Tax reliefs on disability farm aids sanctioned by Minister

FARMERS with disabilities resulting from workplace injuries and who need to purchase specialist equipment such as hoists, will now be able to set-off the costs against their tax bill, an IFA representative confirmed this week.

Peter Gohery, from Eyrecourt – the newly elected Galway IFA Rural Development Representative – told the Farming Tribune that the changes had been agreed with Minister of State at the Dept. of Agriculture, Martin Heydon.

Back in 2009, Peter Gohery, lost a leg in a farm accident when he got entangled in the PTO shaft of his tractor that was powering a diet feeder – since then he has an active campaigner on farm safety.

“There are a lot of aids and devices available to farmers who may have suffered serious disabilities after a farm accident but often these can be quite expensive to purchase.

“We put the case to Minister Heydon on making tax allowance for such purchases and in fairness to him, he saw the merits in this and agreed to the tax reliefs,” said Peter Gohery.

Wheelchair bound farmers can in cases still use their tractors with the help of a hoist to take them in and out of the vehicle while other devices include a hand-clutch operation; a retractable step to access the cab of a tractor; and a lift arm adjuster to save the driver having to dismount from the cab.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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