IRS advises Utah farmers, ranchers about livestock replacement

Stock image, St. George News

PHOENIX — Utah farmers and ranchers who were previously forced to sell livestock due to drought, like the drought currently affecting much of the nation, have an extended period of time in which to replace the livestock and defer tax on any gains from the forced sales, the Internal Revenue Service announced last week.

Farmers and ranchers who sell more livestock than they normally would have because of drought may defer tax on the extra gains from those sales. To qualify, the livestock generally must be replaced within a four-year period. The IRS is authorized to extend this period if the drought continues.

The one-year extension of the replacement period announced generally applies to capital gains realized by eligible farmers and ranchers on sales of livestock held for draft, dairy or breeding purposes due to drought. Sales of other livestock, such as those raised for slaughter, held for sporting purposes and poultry, are not eligible.

The IRS is providing this relief to any farm or ranch located in a county, parish, city, borough, census area or district listed as suffering exceptional, extreme or severe drought conditions by the National Drought Mitigation Center during any weekly period between Sept. 1, 2014, and Aug. 31.

All or part of 48 states and Puerto Rico are listed. Any county contiguous to a county listed by the NDMC also qualifies for this relief. IRS Notice 2015-69 lists all 29 of the Utah counties as NDMC-designated counties.

As a result, farmers and ranchers in these areas whose drought sale replacement period was scheduled to expire at the end of this tax year, Dec. 31, in most cases, will now have until the end of their next tax year. Because the normal drought sale replacement period is four years, this extension immediately impacts drought sales that occurred during 2011.

But because of previous drought-related extensions affecting some of these localities, the replacement periods for some drought sales before 2011 are also affected. Additional extensions will be granted if severe drought conditions persist.

Details on this relief, including a list of all the NDMC-designated counties, are available in Notice 2015-69, posted recently on IRS.gov. Details on reporting drought sales and other farm-related tax issues can be found in Publication 225, Farmer’s Tax Guide, also available on the IRS website.

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1 Comment

  • GrandmaB October 7, 2015 at 9:18 am

    Fascinating. More government subsidies of one of the biggest problems we face as a planet. Agro businesses. More dead zones, more methane. I’ve had my eye on the wrong ball. But, then who gives a flying “you know what” about where my, or your, great grandchildren will live. Oh, wait, that’s right, Christ will save us all. And if you are wrong, which you are, you will be authors of another species extinction. Your own. We don’t deserve this planet.

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