‘I’ve been told to sell my business and flee Britain, but I want to protect my legacy’ – Hayden Bailey comments in The Telegraph
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A recent article in The Telegraph has cast a national spotlight on the growing pressures facing UK family businesses, as significant changes to inheritance tax relief loom on the horizon.
The piece explores how long-established business owners, many of whom have spent decades building generational enterprises, are being advised to sell or relocate abroad in response to the proposed reduction in Business Property Relief (BPR), a move that could reshape the future of generational enterprise in the UK.
Under the current regime, family businesses benefit from 100% BPR, allowing them to pass on business assets free of inheritance tax. However, from April 2026, that relief will be halved to 50%, with assets over £1 million attracting a 20% tax liability. The implications are significant; a recent survey by Family Business United suggests that over half of UK family businesses may be forced to sell part or all of their business to meet the new tax requirements.
Hayden Bailey contributed to the article highlighting a marked shift in sentiment among business owners: “There’s less desire to build a generational family business in the current climate.” Hayden notes that more clients are reconsidering their long-term goals, opting for an exit strategy rather than navigating an increasingly costly and complex succession landscape, adding “I have seen clients who have spent 40 years building businesses in the belief they would be able to pass it to the next generation. The rug has been pulled out from under them.”
As the next generation faces the dual challenge of growing a business and managing a tax liability they may be ill-equipped to fund, the prospect of selling becomes not just a strategic option – but a practical necessity.
The full article was published by The Telegraph in August 2025 can be found here and sits behind a paywall.
Hayden’s comments also appear in MSN.
