Conservative Party Conference: Fears Inheritance Tax may have same impact as Gov's Loan Charge scandal

John Barnett, vice-president at the Chartered Institute of Taxation, said the Government should take a serious look again at reforming Inheritance Tax and at how tax policies could 'incentivise' death before a certain date

Chris Brayford

07 October 2025 • 8 min read

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John Barnett, vice-president at the Chartered Institute of Taxation said: "If you a farmer in their 80s wondering if you can pass the farm on to their children, are we going to see a number of suicides or worse before April 5?"

A tax professional has warned that Inheritance Tax (IHT) reforms could have similar impacts to a 'scandal' nine years ago, which HMRC said led to an increased risk of people taking their own lives...

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