Stamp Duty Consolidation Act, 1999 (Number 31 of 1999)
[1]>
81D Relief for certain leases of farmland
[3]>
(1) In this section ‘farming’ includes the occupation of woodlands on a commercial basis.
<[3]
[3]>
(1) In this section—
“Commission Regulation (EU) No. 1408/2013” means Commission Regulation (EU) No. 1408/2013 of 18 December 20131 as amended by Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/316 of 21 February 20192 and Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/2046 of 25 October 20223;
‘farming’ includes the occupation of woodlands on a commercial basis;
‘ordinary share capital’, in relation to a company, means all the issued share capital (by whatever name called) of the company, other than capital the holders of which have a right to a dividend at a fixed rate, but have no other right to share in the profits of the company.
<[3]
(2) No stamp duty shall be chargeable under or by reference to the heading ‘LEASE’ in Schedule 1 on any instrument to which this section applies.
(3) This section applies to an instrument which is a lease for a term not less than 6 years and not exceeding 35 years of any lands which are used exclusively for farming carried on by the lessee on a commercial basis and with a view to the realisation of profits.
[4]>
(4) For the purposes of this section the lessee shall, from the date on which the lease is executed, be a farmer who—
(a) is the holder of or, within a period of 4 years from the date of the lease, will be the holder of, [2]>a qualification set out in Schedule 2, 2A or 2B to the Act<[2] [2]>a qualification set out in Schedule 2 or 2A to the Act or a trained farmer qualification (within the meaning given by section 654A of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997)<[2], or
(b) spends not less than 50 per cent of that individual’s normal working time farming land (including the leased land).
<[4]
[4]>
(4) For the purposes of this section, the lessee shall, from the date on which the lease is executed, be—
(a) an individual who—
(i) is the holder of or, within a period of 4 years from the date of the lease, will be the holder of, a trained farmer qualification (within the meaning given by section 654A of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997) or a qualification set out in Schedule 2 or 2A, or
(ii) spends not less than 50 per cent of his or her normal working time farming land (including the leased land),
or
(b) a company, in respect of which at least one individual is an individual—
(i) who holds not less than 20 per cent of the ordinary share capital of the company,
(ii) who is a director of the company,
(iii) who has the ability to participate in the financial and operational decisions of the company, and
(iv) who—
(I) is the holder of or, within a period of 4 years from the date of the lease, will be the holder of, a trained farmer qualification (within the meaning given by section 654A of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997) or a qualification set out in Schedule 2 or 2A, or
(II) spends not less than 50 per cent of his or her normal working time farming land (including, as an employee of the company, the leased land).
<[4]
(5) If, at any time during the first 6 years of the period of the lease, any of the conditions of this section cease to be satisfied, subsection (2) shall not apply and the duty that would have been chargeable but for this section shall be chargeable and the lessee, or where there is more than one lessee, each such lessee, jointly and severally, shall be liable to pay to the Commissioners the amount of the duty together with interest calculated in accordance with section 159D from the date when any of those conditions cease to be satisfied to the date when the duty is remitted.
(6) Subsection (5) shall not apply where any of the conditions of this section are not complied with due to the death of [5]>the lessee or the permanent incapacity of the lessee<[5][5]>the individual referred to in paragraph (a) or (b), as the case may be, of subsection (4), or the permanent incapacity of that individual<[5], by reason of mental or physical infirmity, to continue to carry on farming.
[6]>
(7) Relief under this section shall be available to a single undertaking within the meaning of Commission Regulation (EU) No. 1408/2013 only insofar as it does not exceed the ceiling of aid laid down in that Commission Regulation.
<[6]
<[1]
[3]>
<[3]