Advice for completing BPS applications
WHILE Covid-19 continues to dominate headlines, farmers in Wicklow still need to meet the Department of Agriculture deadlines, with May 15 being the deadline for declaring the land you are farming in the year 2020.
The Department has not extended the deadline to ensure BPS payments arrive on time in October/December.
According to Philip O’Connor, head of Farm Support with IFAC, this can be a stressful time for farmers, especially if their application is incorrect and monies are withheld.
Before submitting their applications, he says there are some questions farmers should be asking themselves and their agri advisors. Such questions include: Am I farming more/less land than last year?; Am I leasing in/out land that wasn’t previously on an application?; If leasing in/out new land have I leased in/out the BPS correctly with this land?; Have I bought/sold/inherited/gifted land in last year – have I transferred in BPS correctly?; Have I declared all of the lands I am farming correctly on my BPS application?; Have I declared all of the lands correctly in the name of the new business structure?; and have I changed my farming structure – limited company, registered farm partnership, joint herd number? If so, you must transfer BPS to the new structure, according to Mr O’Connor.
When completing a BPS application, his advice is to give yourself ample time to complete it by May 15. He also suggests employing an agri advisor to help complete the application.
‘If transferring BPS to a new entity, ensure that both your accountant and agri advisor are aware of what’s happening. One of the most common mistakes with farmers changing business structure is that neither their accountant or agri advisor is aware of what the other is applying for,’ said Mr O’Connor. ‘ This can lead to serious impacts with both Revenue and the Department of Agriculture and could result in significant taxes and losses in BPS (if completed incorrectly).’
This year, the Department of Agriculture requires all applications to be made online and it is running a number of helplines if farmers need any further assistance.