THERE MUST have been a collective sigh of relief in the countryside earlier this week when it was confirmed that there would be no agricultural property and agricultural land on the rates’ valuation roll.
It had been widely mooted that this would be the case, but until the ‘i’ is dotted and the ‘t’ crossed, nothing can be taken for granted these days. 
Notwithstanding the cost to an industry which is not universally on the crest of a wave, the expense of actually implementing any such proposal must have been off-putting. It would have been a daunting and costly tax to deliver, administer and police – never mind the inevitable disputes that would arise.
But I fear that the proposed ‘sporting’ tax might have more legs to it in ministers’ minds. Again, though, this will not be easily quantifiable and implemented. Farmers’ fears that the recent survey of ‘sporting assets’ that every landowner had to fill in was just a Trojan Horse for a land tax, might yet be justified.
That sporting rates are to be levied is not in question, but what many farmers are asking is: ‘What about my own shoot, will that be taxed even though it is for my own use?’ 
ScotGov expects to raise up to £4m from this tax and has already said that Small Business Rates Relief should totally exempt small shoots and fisheries from the main thrust of the taxation.
But, like the land and property rates announcement this week, there remains real fears that a sporting tax may be levied to all in some way or other.
At the very least, farmers with sporting assets, however small, need to know where they stand on this or the relief that has been expressed that the rating of land and farm properties had been dropped, will simply be negated by other means.

Lending rates


NO ONE should be surprised that the collective debt to the banks of Scottish Farming plc has increased by 5% in the past year.
Despite the feel good factor out there at some of the sheep and calf sales, there is an underlying feeling that the industry is becoming over-extended – but, it was ever thus. I don’t see anyone losing sleep over the fact that total outstanding loans to the industry amounted to £2.32bn – or the eighth consecutive annual increase in debt.
The irony is that this week, ScotGov added to the loan burden. The good news is that it’s a loan against ‘future earnings’ ie, Basic Farm Payments. So, in effect, there should be no eventual burden on the industry – bar ‘fines’ or loss of entitlements!