Revenue eBrief No.024/23

01 February 2023

Stamp Duty Tax and Duty Manual Section 81C: Farm Consolidation Relief updated

Section 81C of the Stamp Duties Consolidation Act (SDCA) 1999 allows farmers to claim relief from stamp duty where they sell land and purchase other land in order to consolidate their farm holdings. With the provision that the sale and the purchase occur within 24 months of each other.  Where the conditions for relief are met, a reduced stamp duty rate of 1% applies.

Section 81C Stamp Duty - Tax and Duty Manual has been updated to reflect recent developments:

  • The extension of relief under section 81C to 30 June 2023.
  • Section 81C constitutes an EU State aid and is granted in accordance with the Agricultural Block Exemption Regulation (ABER).
    • A new ABER came into effect on 1 January 2023 (Commission Regulation (EU) No. 2022/2742), replacing the previous ABER (Commission Regulation (EU) No. 702/2014) which expired on 31 December 2022.