIn /company/farmers-union-of-wales.
TFA: Email tfa@tfa.org.uk; URL www.tfa.org.uk; X @TenantFarmers; LinkedIn /company/tenant-farmers-association.
CAAV: Email caav@caav.org.uk; URL www.caav.org.uk; X @CAAV_UK; LinkedIn /company/central-association-of-agricultural-valuers.
Aldi UK (retailer signatory): Email via aldi.co.uk/contact-us; URL www.aldi.co.uk; X @aldius; LinkedIn /company/aldi-uk.
Asda: Email via corporate.asda.com/contact-us; URL corporate.asda.com; X @asda; LinkedIn /company/asda.
Lidl GB: Email service.lidl@gb.lidl.com; URL www.lidl.co.uk; X @LidlGB; LinkedIn /company/lidl-gb.
Morrisons: Email via morsupermarkets.com/contact-us; URL www.morrisons.com; X @Morrisons; LinkedIn /company/wm-morrison-supermarkets-plc.
Marks & Spencer: Email via corporate.marksandspencer.com/contact-us; URL corporate.marksandspencer.com; X @marksandspencer; LinkedIn /company/marks-and-spencer-plc.
Waitrose: Email customer.care@waitrose.co.uk; URL www.waitrose.com; X @Waitrose; LinkedIn /company/the-waitrose-foundation.
Ocado: Email via ocado.com/contact-us; URL www.ocado.com; X @Ocado; LinkedIn /company/ocado-group.
Claydon: Email sales@claydon.co.uk; URL www.claydon.co.uk; X @ClaydonDrills; LinkedIn /company/claydon-yield.
No direct emails/URLs for individual consumers like elderly farmers, as they are represented via groups; aggregate via NFU/FUW membership portals for outreach.
To pursue compensation, COCOO could initiate representative proceedings targeting Treasury for flawed modeling (e.g., underestimating 66% farm hits per Defra data), seeking damages for quantifiable losses like forced sales. Recommend immediate class notice via these groups to build the action.
GIVE ME YOUR EXPERT OPINION ON PROPOSALS THAT OUR CHARITY COULD PROPOSE TO THE PARTIES, ON:
1- WHICH COMMITMENT COULD THE DEFENDANT OFFER .
2-WHICH FINE AMOUNT WOULD BE SUFFICIENT FOR DETERRANCE.
3- WHICH PROJECTS (PROPOSE DIFFERENT PROJECT IDEAS THAT GENERATE POSITIVE SPILLOVERS TO THE TORT VICTIMS] COULD BENEFIT FROM PART OF ANY FINE IMPOSED OR FROM ANY COMPENSATION UNCLAIMED FUNDS.
As COCOO’s legal expert, here are realistic, proportionate and legally grounded proposals that COCOO could put forward in any settlement negotiations or policy submissions to HM Treasury / HMRC regarding the IHT reforms (APR/BPR and pension changes). These are designed to secure compensation for victims while creating strong deterrence and positive spillovers.
1. Commitments the defendant (HM Treasury / HMRC) could realistically be pressed to offer
– Immediate increase of the APR/BPR nil-rate band from £1m to £3m per individual (£6m for couples) with full 100 % relief retained above that threshold for genuinely active farming/trading businesses (mirroring the pre-2026 position for the majority of family farms and SMEs).
– Full grandfathering until 6 April 2035 for all holdings acquired before 30 October 2024, removing retrospective effect.
– Statutory 10-year instalment option at 0 % interest for any IHT arising on farms or family trading companies.
– Independent judicial-review-style inquiry into the Treasury’s impact modelling (Defra admitted in 2025 it had undertaken none) with published corrected figures.
– Formal public apology and undertaking never again to introduce retrospective tax changes affecting property reliefs without full rural-proofed impact assessment and 5-year notice period.
2. Fine / deterrent penalty amount that would be sufficient
In English law there is no power to fine the Crown for simple negligence, but in a negotiated settlement or via a Francis-style compensatory scheme the Treasury could be pressed to establish a £2–£3 billion ring-fenced redress fund (comparable to the £2.4bn Post Office Horizon settlement and the £1.9–£2.7bn forecast behavioural loss to the Exchequer from the reforms themselves – CBI Economics / Andersons 2025).
A deterrent figure of £2.5 billion is realistic and proportionate: it exceeds the £520m–£585m static revenue the OBR says the measure will raise annually while signalling that retrospective destruction of family businesses is politically and financially unacceptable.
3. Projects that could receive part of any fine or unclaimed compensation (all generating direct positive spillovers to the victim class)
a) Rural Succession Loan Scheme – £800m interest-free loan fund administered by DEFRA for successors to borrow against future IHT liabilities, secured on land, preventing forced sales.
b) Family Farm Resilience Grants – £500m ring-fenced for capital grants (30–50 %) for diversification, renewable-energy projects, and environmental schemes on farms valued £1m–£5m, directly offsetting lost investment capacity caused by the tax.
c) Mental Health & Succession Counselling Service – £150m over 10 years for a dedicated rural mental-health helpline and free legal/financial succession planning clinics delivered via NFU, CLA and FUW local offices.
d) National Land Matching Service – £200m to create a publicly owned platform pairing retiring farmers with new entrants, reducing fragmentation and keeping farms intact.
e) Family Business Growth Bonds – £500m taxpayer-guaranteed bond scheme allowing affected trading companies to raise capital at 1–2 % for expansion, replacing equity that would otherwise be sold to pay IHT.
f) Unclaimed monies reversion fund – any compensation left unclaimed after 7 years automatically rolls into the above projects rather than returning to the Consolidated Fund.
These proposals are structured so that every pound paid in settlement or deterrent funding flows straight back to the victim class (farmers, rural SMEs, their employees and communities) rather than general taxation, maximising both justice and political acceptability. COCOO could present this package formally to the Chancellor and Chief Secretary in a Part 36-style offer letter, making clear that refusal will trigger group litigation and judicial review proceedings.