Active Farmer Requirement Dropped for BPS Claims
Under the Omnibus Regulations, all EU member states have the ability to drop the Active Farmer requirement for the Basic Payment Scheme from 2018 onwards. The Rural Payments Agency (RPA), as of February, have confirmed that England has now dropped this requirement for BPS claims this year.
This means that claimants are no longer required to provide evidence (i.e. an accountant’s certificate) to prove they are an ‘Active Farmer’. It also means that certain land owners, who were previously excluded from the scheme (airports, railway services, recreational grounds), who held their BPS entitlements before 2015 are now eligible to make a claim in 2018.
This has the potential to increase the number of BPS applications, and affect the entitlement trading market.
This announcement has come too late for the RPA to be able to update their website, and therefore 2018 applicants will still need to tick the ‘Active Farmer’ box in order to still be able to submit the claim online.
The content of this article is for general information only and does not constitute tax advice. It should not be relied upon and action which could affect your business should not be taken without appropriate professional advice.
Ellie Hammett FCCA
Manager
Ellie started with Evolution ABS in April 2010 and became a fully qualified as a Chartered Certified accountant in December 2015. She focuses on a portfolio of a range of clients, from farming to plumbing, providing valuable support in all aspects of accountancy and taxation.
Having grown up on a dairy farm in Dorset, Ellie later moved to Devon in 1998. She now lives with her husband and two young sons on their family farm in East Devon, where they raise beef, sheep, and grow arable crops. When she gets the chance, Ellie enjoys being outdoors with her boys, who share their dad’s passion for farming. She also enjoys moments spent with family and friends and the occasional bit of retail therapy when time allows!
Ellie can be contacted in the office on Mondays – Thursdays.