The abolition of carbon tax on agricultural vehicles is the main demand by the Irish Farm Contractors Association (IFCA) ahead of Budget 2014 today.

Peter Farrelly of  the IFCA said  “only Ireland Denmark and Slovakia charge carbon tax on agriculture”. He said the tax is putting huge pressure on contractors and needs to be abolished

The black economy is another huge issue for the IFCA. They are proposing that every payment made must have an accompanying receipt. They believe this would reduce the ability of people working in the black economy. On the issue Peter said “legitimate contractors cannot continue with operators with much reduced overheads”.

Motor tax on combine harvesters is another key issue for the IFCA. The say “there should be zero per cent rate of motor tax on combines because they spend very little time on the road”.

By Ciaran Moran