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The Department of Agriculture has outlined 15 common issues that it is coming across when processing Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS II) claims.
1. Payment of contractor or goods made after the submission of the payment claim
The relevant payment is ineligible and excluded from the claim, which may lead to additional penalties.
2. Failing to record online the date concrete is due to be poured -‘Commence of work – Card A’.
The applicant/agent must record a minimal of five working days beforehand the date the concrete is planned to be poured for investments that have steel reinforcing – automatic 5% penalty applied to investment.
3. Changes to size or use of structures and no revised planning permission/letter of exemption submitted for the changes with the payment claim.
A 5% penalty will be applied to the investment.
4. Incorrect capacities/dimension claimed, for example slurry tankers (yard3 V meter3) and bulk tanks (tonne V meter3).
Applicants need to use the units as per approval document. This can result in a possible overclaim and penalty.
5. The receipted value and the cost claimed by the applicant are greater than the payment made by the applicant.
Discounts must be included in the payment claim. If these discounts are not included, then the relevant payment is ineligible for grant aid.
6. VAT included in the claimed cost.
The VAT amount must be excluded from the claimed cost.
7. Investment financed using leasing/hire purchase arrangements.
In this case, the investment is ineligible for grant aid payment.
8. Where a trade-in occurs to part-finance an investment, the value and description of the trade-in is not clearly shown on the receipt.
There will be a delay in the processing of the claim as the receipt has to be returned to the applicant for clarification.
9. Incorrect allocation of receipted cost between investments.
Again, there will be a delay in the processing of the claim, as the issue has to be clarified with the applicant.
10. Farm Safety Training not completed.
There is a delay in the processing of the claim until training is completed and cert submitted.
11. Purchasing non-approved materials, such as slats or purchased fill.
There will be a rejection of the relevant receipted cost and/or application of non-compliance penalty.
12. Investment not completed to relevant specifications or standard.
An automatic 10% non-compliance penalty will be applied. The investment has to be brought up to standard; otherwise a non-compliance penalty (10% to 100%) will apply.
13. Applicant does not have land ownership/lease documents, the site of the investment is not detailed on the documents submitted and/or the map identifying the site is missing.
There will be a delay in the processing of claim, as the issue has to be clarified with applicant.
14. Receipts must be in the name of the applicant marked paid. The applicant’s name and address is missing from the receipt or incorrect. The receipt is not signed and marked paid.
There will be a delay in the processing of the claim, as the issue has to be clarified with applicant.
15. All certificates must show applicant’s name and address, issues have risen where the name and address is missing from the document or it is incorrect.
Again, there will be a delay in the processing of the claim, as the issue has to be clarified with applicant.
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