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Clarkson fumes as he’s reminded of why he bought his farm

Jeremy Clarkson reacted angrily to suggestions that he bought his farm to avoid inheritance tax – even though he admitted to doing so himself in The Times.

The Clarkson’s Farm star joined protesters in London over the so-called ‘tractor tax’, which he has cautioned will spell “the end” for farmers.

The tax, part of Labour’s autumn budget, will see farmers pay a 20 per cent tax on inherited agricultural assets worth over £1 million from April 2026 onwards.

Clarkson begged the government to reconsider their plans at the demonstration, saying: “Please, back down”.

But his temper flared when he was pressed on his own situation by Victoria Derbyshire.

Clarkson has previously admitted that he bought his farm to reduce his inheritance tax bill.

Speaking to The Times, he said: “Rather than just have money in the bank, and get a statement with numbers written on it that gives no one any pleasure at all, you could derive a great deal of pleasure and pass it on to your children”.

He added: “Land is a better investment than any bank can offer. The Government doesn’t get any of my money when I die. And the price of the food that I grow can only go up.”

Related: Why the rich are to blame for ‘ethnically cleansing’ the countryside of farmers

Jack Peat

Jack is a business and economics journalist and the founder of The London Economic (TLE). He has contributed articles to VICE, Huffington Post and Independent and is a published author. Jack read History at the University of Wales, Bangor and has a Masters in Journalism from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

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