Tax implications
Income Tax
Income generated from the ownership of “commercial woodlands” is exempt from both income tax and corporation tax. You do not pay tax on the income from your woods. This would include income from woodland grant aid. This is of considerable benefit to many owners, but you can’t have your cake and eat it. HMRC does not give any tax relief on woodland expenditure of any kind or on interest payments on woodland mortgages or equipment loans. You cannot reclaim any expenses relating to your woods.
Inheritance Tax
If you sell timber on a regular basis from your wood (with good records), when you die you will qualify for 100% business property relief (BPR)as long as you have owned the wood for at least two years. Your estate will not have to pay any inheritance tax on the value of the land and trees. Neither will there be any Capital Gains Tax liability on the wood or your timber.
If you die before you have owned the woodland for two years, your estate will be able to pay off the Inheritance Tax in annual payments over a ten year period. These will also be interest free Capital Gains Tax
At its current rate of 28%, Capital Gains Tax is a pretty hefty tax. The increase in the value of timber and plantations is exempt from Capital Gains Tax (CGT). This does not apply to the value of the land which will be taxed from the date at which it was bought. If the capital value of the land increases and you sell the woodland, you will have to pay Capital Gains Tax. The land and the timber will be valued separately. If you qualify for so called “entrepreneurs’ relief” you may be able to reduce the Capital Gains Tax liability down to 10% when you sell the woodland.
Roll-Over Relief
If you have a Capital Gains Tax liability arising from the sale of other business assets, you may be able to defer this liability by “rolling it over” to another asset such as woodland. If you then keep the woodland until you die, your estate will be assessed just for Inheritance Tax and the Capital Gains Tax liability will disappear. Importantly, it is only the land element of the investment which can qualify for roll-over, not the timber value.
See some useful links below
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/bimmanual/bim67701.htmhttp://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/IPD_UK_ForestryIndex_2009.pdf/$FILE/IPD_UK_ForestryIndex_2009.pdf
http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/woodland-economics/woodlands-and-taxation/
http://www.wildlife-woodlands.co.uk/information-for-woodland-owners/woodland-and-tax/
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/investing/article-2570991/Money-DOES-grow-trees-invested-woodland-watch-costs.html
http://www.confor.org.uk/aboutus/default.aspx?pid=151
http://www.taxdonut.co.uk/blog/2014/07/are-commercial-woodlands-good-place-invest-surplus-business-cash
* Please seek out professional independent financial advice before making any investment.